Search results for Winchester

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Repeat Sex Offender Conor Hodgkins Jailed for Portsmouth Sexual Assault

A 35-year-old repeat sex offender who claimed asking an unknown woman for oral sex and aggressively grabbing her did not amount to sexual assault has been sentenced to 15 months in prison.

Conor Hodgkins, of no fixed abode and currently held at HMP Winchester, was found guilty of sexual assault at the Isle of Wight Crown Court on 12 June 2026. He appeared via video link.

The court heard that on 7 July 2025 at around 5.30pm, Hodgkins targeted a woman on Winston Churchill Avenue in Portsmouth. He followed her, made sexual noises, then grabbed her shoulders aggressively and said: “I want to f**k you.”

The woman was left frightened and tried to fight him off. Passing motorists stopped to assist her. Hodgkins fled the scene.

Hodgkins has 42 previous convictions for 90 offences, including a sexual assault in 2015, and had breached court restrictions on three occasions. His last known address was in Southsea.

Representing himself, Hodgkins denied the offence and accused the prosecutor of lying. He told the court the woman was wearing a short skirt and that he asked her for oral sex after she “looked his way”, but she did not answer and carried on walking. He admitted being under the influence of drugs but claimed he only put his arm around her and did not grab her shoulders.

Hodgkins said: “I just want to put it all past me now. I have been in jail for 12 months. I have never stalked anyone in my life.”

He also denied his 2015 conviction, claiming he had merely “pushed a woman by the chest” who was “harassing” him.

Judge David Melville rejected Hodgkins’ account and sentenced him to 15 months’ imprisonment. However, due to time already served on remand since July 2025, the judge stated Hodgkins had “almost certainly served his sentence already” and is expected to be released shortly.

A 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) was imposed. Hodgkins must not approach unknown women, engage in sexual activity in public, or behave in a way that could cause harassment, alarm or distress.

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A man has been jailed for more than 2 years for possessing indecent images of children.

Jonathan Peter Clark, 47, of  The Valley in Winchester was found to be in possession of 195 indecent images after officers launched an investigation in May 2023 after he was identified as being the user of an online account suspected to have uploaded an indecent image to the internet.

He was arrested in October of the same year, and an analysis of his phone found 195 indecent images graded from A, the most serious, to C. 

Clark was charged with possession of indecent images of children, and breach of a Sexual Offences Prevention Order and pleaded guilty at Basingstoke Magistrates Court in March 2026.

He was yesterday (16 April) sentenced to 2 years and 8 months in prison at Winchester Crown Court. 

His Honour Judge Parker KC also ordered the destruction of his mobile phone and granted Clark a lifelong Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).

PC Neil Nancarrow, of the Internet Child Abuse Team, said: “Jonathan Clark is a repeat sexual offender who has continued to break the law, he clearly poses a serious risk to children and I am glad to see him put behind bars. 

“Hampshire and the Isle of Wight Constabulary is committed to keeping the children in our community safe and I hope this investigation evidences how seriously we take crimes of this nature. We will continue to work hard to bring offenders of these abhorrent crimes to justice.

“Online offending around indecent images of children is a crime. Each image represents a child that has been abused. If you are looking at, making, or distributing these images, we will take action.”

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A man has pleaded guilty to a number of serious sexual offences against a woman from Swindon.

Dean Hamilton, 47, appeared at Winchester Crown Court today (13/02) where he admitted one count of rape, one count of assault by penetration and two counts of sexual assault.

He has been granted conditional bail ahead of sentencing at a later date.

Hamilton’s offences relate to the wider criminal proceedings involving Joanne Young, who has waived her right to anonymity.

Four other defendants previously pleaded not guilty to various sexual offences against Joanne, including rape and sexual assault.

A trial for the four men is due to take place at Winchester Crown Court in October.

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A former aviation company director has been jailed for sexual offences against three children in Winchester.

Matthew Myatt, 57, abused two of the girls at Popham Airfield, where Myatt’s company was based, and engaged in sexual communication online with a third girl.

The abuse took place between 2016 and 2022, during which Myatt also coerced one of the girls into sending indecent images of herself to him in exchange for money.

The offences were reported to police in April 2022.

Following a police investigation, Myatt was charged with a number of offences, and pleaded guilty to the following:

• Sexual activity with a child
• Causing or inciting child prostitution or pornography
• Possession of indecent images of a child
• Sexual communication with a child
• Sexual assault

Appearing at Winchester Crown Court on 27 June, Myatt, of Cripstead Lane in Winchester, was jailed for four years and ordered to sign on the Sex Offenders’ Register indefinitely

He was also handed a restraining order, and a Sexual Harm Prevention Order with a number of prohibitions relating to his access to the internet and contact with children.

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A Winchester man who had more than 300 indecent images of children on his mobile phone, has been jailed.

Phillip Peach, 35, was arrested at his home address on Drayton Street on 25 June 2024 after police received information that he had been accessing indecent images of children.

Following his arrest, police examined his digital devices where 308 images were recovered with 43 being graded as Category A – the most serious category.

A further 24 were graded as Category B and 241 as Category C.

Peach had served prison time for similar offences and had previously been handed a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) by the courts. During the investigation it was found he had breached his SHPO by continuing to communicate with children, deleting data and having electronic devices not registered with police.

He was subsequently charged with three counts of making indecent photographs of children and six counts of breach of a sexual harm prevention order.

Appearing at Winchester Crown Court on 3 March, Peach admitted all of the charges and was sentenced to two years and eight months in prison.

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A depraved man who left people “traumatised” by handing out graphic images of children on trains has avoided prison.

Perverted Steve Blackthorne, 38, of Winchester, has been sentenced to two years in prison, suspended for two years, after pleading guilty to making and distributing indecent photographs/ pseudo-photographs of a child. Blackthorne will be put behind bars if he offends again in the two year timeframe.

He has been placed on the Sex Offenders Register for 10 years, and issued a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for 10 years. Investigating officer, Detective Constable Phil James, said: “Such was the level of Blackthorne’s depravity that the images he had collated left those who inadvertently happened upon them deeply traumatised.”

Winchester Crown Court heard a train guard was handed six pages of A4 sheets by a passenger left by a men who got off the train at Basingstoke on January 23, 2022. The pages contained horrific indecent graphic images of children - 16 Category A pictures (the most severe), five Category B and 16 Category C.

Court heard the train guard was left in tears, who reported it to British Transport Police officers at Southampton Central railway station. On January 31 of that year, a cleaner found another batch of images when he pulled down a folding table. They were left horrified and upset, reporting it to his manager.

Those pages contained 16 Category A, five Category B and 16 Category C indecent images of children. CCTV footage found Blackthorne left the printouts on the train. Officers arrested him on March 14 at Basingstoke railway station.

His mobile phone contained 60 Category A, 27 Category B and 81 Category C images, with further pictures being discovered on the laptop he was carrying. Another portable computer was found at his address, containing even more sickening images.

Blackthorne admitted during a police interview that he printed out the images out at work from a work device. DC James added: “No one in their right mind would ever willingly choose to see these sickening images. Blackthorne showed no shame in his perversion even transferring the images to a work computer so he could print them out at work to look at at his leisure.”

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A 66-year-old man from Winchester has been jailed for 15 years for child sex offences.

Following a ten-day trial, Terence Peter Price, of Romsey Road was convicted of 13 counts at Southampton Crown Court on Friday 26 January.

He was sentenced yesterday (Thursday 15 February) and will serve at least ten years behind bars.

Price will also be subject to a restraining order and must serve an extended year on licence upon his eventual release from prison

The 13 offences, for which he has been imprisoned, took place in Hedge End between April 2016 and April 2021.

At the time of the first incident, the victim was just ten years of age.

Price’s crimes came to light when they were first reported to police in June 2021.

Detective Constable Mark Gallagher, of the Criminal Investigation Department said: “It took a lot of courage and bravery for the victim to come forward and make these disclosures to us.

“I have nothing but the greatest admiration for her. She fully supported our investigation and with the strength of the evidence against him Price’s account was rejected by the jury.

“I am so pleased for her that justice has now been served in this case.

“Price abused her for his own sexual gratification, without a moment’s thought for the child and the long-lasting effects his crimes would have on her.

“While I know this result won’t rid her of the memories of what he did to her, I truly hope it allows her to move forward with her life, safe in the knowledge that because of her coming forward he can no longer harm any other children.

“I also hope this sentence will reassure other victims that they will be listened to when reporting similar incidents to us.

“We encourage other victims to come forward and speak to us. We take allegations of this nature extremely seriously and work hard to bring offenders to justice.

“This should also be a very clear message to other offenders out there that we will always work tirelessly to ensure you are brought to justice.

“I would also like to thank everyone who assisted in getting this conviction, including the jury who ensured a dangerous offender is no longer free to harm anyone else.”

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A man who poured boiling water over a fellow inmate before beating and raping him has been sentenced.

Robert Reynolds, 29, had denied grievous bodily harm with intent, two counts of rape and a sexual assault.

A jury at Salisbury Crown Court found him guilty of all offences following a five-day trial.

The court heard that Reynolds attacked the victim, a man who was in his 20s at the time, in July 2021, when they were prisoners at HMP Winchester, in Romsey Road.

Reynolds threw boiling water from a kettle at the victim, causing burns to his back and face.

He then punched and kicked the victim before raping and sexually assaulting him, the jury was told.

The victim was initially treated at the prison before being taken for treatment at a specialist burns unit in hospital. He later disclosed the sexual offences.

On Wednesday 13 December, Reynolds, currently of HMP Bullingdon, was jailed for 12 years following a hearing at Winchester Crown Court.

Speaking after the hearing, Detective Sergeant Harry Wilson said: This was a horrific attack on a vulnerable man in a prison.

While the victim has since left prison, he continues to deal with the physical and mental impact of what happened to him.

This was a difficult and long investigation and I hope this shows that we will work closely with the prison to investigate any criminal offences that occur there.

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Clive McCleester, 77, was sentenced to 16 years in prison.

A former cathedral verger has been jailed for sexually assaulting two teenage boys.

Clive McCleester, 77, was sentenced to 16 years on Thursday after pleading guilty to 10 counts of sexual abuse.

The first victim was assaulted between 1969 and 1970, when McCleester was a child welfare supervisor at a Hampshire boarding school.

The second victim was sexually abused when he was the head verger at Southwark Cathedral in the 1980s.

He abused the victim, who was a chorister, at his flat, the Crown Prosecution Service said.

The victims came forward in 2019 and 2020 respectively.

'Lifelong trauma'

McCleester pleaded guilty to carrying out sexual abuse between 1968 and 1987 on 26 June at Inner London Crown Court.

Momata Matin, senior crown prosecutor from the Rape and Serious Sexual Offences Unit in London South, said: "McCleester flagrantly abused his position of authority and trust within the communities he served to commit vile offences against young boys, leaving lifelong trauma.

"The abuse has clearly had a profound impact on the victims.

"I would like to highlight the bravery of the victims and thank them, the witnesses, and the prosecution team, for helping bring McCleester to justice.

"The first victim sadly passed away after giving police his evidence, so was unable to hear the guilty verdict.

"I hope his family can have a sense of peace knowing that justice has been finally served."

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A Portsmouth man has been sentenced to ten years in prison for a string of online sexual abuse offences.

Travis Koffi Alden, 24, of St Faiths Road, appeared at Portsmouth Crown Court yesterday (Thursday 25 August) having pleaded guilty to 39 counts of online sexual abuse offences involving ten victims across the country and internationally, all aged between 9 and 13 at the time the offences took place.

The court heard how police were first made aware of the case when a report was made in August 2019 to officers in Wales that an 11-year-old girl had been receiving sexually explicit messages. An investigation was launched and the mobile phone sending the messages was found to belong to Alden, who lived in Portsmouth. Officers from the Internet Child Abuse Team (ICAT)  arrested him and seized his mobile phone and laptop for examination, which revealed a number of further victims.

Between these devices, officers discovered hundreds of indecent images, which included the most serious, category A images.

Alden was charged with inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, causing a child to watch a sexual act, taking/making indecent images of children (category A, B and C), distributing indecent images of children (category A) and possessing extreme pornography.

He has now been sentenced to ten years in prison with a five year extended licence, a lifetime Sexual Harm Prevention Order and has had to forfeit his devices.

Detective Constable Stephen Hill of Hampshire Constabulary’s ICAT team, who led the investigation, said: “Behind every indecent image or message of or to a child is a vulnerable victim and these crimes are among the most appalling that we investigate.

“This was a long and complex investigation requiring a great deal of effort to identify numerous victims across the United Kingdom and beyond and seek justice for them.

“Alden preyed on young girls on various chat sites, encouraging them to engage in sexualised conversations or acts. The impact that such abuse has on these young victims is immeasurable and we are pleased that we have been able to support them and bring Alden to justice.

“Tacking online abuse of this nature and supporting children online is a priority for us and we will do everything in our power to bring offenders to justice.”

Anyone who has any concerns about child abuse should contact Hampshire Constabulary on 101 or via our online reporting tool.

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A Winchester man who was caught with more than 70 indecent images of teenage boys on his phone has been spared jail because his low IQ meant he wasnt able to understand what was happening. Scott Fletcher-Wells, 25, was instead handed a three-year community order by the judge, who cited his potential vulnerability in prison as a reason for sparing him a stint behind bars. Hampshire Police were first alerted to Fletcher-Wells after an indecent picture of a teenage boy was uploaded to an Instagram account dubbed Little.Gays in June 2020. After matching the phone number and IP address linked to the account with Fletcher-Wells, police visited his shared flat in Staple Gardens and found him locked in his bedroom, where officers seized an iPhone 6, Samsung phone and a USB adaptor. A search of the Samsung phone revealed three indecent images of children under Category A, eleven under Category B and 60 under Category C. The court heard the images were mostly of teenage boys but did feature the odd image of a girl. He refused to comment while being interviewed by police but did hand over the pin to the phone, where among the pornographic images they also found selfies of Fletcher-Wells and his family. The court heard from the prosecution that he was previously known to police and was cautioned for two sexual offences, which included possessing indecent images of children, between the ages of 12 and 14. He subsequently spent a lot of his teenage years in foster care, with his defence barrister, Chloe Jay, remarking that his case worker believed he was himself abused as a child - something Fletcher-Wells said he didnt have any memory of. Speaking on behalf of Fletcher-Wells, she said: He was very keen to admit what he has done and entered a guilty plea at the earliest opportunity. He wants to work with probation and is very alive to the fact that his behaviour must change, and that there is a lot of work to be done. Sentencing Fletcher-Wells on Wednesday, April 13, judge Susan Evans QC said she was conscious of his low IQ and the fact he attended a special educational needs school when he was younger. A psychiatric report submitted to the court also indicated it is likely he be autistic, which she said could make him potentially extremely vulnerable in custody. She added: Although you had images in your possession which fall under Category A, the number of images you had was very few, and the ages of the children involved were older than the court usually sees. I am more concerned about the fact you were cautioned when you were 14 for a similar offence, which should have been the signal that this sort of behaviour is not acceptable. What you need to understand is the children in these photographs are real, they are victims who are being harmed, exploited and emotionally damaged by the people making them. By downloading these pictures, you are the market which drives this sort of abuse. Fletcher-Wells was handed a three-year community order and told he must attend a sexual harm prevention course of the courts choosing. Hell also have to engage in 45 days of rehabilitation activity and pay a fine of 100 within 28 days. A deprivation order was made for the destruction of the phone, with Fletcher-Wells, who was allowed to remain seated during the sentencing, told he was barred from using devices including a mobile phone or computer for a period of five years, with the exclusion of work-related activity. His name has been added to the sex offenders register.

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A CONVICTED paedophile who admitted to repeatedly visiting a house while children were present - breaching a court order - has avoided a jail sentence.

Robert Nutbeam was jailed in July 2018 after he was caught by 'paedophile hunters' attempting to meet a boy under the age of 16 for sexual purposes. He admitted the offence and was jailed at Southampton Crown Court.

A sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) was put in place, but earlier this year police were told that Nutbeam, of Andover Road, Winchester, had broken a requirement. The order prevents him from entering and remaining in a household where a male under the age of 16 is present.

The 36-year-old appeared at Winchester Crown Court on Thursday after he pleaded guilty to breaching the SHPO on three occasions - July 8, July 27 and August 3, this year.

The court was told that Nutbeam had been helping a woman with DIY, but her son and his friend – both aged under 16 – were present.

Prosecutor William Saunders said: "The communication was normal and didn't cause any concern".

Mr Saunders said the offending came to light after concerns were raised by another child. He added: "It was one of the parents of other children that contacted the police."

The woman told police that she was "aware that Robert was a registered sex offender" and that she never left him alone with the children.

She added: "If I would have known about the court order or restrictions placed on Robert I would never have let him in my home."

Mr Saunders argued that it was "a deliberate breach", adding that there were "questions as to where this was leading".

In mitigation, Russell Pyne said that Nutbeam self-referred to the Winchester Wellbeing Centre for support, but his case was closed last year due to Covid.

He continued: "Certainly it shows he was keen to have support for the various difficulties that he has."

Mr Pyne said that Nutbeam was briefly remanded into custody which gave him an "opportunity to reflect on what he has done".

In sentencing, Mr Recorder Malcolm Gibney said that he believed that the breaches were "deliberate" but said there was "a level of naivety" from Nutbeam.

He added: "You know what you are doing, you are intelligent and perfectly capable of understanding the contents of the order."

Nutbeam was handed an 18-month community order, 100 hours unpaid work and 10 rehabilitation days.

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A MARRIED British Army instructor who raped a teenage recruit at a Hampshire base has been jailed for eight and a half years.

Corporal Thomas Biggs 'pressurised' the 18-year-old trainee into performing oral sex on him after getting her out of bed at 3am when he was drunk, a court martial heard.

The instructor's victim said she felt she had 'no other option' after the 30-year-old kept saying to her 'you'll lose your job' unless she complied.

And the attack was only interrupted when Cpl Biggs took a call from his wife which distracted him, the hearing was told.

His 'degrading' behaviour may put off potential recruits joining the Army, he was told.

Sentencing Cpl Biggs, Judge Advocate Jane England said: "You owe all of the recruits a duty of care but instead you abused your position and helped yourself to what you wanted.

"(Your actions) may also deter those with the qualities armies are seeking from joining the armed forced thinking they may be subject to similar degrading behaviour by one of the instructors."

Bulford Military Court, Wilts, heard that the rape took place at the Army Training Regiment in Winchester.

Wing Commander Michael Saunders, prosecuting, said: "[Cpl Biggs] had got [the recruit] who was 18 years of age out of bed in the early hours when he was drunk and ended up leading her to an isolated location and pressurised her in to performing oral sex.

"He told her she would lose her job. He was a Corporal instructor, she was a young recruit, he was drunk, she submitted to him but she did not consent."

The court heard that Cpl Biggs went to the recruit's room in the early hours and woke her up by calling her name.

A video of the victim's interview with military police was shown in court.

She told officers she could smell alcohol on the breath of Cpl Biggs after he woke her up and she followed him into the corridor.

She said: "I don't know what was going on, I thought I was receiving some bad news.

"He was really close to me... he just kept looking around and asking 'do you know why you are here?'.

"He was saying 'I saw you in your grey tight pyjamas, you're trying to impress all the Corporals, trying to impress me'.

She explained that a girl from her room came out and went to the toilet, prompting Cpl Biggs to open a fire door and take the recruit through the door.

She said: "I said 'this is stupid', I kept repeating you will lose your job, you will lose your job but he kept saying 'no you'll lose yours'."

The victim told police she complied because he told her she could lose her job.

She said: "That's the reason why I did it because at that point I was scared he would use that against me.

"If he didn't threaten me with the fact I could lose my job... that really got to me I just thought I'm not risking anything where I am now.

"He's a Corporal, he has power against me, I'm just a recruit, I have nothing.

"It would never have got to this point if he wasn't saying the things he was saying, bringing work in to it.

"It was like, this is what's going to happen to you if you don't just get on with it."

Wg Cdr Saunders told the court martial that Cpl Biggs received a call from his wife which distracted him and the recruit managed to get away and returned to her room crying.

In a statement read to the court on the impact the rape had, the victim said: "I constantly think about what I could have done differently to have stopped Corporal Biggs from raping me but I know that I was so confused at the time.

"I know that I did the right thing by reporting this because Corporal Biggs' actions and behaviour cannot be tolerated."

Cpl Biggs, of the 3 Armoured Close Support Battalion of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, was found guilty of one charge of rape.

He was dismissed from the army and sentenced to 8 and a half years in prison

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A WINCHESTER man who was snared by a paedophile hunter after he asked for nude photographs of a child, he believed was 12-years-old, has been spared prison.

Just three months after he was convicted of a raft of sexual offences, Dean Mould used the internet to ask a "12-year-old girl" to send pictures of herself naked.

But Mould, of Christchurch Road, was actually talking to "self-styled paedophile hunter", who sent the images but later informed police. The 35-year-old was arrested.

He was charged with intentionally causing or inciting a girl under the age of 13 to engage in sexual activity and breaching a sexual harm prevention order. He previously pleaded guilty.

On Wednesday, Winchester Crown Court was told that Mould breached the order as he had not informed police of a phone, he was using to access the internet.

In July last year Mould was found guilty of four offences of sexual communication with a child, eight counts of being in possession of indecent and extreme images and one of distribution. He offended again on October 27, but his criminality was not discovered until December 27.

During that sentencing a sexual harm prevention order and a supervision order was imposed. Mould, who is said to be "marred by learning difficulties", was also given a care plan with a psychiatric team on his release from custody.

The court heard that Mould "did not want to engage" and the plan was not carried out.

In mitigation, Richard Martin said that there were several reasons set out in an updated psychiatric report why Mould should not be sent to prison.

He continued: "For somebody in his position it is very understandable that they maintain a position that they do not want help. Mr Mould knows that he has to obey people and that he has to go on courses."

Mr Martin said that here has been a "realisation from Mr Mould that he doesn't want to go back to prison and that if he reverts to this sort of behaviour again it will get him locked up".

"All, I submit, we can do is try again. Nothing is going to help if he is sent to prison."

In sentencing, Judge Miller said: "I hoped when I sentenced you in July of last year that I would not be seeing you again. In fact, survived only about three months before you are committing offences again."

Mould was given a three-year community order, with 40 rehabilitation days and must attend a sexual offending treatment programme.

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James Sharrock, 55, was given a community order in 2011 for possession of indecent images of children.

Winchester Crown Court heard that Surrey Police, the Met Police and Hampshire Constabulary had been investigating Sharrock when officers attend his address in Spicers Court on July 24, last year.

Kerry Maylin, prosecuting, said that 4,333 images were found on several of his devices, 2,069 of them were described as category A, said to be the worst type of indecent images.

The officer in the case PC Kristin McMahon said these "were some of the worst images of child abuse I've seen", adding that they were "sadistic" showing "children tied up, degraded and suffering physical as well as sexual abuse".

Some of the images also showed children that were drugged, with the age of those in the videos and pictures ranging from two months to 12-years-old.

Sharrock previously pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images of children, three counts of distributing indecent images of children, possessing nine prohibited images of children and 638 extreme pornographic images.

Sharrock was jailed for two years and must be on the sex offender's register for 10 years.