Latest Offenders

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Rapist Thomas Hayward has been jailed - after leaving his victim 'disgusted and numb'. The 31-year-old, of Meir View, Meir, has been locked up for three years after admitting one count of rape.

In a harrowing statement, his victim said: "I was traumatised. I felt disgusted and completely numb."

Prosecutor Miles Wilson added: "He has no previous convictions."

The court heard that Hayward pleaded guilty to the offence at a pre-trial preparation hearing at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court.

Rash Mohammed, mitigating, said: "He accepted in an interview with police that he raped his victim. I do not seek to undermine the seriousness of this crime.

"He recognises well and truly the seriousness of his crime. He is of previous good character and has remained in custody since. He accepts responsibility for this offence."

Hayward is now on the Sex Offenders' Register for the rest of his life.

Judge David Fletcher said: "Rape is a horrendous offence. I have read your letter explaining and I accept that you are genuinely remorseful. The mitigating factors are you have no previous convictions, you express remorse, and you are of previous good character. I am handing you a starting point of four years and six months in prison. That is reduced by a third for your guilty plea."

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A ‘pupil’ of one of the most dangerous internet sexual predators ever investigated by the National Crime Agency (NCA) has admitted a raft of blackmail and online sex offences.

Anthony ‘Danny’ Burns, originally from Lowestoft, worked with notorious online child sex offender Adbul Elahi, who was jailed for 32 years in December 2021 after targeting 2,000 people globally to commit sadistic online abuse.

Between May 2018 and March 2021, Burns, 39, used ‘sugar daddy’ websites to trap dozens of unsuspecting females into performing sexual and degrading acts under the threat of blackmail.

One of his 39 victims was an eight-year-old girl in the United States who was abused by her mother following sustained coercion by Burns.

Burns, of no fixed adobe, attempted to contact approximately 600 people around the world with the intention of sexually exploiting them and work is ongoing by international partners to identify any further victims.

Elahi ‘tutored’ Burns on the psychology of blackmail, including techniques such as scripted wording to help gain the trust of victims, and provided instruction on how they would respond to threats and what to say to them.

Burns used multiple online personas to ensnare his victims, including posing as the head of a model agency searching for clients. He also pretended to be an NCA officer on one occasion.

Once Burns had gained the trust of his victims, he moved them to WhatsApp which is protected by end to end encryption. Once his messages had been read, Burns was able to delete them from his and his victims’ phones, thereby removing visible evidence.

All the victims were ordered to film themselves carrying out sexual acts in the belief they would be paid £600, but the money was never transferred to them.

When he had received enough explicit material, Burns threatened to expose the pictures to the victims’ families and friends unless they sent more increasingly depraved photographs and videos.

The severity and nature of the demands became more degrading at the point that Burns had entrapped the victims through the threat of exposure.

NCA officers arrested Burns in February 2019. His mobile phone and computers were seized and forensically examined.

NCA Operations Manager Robert Slater said: “Anthony Burns showed remorseless cruelty in controlling and coercing his victims, including very young children, into acts which have left them severely traumatised.

“The NCA is determined to identify and pursue the most harmful child sexual offenders, including those who exploit technology to hide their activities and target large numbers of victims, no matter where they are.

“Anyone being pressured or threatened into sending sexual images or videos online, should remove themselves immediately from the conversation, not respond further to any contact, and report the matter to police.

“You are not alone, you are not to blame and there is always help available.”

The FBI provided assistance to the investigation and helped locate victims in the United States.

Most of Burns’ other victims lived in England but there were also people in the Channel Islands and Australia.

Burns used a New Zealand-based cloud storage facility to retain all of the illegally gained material so that it would never be found on his phone.

However, incriminating evidence uncovered by NCA investigators from his phone highlighted the scale and propensity of his offending, and that he was blackmailing several victims simultaneously.

The NCA liaised with New Zealand authorities and evidence was recovered which proved Burns had the depraved material he demanded from his victims.

Burns was charged with 46 counts including blackmail, attempted blackmail, causing a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity, arranging the commission of a child sex offence; making and distributing indecent images of children (IIOC), possessing extreme pornography, malicious communications offences and failure to comply with notification requirements.

He admitted 39 counts and was found guilty of a further two today, following a two-day trial at Birmingham Crown Court. He is due to be sentenced at the same court on 18 January 2024.

The remaining five charges will lie on file.

All 39 of Burns’ victims on the indictment, aged between eight and 54, have been safeguarded.

Burns was previously jailed for 16 months in 2010 for meeting or communicating with a child under 16 following sexual grooming; causing / inciting a girl under 16 to engage in sexual acts, IIOC offences and possession of extreme pornography.

In December 2013, he was convicted of breaching his Sexual Offences Order, and served a further two years imprisonment.

Bethany Raine, Specialist Prosecutor for the CPS, said: “Anthony Burns had an obsessive interest in controlling women and children into performing increasingly degrading sexual acts online for his own gratification. Burns also had a perverse desire to see others engage in sexual activity with children and animals.

“Burns belittled and humiliated victims. They became trapped in a web of fear where their own images became tools of manipulation and extortion, leaving them vulnerable to his depraved demands.

“This conviction sends a clear message that the CPS is committed in bringing offenders like Burns, who sexually abuse and exploit victims, to justice, wherever that abuse takes place.”

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A paedophile who claimed strangers sent him more than 1,000 indecent images of children has been jailed.

Andris Dozbergs, 56, came to the attention of police after they were alerted that an account on Facebook had uploaded indecent images of a child to the social media platform.

Officers visited his home in Dogsthorpe Road, Peterborough, in May last year and initially he refused to let them in.

However, he eventually complied and a search of his home uncovered two phones and a laptop, together with a can of pepper spray.

He was arrested on suspicion of making indecent images but in police interview, denied having a sexual interest in children.

He claimed strangers had sent him “half naked” images of children, which he did nothing with, and had just remained in his phone.

Dozbergs admitted buying the can of spray in Latvia two years previously for his self-defence – claiming he thought it was pepper and tear gas mixed together.

He was released on bail but arrested again after police visited his home a second time and found more images on further devices.

The electronic devices were found to contain a total of 1,053 indecent images: 419 category C, 371 category B and 263 category A – the most severe.

He was charged with three counts of making indecent images of children, one count of possessing prohibited images of children and one count of possessing a prohibited weapon.

Dozbergs pleaded guilty to the offences at Cambridge Crown Court in July and was sentenced at Peterborough Crown Court on Friday (25 August).

He was handed one year in prison, and a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) was put in place for 10 years to monitor any future offending.

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A man who raped three women, including one who was just 14 when the attacks began, has been jailed for 10 years.

Bradley Isherwood, 25, abused one his victims while another man encouraged him.

The woman, who is now aged 24, told the High Court in Edinburgh she was serially raped and assaulted between 2016 and 2021.

All of Isherwood's attacks took place at locations in Edinburgh and Musselburgh, East Lothian.

The 24-year-old woman told the court that during one attack, another man played the Kings of Leon song Sex On Fire on his phone while Isherwood abused her.

She said: "I said no. I am tired. It became clear that he wasn't going to take no for an answer so I just kind of lay there and took it."

The victim said Isherwood's friend was "clapping his hands and saying 'come on Bradley, come on Bradley'."

"He was playing Your Sex is on Fire. He had an iPhone," she said.

'He felt entitled'

The woman also spoke about a time when Isherwood pinned her to the bed by the throat.

She said: "There was quite a lot of pressure. I couldn't speak. I genuinely thought he was going to choke me.

"I tried but I couldn't get his hand free from my throat.

"When I was on the bed and he had me by the throat and I couldn't speak back, he said he was going to kill me."

The woman said that Isherwood felt "entitled" about having sex.

Judge Lord Tyre sentenced Isherwood, who had pleaded not guilty to the attacks, to 10 years in prison and ordered that he be supervised by the authorities for three years after his release.

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

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A pensioner who left a girl suicidal after sexually assaulting her has been jailed for nine years.

Colin Routledge groomed and abused the youngster in offences which had a "devastating" impact on her life, a court heard. The 77-year-old was convicted of four offences of sexual assault after a trial.

Locking him up at Newcastle Crown Court, Judge Amanda Rippon told him: "You told her not to tell anyone what you were doing and you said you would get into trouble if she did. She didn't understand why you would get in trouble because she didn't understand what was happening to her.

"She kept it secret until she could cope no more, telling her parents. She has provided a victim impact statement outlining the devastating impact."

The judge added: "She is one of the most brave people I have seen in some time. I very much hope she is able to find some comfort and solace and some understanding of what happened to her, none of which was her fault. I hope she can move forward with the love and support of her family."

As well as the prison sentence, Routlege must sign the sex offenders register for life and will be subject to a sexual harm prevention order. and a restraining order.

The court heard Routlege, of Laburnum Gardens, Gateshead, has no previous convictions and has medical conditions that will make his time in prison more difficult.

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A rapist who lured a woman from a busy pub to a nearby beach to assault her has been jailed for more than six years.

Matthew Taylor, 31, from Hastings, carried out the ‘appalling, opportunistic attack’ after chatting with the woman, in her 20s, during a night out on February 12.

She was new to the town and thought he was being friendly, but ‘as soon as they got to the beach his behaviour immediately changed and he started to attack her’, Claire Gallagher of the Crown Prosecution Service said.

Taylor was convicted of rape at Lewes Crown Court and sentenced to six and a half years imprisonment.

Ms Gallagher said: ‘This was an appalling opportunistic attack on a woman new to the town, who believed that Taylor was being friendly when he first approached her.

‘Instead, he was planning to lure her away from a busy place, so he could force himself on her.

‘As soon as they got to the beach his behaviour immediately changed and he started to attack her.

‘Despite her repeated protests that she did not consent to any sexual activity with him, Taylor ignored her pleas and subjected her to a traumatic ordeal.’

Detective Sergeant Elizabeth Pike, from Sussex Police’s safeguarding investigations unit, praised the woman for her ‘incredible’ bravery in coming forward to report the attack and facing Taylor in court for the trial.

‘This is sadly something that will stay with her forever, but I hope this sentence will go some way in helping her rebuild her life,’ Ms Pike said.

She also praised officers for their response in the case, adding: ‘His sentencing demonstrates our determination to catch offenders and get justice for victims who come forward to us.

‘We take all reports of rape and sexual offences seriously and support is available on the Sussex Police website for victims and survivors.’

Taylor was also added to the Sex Offenders’ Register. He was cleared of a second charge of rape on the same woman.

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Sex offender Jordan Larcombe has been jailed for breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).

The 27-year-old, of Landguard Road in Southampton, was initially handed the SHPO on 5 April 2017 after he was convicted of sexually abusing two teenage girls on the Isle of Wight.

Under the conditions of the SHPO, Larcombe is prohibited from using any phone or device capable of accessing the internet unless it can retain the internet history. He must also make the device available for inspection on request by police, and he must not delete any internet history or mobile phone use.

On 28 July this year, police officers conducted a visit to Larcombes home address where they examined his devices. He was found to have deleted his online search history a breach of his SHPO.

He had also failed to register 5 new online usernames with police, which amounted to a failure to comply with his sex offender register (SOR) notification requirements.

As a result, he was arrested and charged with breaching his SHPO, and five counts of failing to comply with his SOR requirements.

Larcombe admitted all of the offences, and was sentenced to 16 months in prison when he appeared at Southampton Crown Court on Thursday 24 August this year.

PC Rob Thomas, from the Western Offender Management team, said: Larcombe is a prolific offender and is rightly back in prison for his blatant disregard for the conditions imposed on him.

We take the management of sex offenders incredibly seriously, and invest significant resources into doing everything we can to keep the public safe.

Officers will often make unannounced visits to offenders where they may be subject to an intrusive investigative interview process. This helps us understand an offenders routine, interests and behaviours so we can closely monitor them.

We can also examine their digital devices to ensure they are sticking to the legal requirements imposed on them. These orders are put in place to protect the public, and ensure that individuals do not re-offend.

Where sex offenders fail to comply, as can be seen in Larcombes case, they can and will be returned to jail.

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Joe Pearson, of Victoria Place, Stoke, Plymouth, left a 'trail of emotional carnage and trauma' behind him following his crimes which took place in different locations around Plymouth in 2019 and 2020.

Plymouth Crown Court heard how Pearson targeted the first girl when he was just a little under 18 and she was aged under 13. He went on to rape - including anal rape - and engage in sexual activity with two more girls aged under 15. The court heard that he continued his offending even after being arrested in May 2020 whereupon he was 'released under investigation', committing further offences in October 2020.

Following a nine-day trial, Pearson was found guilty of two counts of rape of a child under the age of 13 and one count of rape of a teenager. Pearson, aged 22, was also found guilty of three counts of penetrative sexual activity with a girl aged between 13 and 15.

Sentencing Judge Peter Johnson said the offences all came within just 18 months and each of his victims were vulnerable. He noted how one of the rapes took place at West Hoe park. He said Pearson threatened the girl, calling her a "bitch" and "slag" and as she tried to resist her he put his hands around her neck "causing her to see stars". Judge Johnson said when Pearson had finished he turned around and "smirked at her". Another girl said he anally raped her "despite repeated protests".

Judge Johnson sentenced Pearson to 19 years, but added that he considered Pearson to represent a "significant risk of causing serious harm to young females caused by committing further specified offences" and as such imposed an extended sentence of six years, bringing the total sentence to 26 years. He told Pearson he would serve two-thirds of the custodial term before being released on licence which would include the extension. Judge Johnson also placed Pearson on the Sex Offenders Register "indefinitely" and prohibited him from ever working with vulnerable adults and children.

Det Sgt Chris Kinski, from Plymouth's Operation Gemstone team who investigate sexual offences, paid tribute to the "bravery of the victims during the investigation".

Det Sgt Kinski said: "Their courage in reporting this sickening abuse to the police resulted in the conviction of Pearson. This was a complex case with a number of victims, who were all juveniles at the time of the offences. Pearson is a sexual predator who clearly targeted young girls to commit his offences against, picking on their individual vulnerabilities.

"We hope that outcomes such as these encourage other complainants to come forward and report offences that may have been committed against them. You will be believed and supported, and we will investigate fully in our pursuit to seek justice.

"Violence against women and girls is one of Devon and Cornwall Police's main priorities and this investigation highlights our commitment to securing convictions for these offences."

The court heard from prosecutor Peter Rouch KC who explained that all three girls had similar characteristics in that they were young and vulnerable, going through difficulties at home and school. He said Pearson met all three online and effectively groomed them. He said the three girls were effectively targeted by Pearson because they were "young, vulnerable, troubled girls".

The court heard that Pearson forcibly raped his first victim, "overpowering her" despite her shouts and screams and kicking, having first led her to an isolated park. He then "took steps" to stop her reporting the rape, ordering her not to tell anyone or he would rape her again.

The victim impact statements of the three young victims were read out by prosecutor Peter Rouch KC who revealed that the first girl had left school due to bullying, in part because of what she had suffered at the hands of Pearson. She said that when she eventually told her mother, she was accused of lying. She said she could no longer enjoy going out as she was distrustful of new people and she now panicked if she goes anywhere near where the assaults took place.

She said that her wardrobe was now "black, white or beige so I fade into the background when I'm out and about" and if she sees someone who is similar to Pearson she panics. She said she even has flashbacks of the assaults while asleep and has caught herself waking from dreams shouting "that's enough" to an empty room.

The second victim said the rape and abuse was the "worst time of my life". She now suffers anxiety and depression and is on medication. Due to the abuse, she said she was unable to concentrate at college and had to leave. She said she constantly felt vulnerable when out in public and did not go anywhere on her own.

She wrote: "I feel I will never recover from what he's put me through, but I know that I protected others from being put in the same situation as I have and that makes me proud of myself".

The third victim said she had distanced herself from her family despite knowing they wanted to help her "but no-one can help me".

She said she did not know how to talk about how she now feels and it was easier to "keep it inside". She wrote how she cannot sleep well at night and lays awake thinking "horrible thoughts". She said social services had tried to help but she wrote, 'What's the point? I still feel the pain'.

She wrote how she lost her friends and had got in with "a bad crowd", leading her to take drugs, adding: "I liked it, because it helped with forgetting the pain". While she had started to rebuild her relationship with her family she was unable to talk about the rapes.

She wrote: "When I look in the mirror I hate what I see. I feel worthless and didn't see the point of living."

Mr Rouch also read a victim impact statement from the mother of the third victim who asked how could she put into words "the hurt and anger that I feel everyday".

She said the "vile actions" of Pearson had scarred her entire family as they witnessed the "physical and emotional suffering" her daughter had endured. She said what had been done to her daughter had "shattered my heart and soul" and had left the family feeling "broken and helpless".

She added: "The guilt and anger I feel consumes me because as a mum I was supposed to protect my daughter from monsters. I was the one who was meant to make sure my daughter grew up in a world where my daughter felt safe, protected from harm and to feel loved, but that was taken away from her - and you [Pearson] took it from me."

She said she had been left with a "shadow of a girl" her daughter used to be. She said her daughter no longer saw any good in herself and "doesn't believe she deserves love".

She wrote: "The pain crushes me, it consumes me like no other pain. To hear your daughter scream out in pain every night, for months and months, listening to the words, 'I don't want to be here anymore, I don't belong in the world'."

In mitigation, Pearson's advocate Will Parkhill noted that but for a conviction for being drunk and disorderly, his client had no other previous convictions. He also noted that at the time of the first offence his client was "17 and three quarters". In addition, he said Pearson was of "limited maturity, limited sophistication and probably limited intelligence". He said Pearson did not have a "particularly great start in life".

Judge Johnson said that despite being arrested on May 16, 2020 he denied the offences and was released under investigation. Judge Johnson told Pearson "this arrest didn't stop you", as he went onto sexually abuse and rape another young woman at a location near Plymouth.

Pearson was told that despite "overwhelming evidence" he continued to deny the offences, claiming either that it did not take place, or was done with consent. He said the victim impact statements were "moving statements which set out the massive, traumatic daily effects" of his actions. 

He added: "You are a sexual predator who has left a trail of emotional carnage and trauma behind you, with scarcely a backward glance on your part. Your victims should be proud of the fact that they were brave enough to give evidence to ensure that you are brought to justice."

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A paedophile caught as part of a sting operation by a vigilante group was proposed to in court by his girlfriend as he was hauled off to prison. Vicky Owen shouted: "Baby I love you, will you marry me?" to Mark Owen as the 53-year-old was jailed for 22 months at Harrow Crown Court on June 27.

He replied "Will do", as a bewildered Judge John Lodge peered over his glasses and Ms Owen apologised for interrupting. Mark Owen, of Brentfield House, Stonebridge, previously pleaded guilty to three charges of sexual communication, grooming, and inciting sexual activity.

It comes after so-called paedophile hunter vigilante group COBRA UK passed messages to the Metropolitan Police showing he had contacted a 14-year-old decoy over a period of five days last year, MyLondon reports.

Prosecutor Dipan Varsani explained how Owen sent the decoy, named 'Jessika', a photo of his penis and asked her to send one back of her in the shower. The court also heard incriminating texts where Owen wrote he wanted to 'make love' to the girl and asked her to wear a short skirt so he could easily reach between her legs when they met.

Mr Varsani said: "We know [the planned meeting] was to 'make love' and touch her in between the legs. And asking her to wear a mini-skirt so when they met he could put his hand up her skirt."

Mr Varsani added: "He also sent inappropriate messages, all the whilst thinking and knowing it was a 14-year-old. He sent a picture of his penis, and requested inappropriate pictures from the decoy child."

Defending Nick Wells described his jobless client as "completely naïve and pathetic" after he posed as a mechanic and spoke to the decoy about his favourite football team and food.

Mr Wells said: "He's not a sex offender, he does not have a history of paedophilia, he does not think he would have gone through with it. He really comes across in many ways as a pitiful person, he's a heavy drinker and has not had a successful life."

"It's a personal humiliation on him of the highest kind, it's against his whole image of himself," Mr Wells added. "He pretended to be a mechanic to this decoy but he's unemployed. The high point of this is 'make love' but the rest of it is just pathetic."

Chelsea fan Owen had already spent nearly five months in custody when he appeared arms crossed in a grey tracksuit before the court. Judge Lodge explained the most serious count of inciting sexual activity fell into a lower category of harm because it "wasn't clear" full penetrative sex was going to take place, and the use of a decoy gives a small discount as Jessika was "not a real child".

Judge Lodge sentenced Owen to 22 months in prison for inciting sexual activity with a child, and six months each for sexual communication and grooming. He will serve half his sentence in custody and is entered on the Sex Offenders Register for 10 years.

Vicky Owen declared herself as Owen's girlfriend at the start of the hearing, then stood up and proposed to him as he was jailed. Before leaving the court she asked Judge Lodge for clarification on her new fiancé's sentence.

MyLondon approached Ms Owen outside the court but she refused to comment.

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A sex offender who hid inside a wheelie bin after assaulting a teenage girl in the street has been jailed.

David Harcombe was caught hiding by officers after they were called to Nuncargate Road, Kirkby-in-Ashfield.

Moments earlier he had followed the girl and grabbed her as she walked away from a park at around 8.30pm on 7 May 2023.

Thirty-nine-year-old Harcombe also pleaded guilty to another sexual assault six days earlier when he followed and grabbed another teenage girl in Nuncargate Park.

The girl told a work colleague what had happened and it was reported to police.

Harcombe initially denied the offences in police interview but detectives were able to piece together a case against him using CCTV footage.

Harcombe, of Seagrave Avenue, Kirkby-in-Ashfield, was jailed for two years when he appeared at Nottingham Crown Court for sentencing on Thursday (24 August). He had earlier admitted two counts of sexual assault.

Detective Constable Harry Glass, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “Both incidents were extremely distressing for the victims who were simply walking down the street when they were followed and grabbed by Harcombe.

“I’d like to thank them for their bravery in helping to identify their attacker and bring him to justice.

“I hope the community is reassured by our thorough investigation into the two incidents which has led to this sentence being handed down.

“The sentence should also serve as a warning to others about the consequences of this kind of offending; we will track you down and do whatever it takes to see you put behind bars.”

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A seedy pervert was rumbled after using a hidden camera to secretly film a sex worker having a session with him at his flat.

Richard Newis, 43, was seen in the secret footage gagging and tying up the woman, which was consensual, but she had no idea the sexual encounter was being filmed.

The 22-year-old woman was only made aware of the footage after police were investigating Newis over another matter.

She had been left "horrified and shocked" when she finally found out about the covert filming, Hull Live reports.

Newis used "significant planning" to make sure that the camera was set up at the best possible angle and was seen making repeated checks and adjustments to the camera.

The face of Newis came into view on a video and the bed could be seen as he set up the recording device on a chest of drawers, or something of similar height, before the sex worker arrived.

A door could be heard opening and Newis got undressed. Images showed the woman come into view and sit naked on the bed.

"Newis ties her wrists and ankles to the bed and blindfolds her," said David Godfrey, prosecuting at Hull Crown Court.

There was consensual sexual activity and she told him that he could gag her. She was later tied up again before having sex.

Newis later claimed to the police during the interview that the woman knew that he was filming.

However, when he was asked if there was a prior arrangement to be filmed, he replied: "No comment."

In a separate incident, Newis also set up a camera to film a young girl that he had sexually assaulted.

Another encounter saw him ask a 17-year-old girl, who was working as an escort, to send him sexually explicit pictures of herself.

Newis, who has now moved from Hull, denied a series of sexual offences but he was convicted by a jury after a trial of some of the charges, including sexual assault and two offences of voyeurism.

He was cleared of others including rape.

Newis admitted causing the sexual exploitation of a child and three offences of possessing a total of 24 indecent images of a child.

Mr Godfrey said that a camcorder and tapes were found during a police search of the flat where Newis had been living in December 2018.

In the incident with the 17-year-old girl, she advertised her services as an escort on a website and claimed in the profile that she was aged 22.

Newis did not know that she was under 18 at the time but the girl quickly told him her correct age.

However, Newis was undeterred and asked her to perform sexual acts in exchange for money and to send him explicit pictures and videos.

Mr Godfrey said: "They follow that pattern throughout. It would seem that he was quite infatuated with her and was making lots of offers. It was him asking for these photos and her sending them."

Newis had a previous conviction for harassment and a caution but he had not been in trouble since 2018.

Judge Kate Rayfield said “You took no responsibility and only saw yourself as a victim.”

Newis, who had been living recently in Rose Hey Lane, Failsworth, Manchester, was jailed for a total of six years and nine months.

A longer sentence was originally announced but it was reduced shortly afterwards after the defence pointed out a mistake that had been made in the court's calculations for the component parts of it.

Newis will be on extended licence for three years after his release from prison. He was given an indefinite sexual harm prevention order and must register as a sex offender indefinitely.

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A teenager who raped a child and then shared images of his crime online has been jailed.

Josh Davies, 18, uploaded the indecent pictures of a child to his Snapchat account, which were detected by Bedfordshire Police's internet child abuse investigation team.

When they carried out a warrant at his home, he was arrested on suspicion of making and distributing indecent images of children, and his phone was seized.

Officers then discovered further videos and images on his phone of Davies sexually abusing a child, and he was arrested on suspicion of rape and sexual assault.

The teenager, of Crawley Green Road, Luton, was jailed for six years and eight months after pleading guilty to offences including rape, sexual assault and making indecent images of children.

When questioned by police, Davies had said that he was asked to send the images to someone he had met online.

Investigation officer Michela Zasada said: “Sexual abuse is the most horrendous experience for any child to have to go through as it not only ruins their young years but can stay with them through adulthood too.

“I hope [the] result will offer comfort to those affected by Davies’s vile actions. Although this jail sentence can’t reverse the damage he has inflicted on the victim, at least he no longer poses a danger to children."

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A pensioner with an ‘irrational impulse’ to collect things downloaded hundreds of child sex abuse images, a court heard.

Peter Calladine, 77, accessed the material online for many years and made an unsuccessful attempt to stop his offending by taking up bird watching.

Bournemouth Crown Court heard the RAF veteran would periodically delete the indecent content he had downloaded, only to find more images on the internet.

Calladine was spared a custodial sentence when he appeared to be sentenced on Friday, August 25.

Prosecuting, Rob Griffiths said: “In September 2021, Dorset Police received information that there was an IP address that was responsible for either sharing or downloading indecent images of children and the subscriber to that address was Mr Calladine.”

Officers attended two months later and the defendant was arrested.

Calladine was “frank and candid” when interviewed by police, detailing the search terms he had used to locate material of young teenage girls.

Forensic analysis suggested he had accessed such images since 2011.

The defendant told police he had tried to stop looking at indecent images by taking up bird watching but it had not worked, the prosecutor said.

Police found 115 category A, 197 category B and 1,144 category C moving and still images on his computer.

Calladine pleaded guilty to three counts of possessing indecent images of children.

Mitigating, Oliver Hirsch said Calladine had served in the RAF before working in intelligence translating messages during the Cold War.

A serious injury while in this role led to him losing his hearing and he was forced to retire.

Mr Hirsch said the defendant spent a great deal of his time at home alone which led to him developing a “habit of browsing” adult websites.

The barrister said this led to finding material of children, however, there was also a large amount of adult pornography on his computer.

The defendant described having an “irrational impulse” to collect things all through his life, Mr Hirsch said.

In his childhood, this could include stamps and took different forms in his adult life.

Mr Hirsch said: “He would periodically delete the images he downloaded because he was disgusted with his behaviour.”

The court was told Calladine had taken significant steps to change, including engaging with the Lucy Faithfull Foundation, and since his arrest, he tried to stay busy by litter picking up to 18 hours a week alongside charity work.

Judge Jonathan Fuller KC said: “There are two or three very disturbing images which are very much the minority of the images in category A and on their own they would justify sending you to prison straight away.

“You have to understand that beyond the screen in the real world there is or there was a five-year-old child and in one case a six-month-old baby being grossly abused, that being orchestrated by undoubtedly criminal organisations who were then filming that so they could put it out on the internet to be watched and to make money out of it. That is the hard reality of these cases.”

The judge said the defendant was of “positive good character”, having “not only served your country but you continue to serve your community”.

There had been a significant delay in the case coming to court, there was a realistic prospect of rehabilitation and the offender was remorseful, Judge Fuller KC said.

It was accepted the defendant might have undiagnosed obsessive behaviour which manifested itself in the offending.

Calladine received a two-year community order and must do 25 rehabilitation activity days and pay £340 in costs.

He was made subject to a sexual harm prevention order and placed on the sex offenders register for five years.

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A sick couple who hatched a chilling paedophile plot on Facebook met for the first time in the dock after being convicted of a disturbing string of offences.

Sara Oliveria filmed herself performing sex acts as a young child watched in a series of Facebook and WhatsApp messages before sending them to 'depraved' David Lee, despite the pair never having met in person. Lee was 'misusing' messaging app Kik by uploading twisted videos of children being sexually abused, Liverpool Crown Court heard on Friday.

The 37-year-old was eventually foiled when officers tracked down his IP address to his home on James Road in Woolton on February 1 last year. A series of vile chats between the former support worker and Oliveria were then discovered when several electronic devices were seized from him, Liverpool Echo reports.

Lee "stated his desire to have sexual contact" with his co-defendant "in full view" of a child and said he wanted the youngster to "touch his penis" in messages to Oliveria. Many of the details of their conversations are too graphic to publish, but Oliveria, of Gray Street in Bootle, responded to his perverted proposals by saying: "Yes, I love this idea."

The 37-year-old restaurant cleaner then filmed 24 videos and two photos which she sent to Lee. His mobile phone had a stash of two category A indecent images of children - the most serious form of abuse. Also stored on the device were two category B pictures, one being a still from said movie, and one category C image.

Under interview with police, Oliveria told officers that she had met Lee on Facebook and the pair had subsequently chatted on the social media network and WhatsApp. She also said that they had "never actually met in person".

At points during the hearing, Oliveria could be seen holding her head in her hands and weeping and described herself as being "vulnerable" when she struck up a relationship with Lee due to the breakdown of a previous relationship. She stated that speaking with Lee "made her feel good" and she "did not want to lose contact with him", so "played along with the fantasy".

Neither defendant has any previous convictions. Peter Wilson, appearing on behalf of Lee, said: "His offending behaviour really stems from his formative years. His uncle began to engage in assaults and homophobic abuse towards Mr Lee. He describes his uncle's behaviour as having left him feeling anxious and frightened.

"That has caused serious mental health issues. When he was young, he saw his mother suffer from an emotional breakdown. That caused him to use alcohol and drugs to self-medicate and escape his feelings. He didn't have the resilience to tackle his problems.

"However, all of that cannot excuse what has been said and done by Mr Lee. It goes some way to perhaps explain his behaviour. He is working hard to address these issues. He is absolutely terrified of what the court may impose today. He is motivated to address these issues and build a better life for himself. He is doing everything he can."

Peter White, defending Oliveria, meanwhile told the court: "She has come prepared for all eventualities. It wouldn't appear she was the driving force behind this offending. It is accepted that she engaged voluntarily. She is at a loss to explain why she has chosen to engage in this behaviour.

"She felt lonely and isolated. She concedes that that is no excuse. Her chief motivation is, whatever happens today, to try and put this behind her. She assures me she won't darken the doors of the court again.

"This is a lady who has had no involvement with the police until her arrest on these matters. She had a difficult upbringing in her native Lisbon - she tells me she was abandoned by her parents and there were periods of homelessness as a child."

Oliveria admitted two counts of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child and was jailed for 16 months and told to sign the sex offenders' register for 10 years. Lee pleaded guilty to encouraging an offender, possession of indecent images and three counts of making indecent images. He was imprisoned for two years, as well as being handed a sexual harm prevention order and a notification requirement - both of which will run for the next decade.

Sentencing, Judge Denis Watson KC said to him: "What is clear from many, many of the messages is that the sexual thrill and satisfaction you got was from the fact that this was happening in front of a child. Initially she was reluctant, but whatever reluctance she had initially was largely forgotten."

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A 51-year-old man has been jailed for two-and-a-half years after being caught sending sexually explicit messages to a teenager.

Paul Singleton was arrested on 25 July this year, after officers working in our specialist Internet Sexual Offences Team (ISOT) received reports that he was sending messages of a sexual nature to a child on social media.

He started to speak to the teenager, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, online and quickly, the messages became sexually explicit.

Detective Constable Michelle Jameson, who led the investigation into Singleton, said: “Despite establishing early on in his communication that his victim was 13-years-old, Singleton continued to engage in highly inappropriate and sexualised conversation, including sending explicit images to the victim.”

Singleton, formerly Bessacarr, Doncaster, was charged and pleaded guilty to one count of attempted sexual communication with a child and one count of attempting to cause/incite a girl to engage in sexual activity. On Thursday 24 August, at Sheffield Crown Court, he was jailed for two-and-a-half years.

He was also handed a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).

Detective Inspector Lee Wilson, who leads the ISOT said: “Within a month, this dangerous and predatory offender was identified, arrested, charged and convicted, which I hope demonstrates to the public of South Yorkshire how robust our response to this crime is, and how seriously we take reports of this type of offending.

“We know that there are others out there engaging in similar horrific crimes, targeting vulnerable children and young people, and our work will not stop to identify those individuals and bring them before the courts.”