Latest Offenders

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A 50-year-old man has been jailed for three years after attempting to meet a 14-year-old girl he had been grooming online.

Christopher Hill, of The Tythings, Newent, pleaded guilty to three child sex offences at Gloucester Crown Court.

He was exposed by an online paedophile hunter group who used a decoy persona to trap him.

The judge said his messages to the girl were "highly sexual and graphic" in nature.

The court heard on Wednesday how Hill had used social media to arrange to meet up with a 14-year-old girl called Sophie, who was in fact a decoy created by a member of the Leeds-based Predator Exposure group.

"Very quickly the conversation moved to WhatsApp, which is encrypted, and Hill requested that the girl send him a picture of herself," said prosecutor Lucie Stoker.

"He also asked for snaps of her not wearing any clothes and some sexy photographs.

"He revealed he was falling in love with her. He repeatedly requested that she reciprocates that love, but she doesn't," continued Ms Stoker.

Arrangements were made for 'Sophie' to travel alone from Leeds to Gloucester by train.

Hill told her he would take her to a nearby hotel and sent her a copy of the receipt.

"The girl was told that she could look forward to a lot of sex in all of its forms," said Ms Stoker.

"He was predatory in his behaviour throughout," she added.

'Bitterly regrets'

The judge, James Watson KC, told Hill: "Not only had you encouraged and groomed and planned this meeting for penetrative sex, you had offered her incentives by how you would treat her and the presents and money you would give her after you had met her.

"I've no doubt that had this been a real 14-year-old, you would have carried out what you proposed."

Catherine Spedding, defending, said Hill had suffered from loneliness after his marriage dissolved and "bitterly regrets" his actions.

"Hill met 'Sophie' on a normal social media site, he was not surfing the internet for this type of material and opportunities," argued Ms Spedding.

Hill pleaded guilty to attempting to have sexual communication with a child for the purpose of sexual gratification.

He also pleaded guilty to attempting to facilitate a child sex offence by engaging in sexual activity with 14-year-old girl that involved penetration; and attempt to meet a child following sexual grooming.

The judge sentenced Hill to three years and 11 months in prison and subjected him to the term of a 20-year sexual harm prevention order, which limits his use of the internet.

He was also put on the sex offenders register for life.

The judge also barred Hill from working with children and vulnerable adults in the future.

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A trainee doctor has been jailed for sexually assaulting a young girl during a medical examination at an NHS surgery in Plymouth. Dr Gary Lawrence had a secret attraction to young children and was separately caught by a police undercover operation in which he sent explicit fantasies about child sex to a decoy officer on a chat site.

Lawrence, aged 53, retrained as a doctor in his 40s. He was working at a clinic in Plymouth as one of the final stages of his training when he assaulted the child in 2021. The girls mother was present at the examination and realised that there was no proper medical reason for Lawrence to touch her daughters genitals.

A judge at Exeter Crown Court today praised the mother for helping to bring Lawrence to justice and apologised for the delay of more than two years since the crime was committed in June 2021

Recorder Mr Donald Tait jailed Lawrence for eight and a half years and told him: It is hard to conceive a more flagrant and serious breach of trust than this.

Lawrence, aged 53, of Honicknowle, Plymouth, denied sexual assault but was found guilty at a trial at Plymouth Crown Court in July. He admitted publishing two obscene article, and five counts of making, by downloading, indecent images of children.

He made asexual harm prevention order which will prohibit any unsupervised contact with children for the rest of his life and put him on the sex offenders register for life. Lawrence will also be banned from working with children by the Declaration and Barring Service.

The judge told Lawrence: Despite your denials throughout the trial that you had no sexual interest in young children, the evidence suggested very clearly otherwise. Before the sexual assault, it is quite clear that you spent a significant period of time accessing indecent images of children and also engaged with an undercover officer.

Your private viewing of indecent images online crept into your professional life and you committed the sexual assault. It is hard to conceive a more flagrant and serious breach of trust than this. This offence is aggravated by the extreme breach of trust and the young age if the victim.

The girls mother and her family were in court and the Judge told her: On behalf of the court, I thank you for your dedication to see this man was brought to justice. It was thanks to you this was achieved. I hope you have some element of closure by the sentences I have imposed upon him.

Mr Rowan Jenkins, prosecuting, said the sexual assault happened in June 2021 and the police investigation showed he had downloaded 15,000 images or movies showing child abuse, of which 386 movies and 1,410 photos fell into the worst category.

Many of the images were of toddlers and very young children, some of whom appeared to be in distress. The mother of the child who was abused at the surgery wrote a victim impact statement saying she had suffered such severe anxiety and depression that she had been forced to stop work.

Mr Deni Matthews, defending, said he started looking at images online at a time when he was drinking too much and was drawn into accessing more and more extreme material before committing the contact offence.

He said: He understands he will receive a significant sentence. His career has ended and everything positive in his life has ended.

Police welcomed the sentence after the case. Detective Chief Inspector Simon Foster, from Devon and Cornwall Police Paedophile Online Investigation Team [POLIT], said: We are really pleased with todays sentence. The offences committed by Lawrence are the most despicable and abhorrent breaches of trust imaginable by a doctor.

He was working in a position of high responsibility where he had a duty to protect children and young people. He chose to abuse that trust and used his position to sexually assault a child.

Furthermore, Lawrence was in possession of an extremely large collection of indecent images of all categories, including images of children and extreme pornography involving animals. Of those, 2,000 were Category A images which are the most serious in nature.

A prison sentence is the only appropriate outcome for such serious offending and I welcome todays sentence. I would like to thank the victim and their family for the courage they have shown in reporting this matter. Theyve shown true strength and continual determination to see justice served in this difficult investigation.

Specialist POLIT officers have worked closely with them, providing ongoing support throughout. We have also received close support from the NHS during this investigation.

I also wish to show my huge appreciation to the investigation team, headed by Detective Sergeant Hannah Spencer and case officer Detective Constable Alicia Smith. They worked tirelessly on a difficult and emotive investigation, putting in many extra hours to ensure justice was served against this dangerous individual.

I hope this result will provide reassurance to other victims of sexual offences and give them confidence to come forward. We want victims to know that their account will be believed, they will be supported, and we will do our utmost to hold offenders to account for their actions.

This case sends a strong message to those using the internet for deviant purposes that we have the capability to use advanced technology and specially trained detectives to uncover the truth and bring offenders to justice. We are watching and we will catch you."

Description

A 39-year-old man from Southampton has been jailed for three years for taking and possessing indecent images of children, voyeurism and possession of cannabis.

Adam Dervan, of Graham Road, Southampton was sentenced at Southampton Crown Court on Tuesday (7 November).

Some of the offences, for which he has been sentenced, took place in Fawley in 2014. At the time of his crimes, the victim was just eight and nine years of age.

His offending first came to light when SD cards, which contained the indecent images, were discovered hidden on top of a Venetian blind in a room he’d previously lived in.

Upon his release from prison, Dervan will be subject to a ten-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order. He is also now a Registered Sex Offender for life.

Description

A KEIGHLEY man arrested following a Facebook 'sting' has been jailed for two years.

David Houldsworth, 58, of Skipton Road, admitted two charges – sexual communication with a child and causing/inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.

In addition to the jail sentence, handed down at Bradford Crown Court, Houldsworth will have to sign on the sex offenders register for ten years and will be subject to a sexual harm prevention order when he’s released.

Detective Constable Adam Flaxington, from the Bradford district policing online investigations team, says: "This was a lengthy, two-year investigation and I welcome the guilty plea and sentence the court has handed down.

"In Houldsworth’s conversations he demonstrated clear intent to commit sexual offending against young children, and it is fortunate the person he thought he was speaking with wasn't a child."

Description

A Chatham sex offender who targeted a child has been jailed for three years.

David Kemp was sentenced at Maidstone Crown Court on Wednesday 1 November 2023, after he pleaded guilty to arranging the commission of a child sex offence and attempted sexual communication with a child.

He was detained by officers from Kent Police’s Paedophile On Line Investigation Team at Strood Train Station on Wednesday 13 April 2022.

His arrest followed an investigation that found Kemp had engaged in sexually explicit conversations online with a girl he believed was 13 years old.

During the conversations between 4 April and 13 April, he also sent explicit images.

When Kemp, aged 40, of Silverweed Road, Chatham, travelled to Medway having arranged to meet the girl he was arrested and later charged.

Investigating officer Detective Constable Lise Roots, said: ‘We proactively target people who seek to commit sexual offences against children and, in this case, the evidence was overwhelming.

‘By travelling to a prearranged meeting, Kemp has shown he poses a significant risk to children. The prison sentence is entirely justified and he will be also required to comply with the terms of Sexual Harm Prevention Order on his release.’

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An Inverness dad was caught with indecent videos of children as young as six years old on his mobile phone, a court has been told.

Andrew Scott’s sinister secret was exposed by a police raid at a property in Croy.

Description

A paedophile has been jailed again after police visited his home.

Ian Hobley, 55, of Town Lane, Bebington, was found to be in breech of his Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) when police visited his home on Friday, October 6. When officers entered his home they found an electronic device he had failed to register.

After reviewing the phone they found suspected indecent images of children and he was arrested. When Hobley’s devices were further examined, there were 450 images classed as Category A, along with 1,179 other images in Categories B and C.

There were also two Category A videos found. He was brought before Liverpool Crown Court on Wednesday, November 7, having pleaded guilty to 11 offences involving making indecent images, possessing prohibited images and three offences of breaching the SPHO.

He was jailed for two years and was issued with a SHPO for ten years.

Detective Inspector Steven O’Neill said: “Hobley was arrested after officers on a routine home visit as part of his SHPO found an electronic device that he hadn’t registered with us. This led to the sickening discovery of explicit sexual images of children.
“Hobley pleaded guilty to the offences because the evidence was so strong against him.

“Officers working in the Sex Offender Unit regularly conduct visits each month to ensure that offenders on the Sexual Offenders Register living in the community are closely monitored. Officers also work closely with partners in probation and housing to ensure that the public are protected and risk of further offending is minimised.”

This isn't the first time Hobley has been in court, with previous convictions in 2003 and 2008 for indecent image offences.

A spokesperson for Merseyside Police said: "Sex offending has such a huge and terrible impact on victims, and we are determined to continue looking to innovative new ways of identifying repeat offenders at the earliest possible opportunity, to prevent young people coming to further harm from abuse and exploitation."

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A sex offender with a track record of breaching strict court orders has admitted breaking the rules again.

David Powell had a Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO) imposed at Liverpool Crown Court in 2007.

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A former assistant headteacher at Wakefileld high school is facing jail after pleading guilty to accessing thousands of indecent child images.

Gareth Mellor, 43, was a senior staff member at Kettlethorpe High School at the time of the offending, which took place over seven years.

None of the offences relate to any children at the council-maintained school.

The school’s headteacher said he was “appalled” at the way Mellor had “betrayed the trust placed in him during his time at the school.”

Mellor was arrested following an investigation led by the National Crime Agency (NCA).

The 43-year old appeared before Leeds Crown Court today (November 8) where he pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent child images, between January 2014 and May 2021.

One count involves 520 category A images – the most serious level of offending.

Mellor also admitted making 690 category B and 10,450 category C images.

He pleaded not guilty to two further counts of possessing extreme pornographic images involving animals and possessing prohibited photographs of children.

Prosecutor Heather Gilmore said the pleas were acceptable to the Crown.

Mellor, who has no previous convictions, was released on bail until his sentencing hearing on December 7.

His bail conditions forbid him from having contact with children.

Mellor, of Pennycroft Road, Uttoxeter, Staffordshire, must also inform the NCA of any use of internet-enabled devices.

The Recorder of Leeds, Judge Guy Kearl KC, told Mellor that all sentencing options are open to the court, including a prison sentence.

He must also register as a sex offender.

Tudor Griffiths, headteacher at Kettlethorpe High School, said: “Although the crimes committed by Gareth Mellor have absolutely no connection to our school community, we are appalled at the way he has betrayed the trust placed in him during his time at the school.

“The safeguarding checks and procedures we, and all schools follow, did not identify any concerns. His ability to hide in a position of responsibility is shocking and upsetting.

“We take some comfort in the fact that the NCA investigation found that Mellor’s crimes had no association with any pupils, past or present.

“However, his crimes have affected the lives of other children and young people and our thoughts are with them.”

Vicky Schofield, Wakefield Council’s corporate director for children and young people, said: “As soon as were made aware of the allegations, Gareth Mellor was immediately suspended and dismissed shortly after.

“The National Crime Agency investigation was clear that these crimes do not relate to any students past or present at Kettlethorpe High School.

“But they do involve other children and young people and we are grateful to the NCA for bringing Mellor to justice.”

Danielle Pownall, NCA operations manager, said: “Gareth Mellor worked with children nearly every day and was entrusted to protect them.

“This investigation showed that he deeply betrayed this trust through amassing a huge collection of material showing the horrific abuse of children.

“Despite his attempts to conceal his activities by using cryptocurrency and encrypted storage services, this investigation was able to identify him as a committed buyer and consumer of child abuse material.

“The NCA is committed to tackling this criminality in all its forms, breaking the chain of supply and demand and protecting children from the most harmful offenders.”

Description

A Torquay paedophile has been jailed for making indecent images of children and breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order. Jason Black, 51, has a history of similar offending and was subject to a range of court orders and monitoring measures when he committed his latest crimes.

He ignored restrictions banning him from the internet and was caught after downloading vile images of children being abused. The 51-year-old has been jailed for three years after admitting multiple offences at Exeter Crown Court.

Prosecutor Ms Kelly Scrivener said police arrested Black in February after his email was linked to suspicious activity on a child-based image-sharing platform. Police were worried he was once again accessing indecent images.

When they searched his address they found he had been using a computer in breach of his SHPO and had downloaded some pictures.

He was released but when police searched his address a second time they found more evidence he had been using the internet on devices he should not have even been in possession of.

A further police warrant was executed in August and further memory cards and SIM cards were found. In total, Black had 16 devices capable of accessing the internet and storing images, said the prosecutor. This put him in breach of his SHPO.

Ms Scrivener said: "It was a concerted and repeated attempt to evade the prohibitions of his SHPO over the course of eight months."

Black has previously served time in jail for similar offending dating back to 2017, the court heard.

Ms Rachel Smith, defending, said he had shown some insight into the harm caused by his behaviour and that he was sorry. She said he is not in the best of health and is unfit to work.

Judge David Evans said his offending might be the product of social isolation. Black will serve half his sentence in prison and the rest on licence.

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A teenager tried to take her own life after being sexually assaulted by an older man. Simon Barlow, 39, also breached a restraining order against another woman and sent her a threatening text.

A judge at Mold Crown Court today jailed Barlow for a total of 24 months. Prosecutor Alexandra Carrier told how Barlow, of Connah's Quay, had sexually assaulted the teenager, who was over the age of 16. The touching was sexual and over her clothing.

In a victim statement the teen victim said the sexual assault has "opened her eyes to the real world" and made her feel very low. She has tried to take her own life due to this incident "and other concerns".

For her part the woman said in a statement she had had panic attacks and flashbacks and is always looking over her shoulder.

Dafydd Roberts, defending, said his client has had drink and drug problems. The court heard he had drunk vodka, Bailey's and taken cocaine on the day of the sexual assault. He is now thinking more clearly on remand and is "outraged" about his behaviour, added defence counsel.

The judge His Honour Rhys Rowlands jailed Barlow for 14 months for the sexual assault on a female and for ten months, consecutively, for breaching a restraining order. There was no separate penalty for sending the threatening communication.

But he also imposed a five-year restraining order prohibiting Barlow from contacting either victim and pointed out he must keep to sex offender notification requirements for ten years.

Description

A social media predator who tried to engage in sex chats with seven children has been jailed.

Simon Mace, described as isolated and never having had an intimate relationship, engaged in a series of communications with what he believed were girls as young as 12. Police also found him to be in possession of indecent images of children and Newcastle Crown Court heard he is classed as posing a high risk of serious harm to youngsters.

The offences came to light when police received a report from the National Crime Agency that Mace had been engaging in sexual communication with users on Twitter, now known as X, who were purporting to be under-18. The users were never identified and prosecutors could not say if they were real children.

In the first offence, after being told the user was 13, he responded by saying she was the "perfect age to be abused" and he asked if she wanted to see his penis. In the second offence he was told the user was 12 and he expressed a sexual desire towards her and said he would "love to see pictures of you".

With the third user, he was told she was 14, made sexual comments and told her "be a good girl for daddy". He sent an image of his penis and was sent a picture of a female wearing underwear, which he asked her to remove and made vulgar remarks.

The fourth offence involved him being told the user was 14 and the conversation turned sexual almost immediately. He repeatedly asked for a picture and said he wanted to "see everything". He was sent an image of a female exposing her body and sent a picture of his penis.

In the fifth offence he was told the girl was 15 and he said "I like young s****". The sixth offence involved him being told the user was 14 and he made sexual comments. The seventh Twitter user told him she was 13 and he asked for pictures and was sent one of female genitals and a sexual video.

The court heard police recovered a conversation he had with someone purporting to have a seven-year-old daughter and Mace sent sexual messages about the girl. He did not face any charges in relation to that.

Officers also found 107 category C images of children on his iPad. The youngsters were aged between six and 13. He had also sent messages in a WhatsApp group asking if there were "any teen lovers", the court heard.

Home-working call centre representative Mace, 37, of Sefton Square, Springwell, Sunderland, who has no previous convictions, pleaded guilty to seven charges of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child and one of making indecent images. He was jailed for 13 months and will be subject to a sexual harm prevention order and sex offender registration for ten years.

Robin Patton, defending, said he is "socially isolated" and both his parents are dead. He added that he would be "ripe" for exploitation and bullying in custody and may end up forming a friendship with someone in for similar offences.

Mr Patton said: "The prison population is such that people like him can't get the help they need. If he goes to custody he will lose his job and accommodation."

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A SEX offender from Hereford has been jailed for a string of acts of sex abuse against children and animals.

Knill Watkins pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent photographs of a child, two counts of sexual penetration with a living animal and two counts of assault of a girl under 13 by touching.

He also watched a person doing a private act, possessed a prohibited image of a child, and possessed extreme pornographic images of animals.

He had been committing the sex acts from 2012 to 2021.

Detective Constable Rich Britton said: "Watkins is a dangerous individual who committed horrendous crimes. I'm pleased that he will now face the consequences and will rightly be identified as a sex offender for life and spend time in prison."

On October 27 at Hereford Crown Court, Watkins, 34 from Withington, was jailed for 11 years and will be on the sex offenders register for life.

Description

A predatory sex offender has been jailed for 21 years after sexually abusing two children.

Jay Wood, aged 33, targeted the girls at an address in Nottingham and was exposed when one of his victims told her teacher about what had happened.

After briefly going on the run, Wood was arrested and made a full and frank admission to officers in his police interview.

He later pleaded guilty to one count of rape, three counts of sexual assault and one count of engaging in sexual activity with a child.

Appearing at Nottingham Crown Court on Tuesday (31 October), Wood, of HMP Nottingham, was jailed for a total of 21 years.

Detective Constable Alan Braisby, of Nottinghamshire Police, said:

“This was an appalling catalogue of offending that was finally brought to an end by the bravery and determination of Wood’s victims.

“Their testimony in this investigation was compelling and I am full of admiration for them both.

“Wood is a predatory offender who caused huge emotional damage to his victims for his own sexual gratification. I am pleased he has now been jailed and that he can no longer pose a risk to children.

“Offences of this nature can have a lifelong impact on victims who we know can be reluctant to come forward.

“Sometimes they feel they won’t be believed, and sometimes they just don’t want to talk about what happened to them.

“I would, then, like to reassure all victims of sexual assault that we will thoroughly investigate all allegations that are made to us and follow the evidence where it takes us.”

Description

A sex offender who abused a young child and engaged in explicit conversations with others has been jailed.

Jonathan Martin filmed himself committing a number of serious sexual assaults against a boy and also encouraged children from outside the UK to engage in sexual activity online.

Kent Police’s Paedophile Online Investigation Team was first alerted to Martin’s offending in May 2022 after he uploaded indecent images of children to the internet.

Evidence found at home

Searches at his home address in Swanscombe found mobile phones and a tablet under the kickboard in the kitchen.

Martin was further arrested in July 2022. When officers arrived at his home address to make the arrest, he was seen to throw a laptop from his balcony. Searches of the property located two mobile phones hidden inside cereal boxes and a toaster, along with other devices.

When investigators examined the contents of the phones, numerous videos and images were found of the 35-year-old sexually assaulting a young child. Extensive work was conducted and investigators were able to identify the child victim, who has since been safeguarded.

Officers also found sexual conversations with other victims, some as young as 10. Martin had encouraged them to engage in sexual acts, send him pictures and to meet with him. On one occasion it was established that Martin had arranged to meet a child in a park but he was late and the child had to leave.

Collaboration worldwide

Kent Police worked together with Homeland Security Investigations and shared information regarding children living in the US, whom Martin had been offending against online. All identified children were visited and safeguarded by US authorities. Through other work with Interpol, a child in Finland who Martin had been in contact with was also safeguarded.

A total of 162 videos were found on Martin’s devices of which 59 were of the most serious Category A. A further 1,095 images were found including 175 Category A.

Martin, from Lett Lane, Swanscombe, was charged with a total of 32 child sex offences including rape, sexual assault, inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, making indecent images and others.

Jailed

He pleaded guilty to all but two of the offences and on Monday 6 November 2023 at Woolwich Crown Court was sentenced to ten and half years in prison. He will also serve another year on licence. Martin was also placed on the sex offenders register for life and issued with a lifelong sexual harm prevention order.

Detective Constable Michelle James of the Paedophile Online Investigation Team said:

‘Jonathan Martin is a very real danger to society and I am certain he would have abused more children had we not been alerted to his offending. I would like to commend the child victim who was sexually abused by him for having the courage to speak with investigators.‘

This case serves as a reminder that the online world is a public one and it is important everyone understands the risks.’

Detective Inspector Robert Grieve added:

‘This sentencing shows that Kent Police works hard with partner organisations to target offenders who are using the internet to exploit young children.

‘This type of offending knows no borders but this case shows there are also no boundaries when it comes to safeguarding children and identifying perpetrators.’