Latest Offenders Southampton

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Jordan Bibby, 19, thought he was chatting to under-age girls but was actually talking to adults who go online posing as children in a bid to catch offenders.

Yesterday he was sent to a Young Offender Institution for what a judge at Southampton Crown Court described as the defendant's "revolting" behaviour.

Dawn Hyland, prosecuting, said Bibby was arrested after viewing fake profiles created by the Child Online Safety Team and a similar group called Innocent Voices.

Thinking he was chatting to an 11-year-old girl he said: "I want you babe. I want to be your boyfriend."

Miss Hyland said Bibby also sent "the profile" explicit photographs of himself as well as asking for sex.

The defendant was charged and bailed but committed more offences after going online again and chatting to someone he thought was a 12-year-old girl.

During one of several video calls he performed a sexual act, the court was told.

Bibby pleaded guilty to attempting to sexually communicate with a child, attempting to cause a child to watch a sex act and attempting to meet a child after grooming her.

His address was given as the McMullen Barracks at Marchwood.

But Robin Griffiths, defending, said Bibby had lost his career in the army as a result of committing the offences in the first few months of last year.

Mr Griffiths said the "terrible misfortunes" the defendant suffered during his childhood had resulted in him leading a "very isolated form of existence".

He added: "After being recruited into the army he found what felt like a family life for the first time".

Judge Peter Henry told Bibby: "Having been arrested you went on to commit a number of other offences.

"Had it not been for your immaturity and your learning difficulties, you would have gone to prison for rather longer."

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A SOUTHAMPTON paedophile has been jailed for 13-months.

Adam Piggott appeared at Southampton Crown Court on Friday faced with charges of attempting to engage in sexual activity with a child and attempting to meet a child for sexual activity.

Using social media, the 31-year-old messaged a 13-year-old-girl called Molly between October 28 and November 7, 2019.

He started the conversation by sending her a message from a profile with the name of Martin – his middle name.

Piggot, of Mansfield Park Street, asked what she was "into" and what she looked like, the court heard.

Molly sent a photo – which he deemed "cute" – and then sent an image of himself back.

His messages eventually turned more explicit and more sexual.

Little did he know, Molly was not a real girl.

An online police unit tasked with catching paedophiles had created a fictional profile.

Prosecutor, Dawn Hyland told how Piggott asked if "Molly" had been with an older man.

He offered to meet her and they made arrangements for when his girlfriend was at work.

Piggott asked Molly not to tell anybody.

They agreed to meet at McDonald's in Shirley High Street on November 7.

Piggott drove in and out of the restaurant's car park searching for Molly in vain.

After pulling up in a cul-de-sac opposite he was snared by officers.

During a police interview, he admitted he knew she was 13-years-old and he wanted to meet for sex.

He said it had dawned on him she was not real and he could not give a specific reason why he sent messages.

Transcripts of their exchanges totalled 81 pages.

Defence barrister, Jamie Gammon said: "He [Piggott] is a man of good character and has no previous convictions."

And, that he had taken steps to address his offending behaviour – including hypnotherapy.

Gammon argued that Piggott is "clearly a man with mental health problems" and furthermore he had pleaded guilty.

For his "serious crimes", Judge Henry sentenced him to 13-months in prison and gave him a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

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A man has been jailed for 3 years after being found in possession of indecent images of children.

Thomas Powell, aged 24, of Broomy Close, Dibden was sentenced at Southampton Crown Court yesterday, (19 May) to 3 years imprisonment, put on the Sex Offenders Register for life and given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for 10 years.

Powell pleaded guilty at a previous hearing to one count of possession of extreme pornographic images, two counts of possessing a prohibited image of a child and six counts of making indecent photographs of a child.

Officers executed a warrant at Powell's home on 14 May 2019 after intelligence suggested he had been downloading indecent images of children.

Officers from Hampshire Constabulary's Internet Child Abuse Team (ICAT) seized Powell's phone, two computers and a tablet which were analysed by a forensic computer examiner within the force. Between these devices, officers discovered over four million images and videos of abuse involving children had been downloaded and included category A images – the most serious.

PC James Giles said "Behind every indecent image of a child is a vulnerable victim and these crimes are among the most appalling that we investigate.

"Powell is a habitual collector of indecent images that include category A, the most serious kind, for his own sexual gratification.

"Tackling online viewing of indecent images is a priority for police and we will do everything in our power to bring offenders to justice."

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Stephen Lea, 53, of Logan Close, Southampton was found guilty of one count of rape and 13 counts of indecent assault on a child, following a trial at Southampton Crown Court.

The court heard that Lea began abusing his young victim in 1994 and continued until 1999.

Lea's offences were reported to the police after the victim disclosed what had happened to a relative.

Lea was sentenced to 17 years, with an extended licence period of one year. He was also made subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) and ordered to be placed on the Sex Offenders Register for life.

Detective Constable Marie Leather from Hampshire Constabulary's Amberstone team said "Lea's offending took place over a prolonged period of time.

"I cannot praise the victim enough for the bravery and courage she has shown in reporting what happened. Lea's actions have had a significant impact on her and it has been something she has been trying to come to terms with throughout her life.

"I hope this sentence goes some way in helping her move forward.

"I also hope this sentence will encourage others who have suffered this type of abuse, no matter when it happened, to come forward and speak to us. We take allegations of this nature extremely seriously and work hard to bring offenders to justice."

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A man from Southampton has received a prison sentence for a series of thefts as well as sexually assaulting a female hairdresser. Rashpal Sanghera, aged 36, of Southampton, has been jailed for 30 months after he sexually assaulted a female hairdresser. He was also responsible for a spate of thefts. Southampton Crown Court heard he had been having his beard trimmed when he sexually assaulted the female hairdresser. Sanghera chased the victim around the barbershop. When he forced himself on her, she used a rolled-up magazine to fend him off. He stopped the assault, however, Sanghera issued a threat, telling the victim: Watch out what happens to you. Robert Welling, prosecuting, said the woman was alone at the time and was left scared and distressed by the ordeal. In September 2019, Sanghera was arrested and released under investigation. On October 18, 2019, he had been driving his BMW on The Avenue when he was pulled over. A test found traces of cocaine and benzoylecgonine, a breakdown product of cocaine, in his system. Sanghera, who has 29 existing convictions, went on to steal a charity tin from Sams Chicken Takeaway in Shirley High Street on January 17, 2020. On January 27, he stole another charity tin from Moby Dick fish and chip shop in Church Street, Shirley. Sanghera was later found in possession of a bank card which had been stolen from a student. He used it to pay off 770.21 of drug debts across Southampton, Eastleigh and Winchester. On February 1, Sanghera had been at the McColls store in Bedford Place when he lunged over the counter and stole four scratch cards. Just days later on February 7, he and a friend stole four bottles of alcohol worth 115 from Sainsburys in Leigh Road, Eastleigh. Sanghera then failed to appear at court for the sexual assault offence but was found guilty in his absence on March 16. He was finally arrested on March 24, 2020. On March 25, he pleaded guilty to three counts of theft, one fraud, one burglary and one count of driving under the influence of drugs. Chris Gager, defending, stated that Sanghera planned to change but was stuck in a vicious circle of drug abuse. Sanghera was jailed for 30 months, of which he will serve half. As he was sentenced, he repeatedly abused Judge Christopher Parker. Sanghera was also disqualified from driving for two years which will begin upon his release. In 2015, he had been accused of robbing a sex worker in her own home. The victim had been at her home when three men burst in and one of them held a knife to her throat before making off with 100 and identity documents. Sanghera was arrested and interviewed by police. He admitted going to her flat, saying he wanted to have sex with Miss Pasare, but told detectives he had a panic attack and denied being involved in any robbery, the court heard. After listening to evidence given by defence witnesses the jury found him not guilty.

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A SEX offender breached rules banning him from using Facebook when he logged onto the social media site and searched for his previous victim.

Josh De-Banks was banned from using the social media platform without the prior knowledge of police as part of a sexual harm prevention order.

The order was made after De-Banks admitted sending sexually explicit pictures to a young boy in 2019.

But the 21-year-old was later jailed for breaching the order after making contact with the same boy.

He was later released in Southampton.

But Southampton Crown Court heard that soon after his release, De-Banks was caught in possession of a mobile phone.

When police checked the phone they found De-Banks had been using Facebook.

On further inspection, officers found searches for the profiles of eight people, including the victim who was sent the explicit messages and members of his family.

Mitigating, Richard Tutt said De-Banks, who had been recalled back to prison on licence for his previous breach, had gained enhanced prisoner status while in custody and was studying a course in law.

He said De-Banks had a difficult upbringing, having been in care from the age of four, and at the time of his original offence was "coming to terms" with his background.

De-Banks, whose address was listed as Vanguard Road in Southampton, where he was at the time of his breach, was sentenced to 15 months in prison after pleading guilty to one count of breaching a sexual harm prevention order.

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A PAEDOPHILE caught sexually messaging an 11-year-old girl was released by police only to be caught offending again when he was snared trying to meet what he thought was a underage teen. Martyn Dunn, 27, was arrested when the 11-year-old's mother discover the sexually explicit messages on the girl's phone. But after collecting the messages as evidence, and having conducted a police interview, officers released Dunn under investigation for more than a year. In the meantime, Dunn arranged to meet what he thought was a 14-year-old schoolgirl after graphic conversation about sex. But the online profile was actually operated by a paedophile hunter group, who handed him into the police. While sentencing Dunn to a 10 month prison sentence, a judge hit out at Hampshire Police's decision to release him after he was caught the first time. Judge Peter Henry said: "You committed the second offence while being investigated by the police and released. "I question why you were not charged when interviewed in Summer 2018. I have absolutely no idea why when police had all the evidence they subsequently used. "You should have been charged then, whether that would have prevented the second offence I cannot say. But you must have been well aware that it was against the law to contact child, but you went ahead and did it." Police have since defended the decision, claiming an early charge was "not appropriate" in Dunn's case. A spokesperson for Hampshire Police said: "In order to ensure a fair and thorough prosecution, investigating officers must collect all available material - whether it points towards a suspect or away. This also allows for fair disclosure the defence. "It is only once all reasonable lines of enquiry have been completed that a case can be presented. This can then be done so in the knowledge there is no material which would otherwise undermine the case. "Whether any such material exists is not always known at the point of interview and the bar for considering an early charge, with enquiries left to complete, is rightly set high." Southampton Crown Court heard how Dunn was arrested in April 2018 after exchanging sexual messages with an 11-year-old girl which were later found by the child's mother. The court heard he was later caught messaging what he thought was a 14-year-old in January 2019. But it was actually a fake profile, named Emily, which was being run by paedophile hunter group TRAP. Prosecutor Simon Foster told the court that after weeks of messaging, Dunn agreed to travel more than 60 miles from Southampton to Weymouth in order to meet the girl in June last year. He was later arrested and charged with both offences. In mitigation, John Dyer said Dunn suffered from autism and his messages with the girls were "naive". He said: "When talking to Emily they talk about Weymouth and his reply is that there are nice buses there. "He also sent a message in which he said he needed to go for a pee now and asked if she liked trains." Mr Dyer added that Dunn was facing eviction from his supported living accommodation, provided by Autism Hampshire, in Chessel Avenue, Southampton. Dunn, who pleaded guilty to one count of sexual communication with a child and one count of attempting to meet an underage girl after grooming. He was sentenced to 10 months in prison, given a 10 year sexual harm prevention order, barred from working with children and made the subject of notification requirements for 10 years.

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Jozef Janczura, aged 34 of Laburnum Road, Southampton has been given a 20 year extended sentence today (31 January) for raping and assaulting an 18-year-old woman in Riverside Park in Southampton on December 2, 2018.

More than a year after this terrible crime happened to a young woman, a Jury at Southampton Crown Court delivered a unanimous verdict of guilty on both counts on December 11, 2019.

Appearing at court today to be sentenced, the judge handed Janczura a 20 year extended prison sentence for the brutal attack.

The sentence comes after the woman reported that whilst she was walking along Woodmill Lane in December 2018, a man unknown to her grabbed her neck and raped her in a wooded area in Riverside Park between the skate park and tennis courts.

Officers investigating the case immediately launched an appeal for witnesses including residential CCTV and dash cam footage.

The woman was supported by specialist officers and forensic evidence obtained was sent off for fast track analysis. On Dec 7, officers found out that the DNA found did not match any other DNA on the national police database. Following this news, an extensive CCTV strategy was planned alongside consultation with the National Crime Agency in a bid to identify the man responsible.

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A SOUTHAMPTON teenager was caught with "sickening" images of young girls and asked others to share them.

Ryan Maidment was caught with dozens of indecent images of some young girls – the youngest thought to be aged between four to six years old.

Now aged 20 Maidment, who was aged between 17 and 18 at the time of his offending, also "traded" images with other paedophiles via an online chat site and used a mobile application aimed at hiding private photographs or videos.

At Southampton Crown Court, he was given a suspended sentence.

The court heard how Maidment was arrested in May 2018 after police received information that an internet connection linked to his flat in International Way, was being used to share indecent images.

Police found more than 60 indecent images on his Samsung mobile phone, the majority of which were category C – the least serious category.

Officers also found moving images and that Maidment had shared images in group messaging chats.

This meant he had committed an offence of distributing indecent images – a more serious offence than possession.

Maidment admitted three counts of possession of indecent images, ranging from category A to C, and three counts of distributing indecent images, again ranging from category A to C.

In mitigation, Gemma White said Maidment was an "isolated" teenager at the time of the offences and had spent much of his time gaming.

She said Maidment had since managed to get a job, though did not disclose where, and had formed relationships and had began to socialise with his work colleagues.

She urged Judge Peter Henry to follow a pre-sentence report by the probation service recommending he suspended the sentence and allow Maidment to take on a programme aimed at helping paedophiles ¬– which he would not be able to access in prison.

In sentencing, Judge Peter Henry described the images as "sickening".

He said: "Any right minded person will think someone like you deserves severe punishment.

"But on the other hand you are young, you have no previous convictions and you were, as I find, isolated in some sort of fantasy world.

"It's clear the most serious offences took place when you were 17."

He added: "I have to find the balance between the punishment best for the public interest against the best way to protect society."

Judge Henry imposed an 18 month prison sentence, suspended for two years.

He also put an "onerous" order of 160 hours of unpaid work, ordered Maidment to complete the Horizon programme and 20 days or rehabilitation activity requirement.

Maidment was also made the subject of notification requirements and a sexual harm prevention order and ordered to pay costs of £670.

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A SEX offender once found guilty of offences relating to an international paedophile ring linked to Hampshire has been hauled back before the courts.

Jasmine Melissa Hope, previously known as Melissa Noon, pleaded guilty to breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order by deleting the internet history on her mobile phone.

Appearing at Southampton Crown Court, the 38-year-old, of Howard Road, Southampton, was sentenced to a 12 month prison sentence, suspended for two years.

The order was imposed on Hope by Portsmouth Crown Court in 2011 after she was found guilty for her part in an international paedophile ring based in Hampshire.

As previously reported in the Echo, the group committed "horrific" crimes against two young children in the UK and one in Australia.

Hope was found guilty of 11 charges including causing a child to engage in sexual activity.

Following a six week trial, ringleader Robert Hathaway, 37, then of Tyseley Road, Portsmouth, was given an indeterminate sentence of 12 years.

That was later quashed and replaced with a life sentence with a minimum term of 10 years.

Hope, who was Hathaway's partner, received four years.

This was later doubled to eight years on appeal through the unduly lenient sentence scheme.

Three other defendants became involved by meeting the couple over the internet to carry out the abuse and were jailed for a total of 15 years.

As previously Hampshire police launched their investigation into the ring after being tipped off by the authorities in Australia, who had uncovered a "mirror image'' ring in Brisbane and Sydney which also abused at least one young child.

Hathaway had been in contact with this ring and shared images with them and one of the charges faced by Noon was for encouraging the Australian child to engage in sexual activity.

A total of 2,000 pages of chat logs were uncovered by police, as well as 14,000 indecent images of children and 300 videos of children being abused.

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A GARDENER claimed his trouser zip was broken or he had been stung by an insect before exposing himself to women he was carrying out work for in Dorset.

Darren Salmon, of Salisbury Green, Southampton, was admitted eight counts of indecent exposure and was sentenced at Bournemouth Crown Court on Monday, November 11.

The 41-year-old, formerly of Bridport, was sentenced to a three-year community order, with a requirement to attend a 35-day accredited programme and a 30-day rehabilitation activity requirement. Salmon was also placed on the sex offenders register for five years.

The defendant was working as a gardener in the Bridport area when he exposed himself to a number of people he was carrying out work for at various addresses.

The offences occurred between Wednesday, August 1, and Thursday, September 6, 2018, and his victims were women aged between 19 and 92.

After claiming his trouser zip was broken or an insect had stung him, Salmon asked for assistance and at this point the victims realised he was exposing himself.

The incidents were reported to police and Salmon was arrested on Sunday 9 September 2018.

PCKerry Cordier, of Dorset Police's Volume Crime Team, said: "These incidents were distressing for the victims involved and I would like to thank all of them who came forward and assisted our investigation.

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A SOUTHAMPTON couple have been given jail sentences totalling 30 years after being found guilty of sexually abusing young boys.

Richard Townsend (pictured right) even filmed his partner Mark Metcalfe performing a sex act on one of their victims, believed to be in his mid-teens.

The pair also repeatedly abused two boys, under the age of 16, between 1998 and 2005.

A court heard one of their victims took his own life earlier this year – with the stress of the investigation being put forward as a possible factor in his suicide.

Both Townsend and Metcalfe denied any sexual activity with children.

But Townsend, 57, who works as an accountant, was found guilty of 14 counts relating to child sex offences following a trial at Southampton Crown Court.

In the same trial, Metcalfe, 56, was found guilty of three charges, including two counts of indecent assault and one count of sexual assault.

Yesterday, Townsend was jailed for 18 years, with an extended five-year sentence.

Following the pair's sentencing, the family of the victim who died earlier this year said they were "relieved" that Townsend and Metcalfe had been jailed and that "justice had been done".

The family said: "This is the best thing that could have happened because nothing is going to bring him back.

"After he told us about what had happened he was positive, he wanted to move forward.

"He wanted to go into schools and tell children that if it has happened to you then you need to tell someone because they will believe you."

Earlier this week, Townsend and Metcalfe, both of Copsewood Road, Southampton, were found guilty following a three week trial at Southampton Crown Court.

Townsend was found guilty of four counts of indecent assault of a child, five multiple incident counts of indecent assault of a child, one count of indecency with a child, one multiple incident count of assault by penetration of a child, one count of rape of a child and two counts of sexual assault of a child.

Metcalfe was found guilty of two counts of indecent assault on a child and one count of sexual assault.

The investigations were carried out by the National Crime Agency (NCA).

NCA operations manager Graham Ellis said: "This is a deeply harrowing case.

"It takes immense courage to come forward, and the victims in this case have been incredibly brave in doing so.

"The NCA and our law enforcement partners are relentless in our pursuit of child sex offenders whose actions wreck so many lives.

"We have no greater priority than protecting children from sexual abuse."

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A WOULD-BE rapist who 'strangled' a woman during a violent sex attack after a night out has been jailed.

Sex offender Khaled Meridja, of Brampton Road, Oxford, had denied one count of attempted rape, one of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and two of sexual assault.

At the end of his trial at Oxford Crown Court in August jurors took four hours and 31 minutes of deliberations to find him unanimously guilty of all counts.

At his sentencing hearing at the same court today his defence barrister revealed that the 29-year-old still 'stands by his instructions' despite his conviction.

During the case, prosecutor Sally Hobson told jurors the attack on the woman – who cannot be named for legal reasons – began with a night out.

The victim was out in Oxford with a friend on the night of October 21 last year before going to Euro Bar and then on to JT’s Cocktail Bar & Club.

It was not long after that in the early hours of the following morning they met Meridja, neither having met him before and neither knowing him.

While at Meridja’s home the assaults on the teenage victim and attempted rape all took place.

Detailing her ordeal the victim said it made her feel like she was 'going to die.'

She said: “[Meridja] was grabbing hold of my breasts and I [said] ‘what the hell are you doing get off me’ and then he pushed me up against the wall.

“Then he was strangling me so much I could not breathe.

"He was just strangling me and I didn’t know what to do.”

She said that she tried to fight him off and during the incident he sexually touched her and tried to pull down her trousers.

Describing how she felt she said: “I just thought I was going to die.”

The court heard at yesterday's sentencing how the attack had 'forever changed' the woman who said she also now suffers sleep difficulties as a result of her ordeal.

In mitigation defence barrister Graeme Logan said his client 'stands by his instructions' given during his trial.

He added, however, that Meridja 'understands he has to be sentenced'.

It was also revealed that Meridja had first come to the UK illegally in a lorry after fleeing Algeria before travelling through France.

Sentencing, Judge Maria Lamb called the offence a 'determined attempt' to rape the teenager.

She added: "This incident only ended because she got away from you and not because you desisted.

"She fled and fell down the stairs during the course of it [...] and was helped by a bus driver who took her to St Aldate's .

"I commend the public spiritedness and responsible [action] taken by the lady bus driver who helped a young woman clearly in distress."

He was jailed for a total of seven and a half years and must sign the sex offenders register for life.

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Survivors say questions remain as to how youth coach sexually abused 24 players over 25 years Victims of the football coach Bob Higgins, who is beginning a 24-year jail term for abusing schoolboy players, have said there are still many questions to be answered about why he was able to evade justice for three decades. Survivors called on high-profile players and managers who worked with Higgins at Southampton FC to explain what they knew of his offending and claimed that by remaining quiet they continued to protect him. They said Peterborough FC, where Higgins was also employed, and the Football Association also needed to come clean about why he had been able to coach and abuse youth players for seven years after concerns were raised about him. Higgins, 66, from Southampton, showed no emotion as Judge Peter Crabtree jailed him at Winchester crown court for the abuse of 24 schoolboys over a 25-year period from 1971 to 1996. The judge said Higgins was a cunning and manipulative predator who abused his position of trust as a respected coach and caused real, enduring harm to his victims. Higgins had not shown a jot of remorse, he said. 'Jon', pictured with Bob Higgins in the 1990s. Bob Higgins victim: 'I looked him in the eyes and took back the power' Many of his victims, now middle-aged men, sat in the public gallery as Higgins was sentenced. They had testified to suffering decades of mental health problems because of his crimes, and expressed anger, shame and guilt at what had happened to them. Some told the court they had tried to kill themselves, and many said they had struggled over the years with flashbacks, panic attacks, depression, anxiety, lack of trust and problems with personal relationships. A number went on to have good careers in football, but some said they had lost their chance of fulfilling their potential because of Higgins. After the sentencing, Hampshire police said more people had come forward to make allegations against Higgins since his conviction and that the possibility of further prosecutions had not been ruled out. On the steps of the court, survivors made it clear their fight for justice was not over. The former Southampton youth player Dean Radford described how he and other boys came forward in 1989 to reveal that Higgins had abused him but were not believed. "We hope those Southampton club directors, high-profile players and management who spent time with Higgins will stand up and tell the truth," he said. "We believe many people must have known what was going on. By not speaking out these people were and still are protecting a predatory paedophile." Radford paid tribute to the former Southampton junior star and Higgins victim Billy Seymour, who died in a car crash earlier this year. He said: "Billy will be looking down on us smiling knowing Bob Higgins cannot harm any other child ever again. He will never be forgotten. We did it Billy, just like you said we would. You can now rest in peace our dear friend." Police interview Bob Higgins, who has been found guilty of 45 charges of indecent assault against 23 teenage boys. 'The FA didn't stop him': The long road to justice for Bob Higgins' abuse victims Higgins worked with youngsters at Southampton between 1975 and 1990 and at Peterborough between 1994 and 1996. When the Guardian broke the story of abuse within football in 2016, Higgins was still working in the game, though not as a coach of junior players. Dion Raitt, who was abused by Higgins as a junior player at Peterborough, said Higgins used the boys' hunger to succeed to exploit them. He said: "Football was our lives, football was our dreams. We would have done anything to make it as a professional footballer. "There remain many questions that we deserve answers to. How was Bob Higgins able to slip through the net for so long? How was he ever put into a position of power at a professional football club like Peterborough United?" Raitt said it was "especially shocking" that in 1989 the Football League, then the game's governing body, had issued a warning to all clubs about Higgins. "Sadly because of potential failings we were subjected to horrific abuse at the hands of Higgins," he said. During the sentencing hearing, another victim, who cannot be named, criticised the FA and Southampton over their handling of Higgins. He asked the court: "Where were Southampton? Where were the FA? Where was their due diligence and safeguarding policies? They had a duty of care, a responsibility." Two other former Southampton youth players, Anthony Connolly and Lee Smith, waived their right to anonymity. Connolly had told the court he first met Higgins when he was 12 and said the coach groomed his parents as well as him. Addressing Higgins directly, he said: "You took away my childhood." He said the abuse created a "void inside of me" filled with "fear, anxiety and torment". He said he had turned to drink to try to drive the fear away and suffered mental health issues. "I hope Southampton FC and the English FA have learned from their mistakes," he said in court. "I hope the proper safeguarding is in place." Smith described Higgins as a monster who ruined the dreams of his victims for his own "sick perverted satisfaction" and said: "The football community is now a much safer place." Southampton and Peterborough have apologised to the victims. After Higgins's conviction the FA said it recognised their distress. "We continue to signpost victims and survivors to speak to Clive Sheldon QC whose team is conducting the independent inquiry into allegations of non-recent child sexual abuse in football," it said Both football clubs declined to comment on Wednesday on the former players' calls for more answers. An FA spokesperson said: "The FA has commissioned an independent QC to conduct a review into, what, if anything, the FA and clubs knew about the allegations of child sexual abuse at the relevant time, and what action was taken or should have taken place. "It is therefore inappropriate for the FA to comment on these questions whilst that review is ongoing."

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A lodger who raped and murdered a 13-year-old girl to stop her exposing him as an abuser has been jailed for life. Stephen Nicholson, 25, stabbed Lucy McHugh 27 times at Southampton Outdoor Sports Centre last July. He was found guilty of murder and three charges of raping Lucy after a trial at Winchester Crown Court and was ordered to spend at least 33 years in jail. Judge Mrs Justice May said Lucy had "unknown promise, cruelly obliterated" and described Nicholson as "depraved". The judge told Nicholson: "This was a pitiless attack on a child following months of sexual exploitation. "The prosecution has described it as an execution and I am satisfied this is correct. "The combination of [Nicholson's] cold narcissism and hot anger dictated that she had to be put out of the way and he saw to it that this was done." The trial heard Nicholson first raped Lucy, then aged 12, in May 2017 while living at her home, and on two further occasions over the following week. Mrs Justice May said Lucy had been "vulnerable, easy prey to someone satisfying his own appetites". She said Nicholson "encouraged and cynically exploited" Lucy's "crush" on him after he had moved into the family house, and called him "utterly selfish and depraved". Nicholson had later decided Lucy had "become a serious object to his comfortable life and there was a real threat of her outing him as a paedophile". The judge said teachers had "done the right thing" in raising concerns to social services but no action was taken. She added: "The [social services] team had investigated and had found nothing to concern them. The obvious question is, 'how could social services have arrived at that conclusion, not once but twice?'". Southampton City Council declined to comment due to an ongoing serious case review into the reports made to its social services department. The review is expected to be completed by the end of the year. Nicholson was also found guilty of sexual activity with another girl, aged 14, in 2012.

Children's home hostage

Victim impact statements from Lucy's mother and father were submitted to the court. The court heard Nicholson had previously been detained in 2009 for taking staff and residents of a Southampton children's home hostage, when he was aged 14. Prosecutor William Mousley QC told the court that while he was a resident of the home - under the influence of amphetamines - Nicholson threatened staff with a knife. He then locked them and other children in a room, before stealing £1,000 in cash and making off in a staff member's car. He was also later convicted of affray and damaging property after he barricaded himself in a room and threatened staff at a young offenders centre. Nicholson recorded a music video in 2012 as part of a music rehabilitation project after being released from prison that year, in which he rapped about turning his life around, having previously not cared about who he hurt. Defence barrister James Newton-Price QC said Nicholson had a "difficult" upbringing, having been placed in a children's home from the age of 13. Jurors heard Nicholson moved into the family home after being invited by long-time friend Richard Elmes, the partner of Lucy's mother Stacey White. The trial heard Lucy would later describe Nicholson to friends as her "boyfriend". Nicholson told police Lucy sent him a message the night before her murder, saying she was pregnant. After luring her to woodland nearby, he stabbed her 27 times, including 11 in the neck, in what prosecutors described as an "'execution-style" murder. It was later found Lucy was not pregnant. Nicholson was linked to the murder via DNA evidence found on clothing discarded in woodland about a mile from the murder scene. He was also convicted of sexual activity with a 14-year-old girl in 2012, who he had taken to the same woodland where Lucy was found dead years later. Nicholson was cleared of one count of sexual activity with a child which related to Lucy after she had turned 13.