Latest Offenders

Description

A "scheming individual" with an "entrenched" sexual interest in children who he preyed upon has been jailed.

Thomas Bulmer, 31, was just a teenager himself when he started offending by inciting a boy under 13 - who cannot be named for legal reasons - to engage in sexual activity while in a field in Norfolk.

Following that offence in 2006 Bulmer went onto commit a total of 25 other offences - mostly against people living in the Thetford area - over the next 17 years.

Norwich Crown Court heard in 2016 police became aware of Bulmer posing online under false profiles, both of which had incited children to send indecent images of themselves.

Bulmer had also distributed indecent images of children and caused other children to watch indecent material comprising the defendant touching himself sexually.

Stephen Spence, prosecuting, said the enquiry initially came to Norfolk Constabulary's Safeguarding Children Online Team (SCOLT) due to the volume of children reporting concerns.

Mr Spence said Bulmer had an "entrenched and continuing sexual interest in children".

He said it "manifested itself in the solicitation, making and distribution of indecent images of children, carrying out sexual acts in the presence of children, either physical presence or over the internet, attempts at online grooming and contact offences".

The court heard Bulmer committed two offences of inciting a child to commit sexual activity, in getting a six or seven year old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons to touch him sexually.

He also got another boy, who was 13 at the time, to send the defendant images of his genitals in exchange for pictures of teen girls Bulmer would send.

Bulmer, who also engaged in sexual activity in the presence of a boy, 10, who had been in bed, appeared for sentence earlier this month having admitted 25 sexual offences, including two counts of causing or inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity.

The defendant, from Harleston Road, Langmere, near Diss was handed a 17-year extended sentence - made up of 11 years custody and six years on licence - by Judge Andrew Shaw.

The court heard Bulmer, who was represented by Oliver Haswell, committed the first offence when he was only a child himself and had previously suffered abuse and a traumatic childhood.  

Mr Haswell said his guilty pleas had saved the victims from having to give evidence and he had shown some insight and remorse when assessed by the Probation Service.  

He said that since being remanded into custody, Bulmer had engaged positively and was now assisting other inmates with their literacy and mathematics and acting as a listener to those struggling within the Prison estate.

Speaking after the sentence, Sgt Naomi Harger from Suffolk Police said: "This was a horrific case regarding a manipulative and scheming individual. He preyed on children to satisfy his own perverse and deviant desires. 

"We are very satisfied with this sentence which I hope goes some way to reassure the public of the action we will take against those suspected of such offences."

She added: "We will do everything within our power to protect victims who are subjected to these potentially life changing acts of indecency purely for the gratification of others.”

The officer urged parents concerned about people their children might be in contact with to use Sarah's Law, or the Child Sex Offender Disclosure Scheme (CSODS).

Description

25-year-old Rhyss Laws attempted to convince a teenage girl to engage in sexual activity before using force and exposing himself at an address in Ashington on November 19, 2024.

The victim escaped from Laws before reporting the attack to Northumbria Police the following day.

Laws, of Storey Crescent, Newbiggin-by-the-Sea, pleaded guilty to the sexual assault and exposure at Newcastle Crown Court last month.

He also admitted offences committed in the Teesside area including dangerous driving, driving while disqualified, drink driving, driving without insurance and criminal damage.

Laws was jailed for 45 months and will remain on the Sex Offenders’ Register for life.

He had previously been jailed on charges of sexual assault and assault following a street attack on a woman in Ashington in October 2017.

Detective Inspector Andrew Doyle of Northumbria Police said: “Laws is a dangerous predator and our communities are undoubtedly a safer place as a result of this sentence.

“The victim was subjected to a terrifying ordeal, and I hope this process gives her the closure she needs to start to move on with her life.

“We hope this sentence sends a clear message to victims. You will be listened to, you will be supported, and we will do everything in our power to secure justice on your behalf.”

Description

An Andover man has been jailed after being found guilty of sexually abusing a teenage boy.

Matthew James Parker, 45, of Picket Twenty Way, had been found guilty of four counts of sexual activity with a child for offences that took place between May 2022 and April 2023.

Parker had also admitted 15 breaches of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and his sexual offender notification requirements before the trial, which took place in March.

On Tuesday 30 April, at Winchester Crown Court, Parker was sentenced to a total of 14 years, with up to nine years in prison and five years on an extended licence.

A further three breaches of his order and notification requirements were taken into consideration at the sentence hearing.

The trial had heard that in 2019, Parker was convicted of attempting to arrange or facilitate a sexual offence against a child, for which he was sentenced to a suspended prison sentence and an indefinite SHPO.

He was also made subject to sex offender notification requirements indefinitely.

The court heard that on Friday 29 September, 2023, Parker completed a notification requirement at a police station, and it was noted that Parker had failed to disclose new bank accounts within a specified time period.

His Offender Managers searched Parker’s home address and he was arrested.

Evidence of further breaches were found at the address, including attempts to change his name, travel outside the UK, the creation of new bank accounts and possession of internet-enabled devices.

Officers also found evidence of contact with a teenage boy. The court heard that further enquiries established that Parker had sexually assaulted the boy on separate occasions in 2022 and 2023.

Description

A MAN who raped a woman and subjected her to a ‘horrific ordeal’ in her Knutsford home has been jailed.

Marcell Koekemoer, of HMP Bristol, but previously of Stretford, was sentenced on Tuesday, April 30.

He was previously found guilty of two counts of rape in relation to the incidents following a trial at Bristol Crown Court.

The case first came to the attention of Cheshire Police in August 2022 when the victim submitted an online report stating she had been raped by Koekemoer.

She told officers Koekemoer had asked to stay at her address in Knutsford two days previously, after being locked out of his own address.

She agreed he could stay, providing he slept on the sofa.

However, during the early hours of the morning, Koekemoer entered her bedroom and proceeded to rape her.

The following morning, he raped her again when she asked him to leave her address.

Koekemoer was arrested in August 2022 and interviewed in relation to the allegations, which he denied.

He was subsequently released on conditional bail while further enquiries were undertaken.

While on bail, Koekemoer went on to commit further offences in the Avon and Somerset area.

Following a joint investigation by both forces, Koekemoer was charged in October 2023.

On top of his custodial sentence, he is subject to an indefinite restraining order and must sign the sex offender register for life.

Description

A seedy online sexual predator sent "absolutely vile" explicit messages to what he thought was a 13-year-old schoolgirl – but who was really an undercover police officer.

Lewis Broughton got a nasty shock when he realised to his horror that he had been duped all along and that the girl did not even exist. He was now "disgusted with himself" and felt a "sense of shame" at what he had done, Hull Crown Court heard.

Broughton, 35, of Inglemire Lane, Hull, admitted attempting to communicate sexually with a child between June 3 and July 15, 2021 and attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity.

Claire Holmes, prosecuting, said that undercover police arranged to have a profile of a decoy 13-year-old girl on the social media app Kik and Broughton started to send messages to it.

The fake girl said that she lived in Cheltenham, was at school in Year Eight and was just about to go to netball training. Broughton pretended to be 18 and he sent her explicit messages, including complimenting her on her looks and asking what sort of underwear she had.

He asked her what her bra size was and he talked about different types of sexual activity. "He clarified that he meant sex," said Miss Holmes.

Broughton asked intimate questions. "There was then talking about sex and whether it would hurt and the defendant indicated that he would be gentle," said Miss Holmes.

Broughton said that he would be prepared to meet the decoy girl and he sent a series of messages asking for more revealing pictures. He gave her instructions on how to touch herself intimately.

He was arrested on September 24, 2021. Communications between him and the girl were still on his phone as well as search terms suggesting a sexual interest in children.

Broughton claimed to police that he had been drinking at the time of the chats. The offences were charged as attempts because there was no real actual girl. He had convictions for fraud in 2016 and 2018.

Ben Hammersley, mitigating, said that Broughton had no convictions for similar offending and he made frank admissions during police interview.

"He acknowledges responsibility for the offending and there is a level of insight demonstrated in the letter that he has written, emblematic of sincere remorse," said Mr Hammersley.

"He is disgusted in himself, quite rightly. The messages are absolutely vile. He would never dream of doing anything like this again. He says that he has completely changed his frame of mind."

Broughton had a "sense of shame" and difficulty coming to terms with what he had done. "He does fully accept responsibility for what he did," said Mr Hammersley.

"Waiting for two years to know his fate has been no easy thing." Broughton had been working as a delivery driver for takeaway food.

Recorder David Kelly told Broughton: "You were communicating online with what you believed was a 13-year-old girl but was, in fact, an undercover police officer. You pretended that you were 18.

"You were holding explicit sexual conversations with a person you believed to be a 13-year-old girl. These are attempted offences. You were attempting the impossible."

Broughton was jailed for three years and four months. He was given an indefinite sexual harm prevention order and must register as a sex offender for 10 years.

Description

A man who was arrested 24 hours after a rape offence has been jailed for life after he was found guilty of rape and of assault of a woman he only met recently before.

Michael Chand, 46, had met his victim less than a week earlier and struck up a friendship. He called the victim and told her to come to his address in Acacia Gardens, N22, On Wednesday, August 16, 2023.

At his place, the woman was asked if she found him attractive. After she did not provide the answer he wanted, he became verbally abusive and angry, telling her she was not allowed to leave the house.

He then began to hit her and threatened to be violent towards not just her but other people she knew. Chand continued to physically assault her before raping her on three separate occasions after she had repeatedly told him that she did not want to have sex.

Two days later, on Friday, August 18 2023, the woman called the police to report the rape. Following this, detectives immediately searched for Chand, who had left London. Chand returned later that day and was arrested and taken into custody before being charged.

Detective Constable Cameron Crighton, who led the investigation, said: “Chand is a sexual predator who subjected the victim in this case to horrendous sexual and physical abuse.

“The victim showed incredible bravery by coming forward to police, providing a full account of what had happened and then reliving this by giving evidence in court. She is central to this conviction and we do not underestimate the strength it has taken for her to do this.

“We take all reports of sexual assault extremely seriously and encourage anyone who has been subject to such offending to come forward and speak to us.”

Chand was sentenced to life imprisonment to serve a minimum of ten years on Wednesday, April 24, after being found guilty of three counts of rape and one count of assault following a trial at Wood Green Crown Court on Friday, February 16.

Description

A paedophile sent disgusting videos and messages to a 13-year-old girl and threatened to disclose naked images of her if she did not send him more. He was also speaking to an undercover police officer posing as a 12-year-old girl.

Matthew Cheshire, 35, of Bridgend, was arrested by police at his home on October 5 last year where a number of electronic devices were seized and examined. The defendant had been in contact with who he thought was a 12-year-old girl, but was in fact a decoy account run by a police officer.

A sentencing hearing at Newport Crown Court on Thursday heard the exchanges between Cheshire and the decoy began with him trying to build a rapport with her, by asking about her school, if she had kissed anyone or gone further than kissing. He went on to say he could give the decoy tips about masturbating and offered to pick her up from school, as well as sending photos of himself smiling.

Following an examination of the defendant's phone, prosecutor Matthew Cobbe said it was discovered he had also been talking to a real 13-year-old girl. The conversation between Cheshire and the child was extremely sexualised and graphic on his part, with him talking about having sex with her.

He asked the teenager for videos and photos of herself, and she sent images exposing herself and a video of herself performing a sex act, which Cheshire had instructed her to do. He sent videos of himself masturbating.

The child was tracked down and she gave an interview to the police, during which she explained she had been speaking to the defendant for around a month on social media. She said the sexualised messages made her feel "weird and gross". She also said Cheshire had threatened to disclose naked images of her if she did not send him further images.

Cheshire, of Vale View, Sarn, later pleaded guilty to causing a child to engage in sexual activity, engaging in sexual communication with a child, causing a child to look at an image of sexual activity, possession of indecent images, attempting to cause a child to engage in sexual activity and attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child. The court heard he was of previous good character.

In mitigation, Ruth Smith said her client was unable to explain his offending, but had vowed he would never appear in front of a court again. She said the defendant had been in a relationship with his wife for 15 years and has a son, but the impact of his offending has been "devastating" on his family.

Sentencing, Judge Daniel Williams said: "You engaged in the vilest of sexual communications with (your victim) which involved graphic descriptions about the two of you having sex."

Cheshire was sentenced to four years and three months imprisonment. He was made subject to sex offender notification requirements indefinitely, a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for 10 years and a restraining order for 10 years.

Following the hearing, detective constable Laura Davies from South Wales Polices Online Investigation Team (POLIT) said: Matthew Cheshire demonstrated predatory and manipulative behaviour when grooming who he believed to be 12-year-old child.

POLIT and the Digital Forensic Unit carried out the investigation and further sexual communication with another child was revealed and she was safeguarded from further exploitative behaviour from Cheshire. The work carried out by South Wales Police helped to ensure that children are protected online from the risk Cheshire posed to them. Such was the strength of evidence gathered that Cheshire entered guilty pleas to the charges brought against him.

Tarian case officer DC Isaac Gott said: This man believed he was communicating with a 12-year-old child between August and October 2023. The communication turned sexual and it was clear that the defendant had a sexual interest in the child. He formed a close friendship and used this as a platform for grooming, talking about Disney films and told the child that she was pretty.

"Developing a friendship with a child before introducing sexual elements into the conversation is a classic tactic that is commonly observed by sex offenders. As a result of a proactive investigation by Tarian, the Regional Organised Crime Unit for southern Wales, the defendant was identified. I cannot over-emphasise the fantastic work conducted by South Wales Polices Online Investigation Team which conducted a thorough investigation into offences and subsequently identified a further victim of online child sexual abuse. The defendant incited this child to carry out penetrative sexual acts.

"In this case the defendant was completely unknown to law enforcement agencies and I am certain had the defendant not been identified by Tarian, he would have continued to commit offences against children and leave vulnerable children open to sexual exploitation. Anyone with any concerns over a childs safety or welfare should contact the police. Tarian ROCU will continue to work with partner agencies and relentlessly pursue those who have a sexual interest in children.

Description

A Swindon man has been jailed for having sex with teen girl he ’emotionally blackmailed’.

35-year-old Jason Iles pleaded guilty to eight offences – including three counts of sexual activity with a child and making twelve indecent images of a child.

Prosecutor David Scutt told Swindon Crown Court on Wednesday (1 May) that the defendant initially sent “inappropriate messages”, some complimenting the girl’s body.

But things developed when Iles met his victim in person, plying her with “lots” of alcohol in order to carry out his offending. On the very first occasion he groped her breasts before putting his hands into her trousers, digitally penetrating her.

Mr Scutt said the victim had “never done anything like this before, she was confused and did not know what to do”. The sexual activity “quickly progressed” to oral sex and later full sexual intercourse – in which she lost her virginity.

He added: “The defendant told her that he wanted to be her first. He showered her with compliments, told her he loved her all the time.”

During one incident, Iles spoke to the girl about rough sex and put his hands on her neck. She resisted, but the defendant held her arms down and carried on having sex with her until he ejaculated.

In a video-recorded interview, she said sexual intercourse happened on many occasions and in several locations around Swindon, and usually involved her being given alcohol.

Over the course of six months, when the offending took place, he told his victim that she couldn’t tell anyone – stating he would go to prison and lose his children if she did.

He also threatened to kill himself if she told anyone, telling her that it would be her word against his and that nobody would believe her.

In a bid to gather evidence against Iles, the victim “went to the trouble of inventing a fictitious friend called Lily Orchard”. He contacted her “enthusiastically” hoping to arrange a threesome.

The defendant also solicited indecent images of his victim. When police examined his mobile phone, they found nine photos of her stored within a password-protected app.

Iles was also found to have sent a video of his penis to the victim. An extreme pornographic video, depicting a person having intercourse with a dog, was also located.

Judge Jason Taylor KC said Iles had “variously cajoled, emotionally blackmailed and threatened her on the importance of keeping quiet”.

He continued: “She told the police that most of the time she was unwilling to have sex, but she was frightened of the consequences and emotionally torn.

“She can now see you twisted her, again, her words.

“But it’s clear from her comments…that she still placed blame on herself. There was absolutely no need for her to do that. That’s something she needs to hear and understand.

“You were the adult. You singularly and remorselessly prioritised your sexual gratification over her welfare.”

Judge Taylor handed down a 14-year prison sentence, for which he will serve two thirds behind bars before he is released on licence.

The takeaway delivery driver, of Kemerton Walk, Park South, was ordered to register as a sex offender for life, alongside a Sexual Harm Prevention Order. He was also slapped with an indefinite restraining order prohibiting contact with the victim.

The defendant was sentenced following guilty pleas to three counts sexual activity with a child involving penetration, three counts of making indecent images of a child, possession of an extreme pornographic image and sending a grossly offensive or of an indecent image by means of a public electronic communications network.

Description

A serial child sex offender from Derby contacted an 11-year-old girl as she was getting ready for school and sent her a vile image of himself. Later the same day, self-employed bathroom fitter Mark Rayworth then sent another disgusting photograph to the victim’s adult sister, who had been made aware of what he had done earlier and pretended to be a girl aged 13.

She contacted a gang of paedophile hunters who turned up at his home in Brailsford the same day and confronted the 55-year-old, formerly of Mickleover. 12 years ago, the same defendant met a 15-year-old girl at a McDonald's in Allenton and offered to pay her £100 for sex only for her to reply “I am not a prostitute”.

Jailing Rayworth for two-and-a-half years, Judge William Harbage KC said: “These are serious offences and you will receive serious punishment. She was 11 and she is autistic both of those make her vulnerable.

“Your pre-sentence report indicates you are still in denial about this and maintain your innocence. There is still no expression of remorse.”

The trial, at Derby Crown Court, heard how the young Derbyshire victim received a Snapchat friend request from the defendant as she was getting ready to go to school on the morning of November 25, 2022. Sarah Allen, prosecuting, said she replied to it and almost immediately the defendant sent her a sexual photograph of himself.

The prosecutor said the girl told her mother who took over her phone and told Rayworth the girl was only aged 11 and the victim’s older, adult, sister then contacted the defendant pretending to be a 13-year-old girl and he sent her a second sexual image of himself.

The prosecutor said the older sister contacted a group of self-styled paedophile hunters who turned up at Rayworth’s address later that night and challenged him about his behaviour. The defendant, of Corner Farm, denied any wrongdoing and took the case to trial meaning the 11-year-old girl had to come to court. Miss Allen said: “Throughout, the defendant has denied he was the ‘Tom Bailey’ who made contact with the victim.

“In her victim impact statement, the girl, now 13, said she feels scared and anxious that the man will turn up at her home and does not even want to open the door. She said she feels scared this will happen again and that it was her birthday the week before the court case and what should have been a happy day for her was ruined at the worry of having to come to court.”

After hearing all of the evidence, a jury found him guilty of causing or inciting a girl to engage in sexual activity, attempting to cause or incite a girl to engage in sexual activity and attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child.

The judge asked Rayworth, who represented himself during the trial and at this week’s sentencing hearing at Leicester Crown Court, if he had anything to say in mitigation. He replied: “No.”

In 2012, the defendant, then 43 and of Wren Way, Mickleover, was convicted at Derby Crown Court, of sexually grooming a 15-year-old girl. On that occasion, he met the teen at McDonalds in Allenton and the following day messaged her offering her £100 for sex. In 2014, then on Inglewood Avenue, also in Mickleover, he was convicted at the same court of breaching a sexual offences protection order - now called a sexual harm prevention order or SHPO - by contacting a girl aged under 16.

As part of this week’s punishment, Judge Harbage handed Rayworth a lifetime SHPO and placed him on the sex offender register for life. Speaking after sentencing, PC Sam Bailey of Derbyshire police's protecting children online team, said: “I would like to thank the girl for her courage in making a trusted adult aware of messages which were making her feel uncomfortable and were not right, and for her courage and families support during our investigation and the court case.

“I welcome the sentence Rayworth is now facing. He was totally responsible for his inappropriate behaviour against children. I hope this shows that we always take reports seriously and will investigate to ensure people are brought to justice and face the consequences their actions.”

Description

A man who engaged in sex chat with who he thought was a teenage boy has narrowly kept his freedom.

Christopher Seymour, now 51, downloaded the social media site Kick and began communicating with a 14-year-old over the course of one afternoon in June last year.

However, Newcastle Crown Court heard that Seymour was actually talking to a member of an undercover child safety team who went by the username 'UK bi couple.'

Prosecutor Sophie Johnstone said the decoy clearly stated in his profile he was 14 but Seymour twice lied about his own age, stating he was 36, then 38, when in fact he was 50 at the time.

The court heard the defendant sent "graphic" messages and images and also tried to incite his victim into performing a sexual act. Ms Johnstone said: "The decoy confirmed to the defendant he was still at school and he could message at lunchtime." She told the court that enquiries were made to find out the identity of the person behind the defendant's account via the Kick site.

Seymour, of Millais Gardens, South Shields, was then arrested in November. He later pleaded guilty to attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child and attempting to cause a child of ages 13 to 15 to watch or look at an image of a sexual nature.

He also admitted attempting to cause or incite a boy aged 13 to 15 to engage in sexual activity.

Vic Laffey, defending, said: "He got involved in this wholly inappropriate conversation and started and ended on the same day when he recognised the position he had got himself in. "What is significant while accepting the seriousness of the offences, is the offence took place in one day in the space of five hours." Mr Recorder Cox KC told Seymour that an immediate prison sentence would have been inevitable had the conversation have lasted longer than a single day.

The recorder said: "I'm just persuaded I don't need to do that in your case today in part because you pleaded guilty at the first opportunity and in part because you have no previous offending for this sort of matter and in part because it's plain that thus were conversations over a relatively short period in a single day." He sentenced Seymour to 18 months suspended or two years with rehabilitation requirements, and ordered him to sign the sex offender's register for ten years.

Description

Adrian Russell Coxon, 48, of St. Mary Close, Pencoed, was arrested in November 2021 after we received a report from the victim that they had been sexually assaulted.

He appeared in court today, Thursday, May 2, where he was sentenced to six years in prison for sexual assault by penetration and supply of Class C drugs. He was also made to sign onto the Sex Offenders Register and is subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).

Description

A sex offender who "ruined" a girl's life after trying to rape her in Devon has been jailed.

Friday Uguru, of no fixed abode, attempted to sexually abuse a 12-year-old in Axminster in November 2017.

The 50-year-old, who previously lived in Pinhoe Road, Exeter, was arrested over the attack but fled the county after being released while under investigation.

Uguru was jailed for nine years and six months at Exeter Crown Court.

He was also given a one-year extended licence.

At the end of his sentence, Uguru will be deported as he was in the UK illegally from Nigeria after arriving on a visitor's visa and overstaying.

Devon and Cornwall Police said Uguru was rearrested in London in February 2023.

He denied a charge of attempted rape but was found guilty by the jury at his trial earlier this year.

'Messed up my world'
His victim read out a statement in which she said Uguru's attempted rape had blighted her adolescence and led her to drug abuse, self-harm and suicide attempts.

She told the court: "It was like a bomb that went off in my life. It messed up my whole world.

"I did not think I would make it past 14. You have ruined my life."

The court was told Uguru travelled to Axminster by train on the night of the attack and assaulted the girl in an upstairs bedroom while her mother was cooking downstairs.

The girl got away from him before he completed the rape and ran down to raise the alarm, a jury heard.

'Courage and resilience'
Uguru had claimed DNA evidence found in the victim's underwear was part of a plot to frame him, but this was described as ludicrous and preposterous by the judge.

Det Con Jonathan Stephens, from Devon and Cornwall Police's local safeguarding investigation team, said after sentencing: "I welcome the result and I am grateful for the courage and resilience shown by the victim and witnesses in this case, and for supporting this investigation over a protracted period of time.

"I hope this case reassures the community how seriously the police take reports of child sexual offences and gives people the courage to come forward in future."

Description

Jack Gilmartin, 23, of no fixed abode, was found guilty of rape; harassment; assault occasioning ABH; intentional strangulation; and possession of controlled drugs. The offences took place in the St Helens area in 2022.

Gilmartin was found guilty of the rape offence following a retrial this week, having pled guilty to the other offences last year. He remained in custody between the trials.

Gilmartin was also handed a 10-year restraining order against his victim.

Description

A MAN found guilty of raping a 10-year-old child at an address in Winsford has been handed a sentence totalling 17 years.

Previously, we reported Mark Buckley was convicted of the charge following a seven-day trial at Chester Crown Court which concluded on Tuesday, March 5.

The 48-year-old, now of Hoole Road, Chester, appeared back before court on Thursday, May 2, before Judge Steven Everett.

Buckley, who was also convicted of two counts of sexual assault of a child, was handed a 16-year prison sentence, plus 12 months extended licence.

The terms of the sentence mean Buckley must serve at least two-thirds of the 16 years behind bars before being eligible for parole.

Prosecuting, Karl Scholz said the victim was just 10 years old at the time the offences were committed, which had left the victim with bruising on her arm.

Buckley was, in August 2021, handed a suspended sentence in court for a number of offences including possession of indecent images of children and attempting to communicate with children sexually online.

He appeared back before court for numerous breaches of the suspended sentence and a Sexual Harm Prevention Order, and was jailed.

The victim spoke out to a friend's relative in August 2023, around the time Buckley was due to be released from prison, and the matter was reported to police, leading to Buckley being rearrested.

The victim, in her personal statement, said she had struggled with sleeping and had nightmares about what had happened.

She added if she saw Buckley again she would 'hate it'.

Defending, Simon Parry said while it was accepted Buckley would receive a significant sentence, he did not meet the criteria of dangerousness for an even lengthier sentence.

Judge Everett, sentencing, told the defendant: "There is not a single redeeming feature for you," adding he had 'no care, no thought, for young children' and had shown 'no remorse'.

He commended the bravery of the victim, adding: "I can only hope that somehow she will get some closure and will be able to move forward. I sincerely hope so."

Detective Constable Bryony Aston said: Firstly, I would like to commend the victim for the bravery and courage they have shown in coming forward and talking about what happened to them.

Buckley has shown no remorse for his actions, and while the victim will never be able to forget what happened that night, I hope that the verdict reached today will provide them with some reassurance and help them to move forward.

Nobody should have to experience what the victim has been though and if anything can come from this case, I hope that it encourages other victims of sexual offences to come forward and report them to us.

Cheshire Police takes any allegation of sexual offences extremely seriously, and any allegation will be thoroughly investigated, with the wishes and needs of the victim as our main priority.

Victims should never feel ashamed to talk about what they have been subjected to. They will receive the help and support they need from our specialist officers, as well as from other support agencies we work alongside, and all victims of sexual offences have the right to anonymity.

The victim's family added: "We would like to thank DC Aston for the help and support that she has provided throughout this case. She has gone above and beyond to help us through this difficult time and the determination that she has shown should be commended.

"Thanks to her work, Buckley is now facing the consequences of his actions and as a family we can now start to move forward and rebuild our lives."

As well as the sentence totalling 17 years, Buckley was handed a lifelong Sexual Harm Prevention Order meaning Buckley cannot contact or live with children aged under 16, or use internet-enabled devices without making them available for police inspection.

He was also handed a lifetime restraining order against the victim and must sign the Sex Offenders Register for life.

Description

A man from Neath Port Talbot has been jailed after he was found guilty of multiple child sex offences.

32-year-old Craig Botterill, from Baglan, was found guilty of sexual assault, sexual assault by penetration and rape of a child.

Botterill has been sentenced to 10 years in prison at Swansea Crown Court this week. He will be on the sex offenders register for life.