Latest Offenders

Description

A man has been jailed for the non-recent sexual abuse of two girls including two counts of raping a girl under the age of 16 in Havant.

Robert Campbell, 62, abused the girls on a number of occasions between 2013 and 2015 when they were both under the age of 16.

The girls, both now adults, spoke out about what had happened to them in April 2021, at which point the police were called.

An investigation was launched and Campbell was arrested on April 30.

He was charged with two counts of raping a girl under the age of 16, two counts of assaulting a girl under the age of 16 by touching, and three counts of causing or inciting a girl under the age of 16 to engage in sexual activity.

He denied the offences, but was found guilty on all seven counts on January 23 this year, following a Portsmouth Crown Court trial which began on January 16.

Campbell, formerly of St Clares Avenue in Havant, appeared at the same court on Wednesday, May 10 where he was sentenced to 17 years in prison. He was also handed an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order, and ordered to comply with Sexual Offender Register notification requirements indefinitely.

DC Leanne Boyd, who led the investigation, said: “These two brave women should be commended for their courage in disclosing the most awful events of their childhood, and supporting this investigation to ensure Campbell could not hurt anyone again.

“Justice has been served on Campbell. The abuse he inflicted on the two survivors when they were so young is absolutely horrific.

“He will now spend a lengthy period of time in jail, and I hope this case gives other survivors the confidence that if they have been abused, they will be heard and believed and we will do all we can to protect them and give them justice.”

If you have been affected by child sexual abuse you can contact police on 101 and speak to a police officer in confidence.

A spokesman for Hampshire Constabulary said: "We recognise that not everyone has the confidence to speak to police, but there are support services available that can help you if you are a victim of abuse."

Description

A REPEAT sex offender from Kendal downloaded dozens of sickening child abuse images, including ones featuring victims as young as three.

Kendal man Robert Lewthwaite, 29, who committed the offences despite having the benefit of professional help through the Probation Service, was jailed after a judge ruled that he poses a continuing risk to children.

He admitted breaching a sexual harm prevention order and downloading almost 300 indecent images of children, including 58 which were classified as Category A, the most serious kind of abuse images.

At Carlisle Crown Court, Judge Nicholas Barker told the defendant: These are not victimless crimes: these images depict real children, as young as three or four and five or six, who were subjected to the most horrendous, gratuitous sexual abuse.

The demand for such images by people like Lewthwaite supported the activities of the abusers who created those images.

Prosecutor Brendan Burke said the background was that Lewthwaite was given a seven-year sexual harm prevention order in February 2019, which was designed to curb his internet use and prevent reoffending.

It was part of his sentence for similar offending, when he downloaded hundreds of child abuse images, the court heard. Lewthwaite was specifically warned not to use cloud storage facilities, said Mr Burke.

But on January 14 police visited the defendant and discovered that he had done this, accessing three cloud storage sites. There was evidence that he had deleted content from his internet history and devices.

Police eventually recovered the images he had been viewing: 58 of Category A, 96 of Category B, and 128 of Category C.

Jeff Smith, defending, said the defendant, of Low Kirkbarrow Lane, Kendal, suffered autism and consequently was isolated and struggled to make relationships. He is isolated from the vast majority of his family, other than his grandfather, said Mr Smith.

He clings desperately to those who are close to him. Lewthwaite needed professional support to turn his life around, said the lawyer. The defendant recognised his failings and did not want to minimise them.

The lawyer said that group therapy would help Lewthwaite, who did not want to sink yet again to the depths of depravity.

Jailing Lewthwaite for 18 months, Judge Barker concluded that the defendant had returned to his former offending behaviour, which probation staff had described as being a highly established pattern of offending.

While accepting that Lewthwaite suffered difficulties linked to his autism, the judge said there was a pattern of offending, and he was not satisfied that at present there was a realistic prospect of rehabilitation.

Lewthwaite will be on the Sex Offender Register for a decade and his sexual harm prevention order will last for the same period.

Description

Flasher who has been banned from all children’s play areas across Warrington following his release from prison.

Dana Mustapha cannot enter or loiter in such play areas, and he is also prohibited from contacting any female in an open public space in Warrington, except any public building or premises, retail premises, sports stadia or licenced premises.

This is through a criminal behaviour order imposed onto him by Warrington Magistrates’ Court, with the order also banning him from entering Victoria Park.

This will run for four years, to restrict his ability to commit further offences, with the 34-year-old also subject to sex offender registration and notification requirements for 10 years.

It comes after Mustapha was jailed on Thursday for a series of disturbing incidents in Latchford and the town centre, involving threats and public indecency.

The 34-year-old Iraqi national, who was assisted at Warrington Magistrates’ Court by a Kurdish interpreter, was charged with three counts of exposure.

He also faced counts of threatening behaviour, assault by beating and two of harassment, one of which put the victim in fear of violence.

He pleaded not guilty to each offence but was convicted after a trial during which victims had to relive their ordeal by giving evidence.

Angela Blackmore, prosecuting the case, told the court how in September last year, a man was walking his dog along Knutsford Road in Latchford.

He became aware that the defendant was walking towards him and shouting threats including: “I’m going to f**k you up.”

The victim ignored him but Mustapha followed and continued to shout, before walking away.

A similar incident occurred involving the same complainant on September 6 outside the Co-op store on Knutsford Road, with the defendant making threats while laughing.

Mustapha, despite a number of schoolchildren being in the area, then dropped his trousers and exposed his penis, again laughing.

A further two similar harassment incidents occurred days later, one of which saw him threaten to kick the victim’s dog and cut his throat, as well as use vile homophobic insults.

The final one saw the complainant call a friend who attended and confronted the defendant, who claimed not to understand English.

He detained Mustapha until the police arrived, suffering severe bruising from being kicked, punched and almost headbutted by him after he was told the police were coming.

In an impact statement, the victim said he no longer wants to walk his dog in the area in case the defendant approaches him with further unprovoked threats.

He added that he becomes anxious and ‘thinks of worst case scenarios’ when he sees him, and on one occasion he had a panic attack.

Mustapha also exposed himself to a woman whom he asked for a cigarette from on September 6 on New Road in Latchford.

As she approached, he removed his penis from his trousers and started to perform a sex act on himself.

The court heard how the woman ‘burst out laughing’ and told him that both her dogs had a bigger penis than him, causing him to ‘run away with hurt pride’.

She added that if she saw him again she would have ‘launched him’.

A further incident occurred on the sunny afternoon of September 7 at a children’s play area in Victoria Park.

The victim was at the park with his toddler stepson when he heard a weird noise and a man singing and talking in a foreign accent.

Aware that he had been spotted, Mustapha pulled his tracksuit pants down and crouched down into a squatting position as if he was ‘having a poo’.

The witness described a look of ‘evil excitement’ on the defendant’s face as he ‘reached around as if he was aiming to grab hold of what he had passed to throw it’.

The victim left and the defendant was identified through a social media appeal, with the police contacted.

Yet another exposure occurred when Mustapha loitered outside a business in the town centre over a period of months.

He would stare at the owner and customers through the window, and on one occasion he unbuttoned his jeans and exposed himself for ‘sexual thrill’.

He also urinated in the street, in full view of the business, on two occasions, with urine going on the window and brickwork.

The owner had to upgrade CCTV and lock the door so he could not get in, as well as reduce opening hours, causing a loss of income.

In a statement, she said: “I have thought about selling the business as I no longer feel comfortable. It was once my happy place, but the stress and anxiety he has caused means I no longer enjoy my work.

“I have put my heart and soul into the business and he has destroyed it for me.”

In defence of his client, Peter Green said: “Someone with poor mental health, as this defendant has, will struggle and will cope badly in a custodial setting.

“The easy option is to sentence him to immediate custody. It would dispense justice and keep him off the streets for a few months.

“But it does nothing to address any of the issues underlying his behaviour. I would ask you to impose a suspended prison sentence along with requirements.”

This plea was rejected however by chair magistrate Anthony Graham, who concluded: “This is a serious matter, and it has passed the custody threshold. We are going to send you to custody today.”

Mustapha, of New Road in Latchford, was sentenced to 46 weeks in prison.

He attempted to barter a lower sentence with magistrates on one of the charges and was heard saying: “What have I done to deserve 48 weeks?”

The defendant was also ordered to pay £200 in compensation to the man he assaulted and handed four-year restraining orders preventing him from contacting or approaching six named people, or entering a named Latchford street.

Description

A takeaway manager wept in court after he subjected a woman to a terrifying sex attack in a hotel.

Stefanita Mosescu had been on a night out in Nottingham city centre on November 3 last year, before following the victim back to a hotel. He grabbed her in the lift and once in the hall, moved along the second floor where his room was.

The 42-year-old pushed her against a wall and onto the floor. The incident was captured on CCTV, showing Mosescu trying to carry her to his room, as she was seen grabbing hold of the door. Afterwards, she went to the hotel's reception and asked for the police to be called.

Mosescu, of Mercer Drive, Liverpool, was arrested a short time later and initially tried to claim what happened was consensual. He also said he was drunk at the time and couldn’t remember what had happened. However, faced with overwhelming evidence against him, he later pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual assault.

At his sentence hearing on Friday, May 12, his victim bravely read her statement where she described the incident as one of the most extreme to happen in her life. "I was so overpowered by him", she said.

The woman described having a piece of her taken away, and said "I may never be the whole me again". Steven Gosnell, mitigating, said married Mosescu was of previous good character.

"He was very much in drink," he added. "That's no excuse. He has been a hard-working man and that has been taken away. He simply can't explain the man on that screen (meaning the CCTV) - but he accepts responsibility".

Judge Stuart Rafferty KC sentenced him to seven years and two months for offences of assault by penetration and sexual assault. Mosescu pleaded guilty to the charges, and is now on the sex offender register for life.

Judge Rafferty said: "Only you can truly know what was in your mind on the night that you violated that lady, and violated is the correct term to use. Because you did not abuse her simply once, you abused her repeatedly.

"It was an indication what her frame of mind was that she was holding her mobile phone in her hand all the time this was happening. She couldn't use it. She was fixed on it. In my judgement, she was fixed on it because she was trying to put from her mind what was happening.

"What you did to her has changed her life and it has changed yours. There is not much point standing here weeping now and feeling sorry for yourself - you did not feel any sorrow for her then, not a shred".

Description

A “Demon DJ” hosted regular discos for kids before being unmasked as a serial child sex offender. Logan Donald was employed by D3mon Discos in Falkirk, which saw him perform for thousands of children across central Scotland.

The teenager was only sacked after his crimes came to light in the Daily Record last month. We told how Donald, now 18, targeted three 13-year-olds over social media in 2020 and coerced them into sending him explicit images by threatening to kill himself if they didn’t.

One teenager told how she’d attempted suicide three times due to the impact his crimes had on her. Now it has emerged the sex fiend had access to thousands of children through his job as a kiddie disco DJ.

The mother of one young girl who attended a Christmas party said she was horrified at the revelations about Donald. She said: “The kids all loved this young DJ, who seemed perfect for the job. They all looked up to him and were in his spell and now I just feel sick that he was able to use this smokescreen to gain the trust of innocent children.

“He’s been convicted of crimes against three young girls but who knows what else he’s been up to. Demon DJ doesn’t even do him justice. He may be young but he’s a manipulative and controlling beast and he terrorised young girls who trusted him.”

At Edinburgh Sheriff Court last month, Donald admitted coercing victims to send him intimate photographs. He used jam to fake self-harm, spreading it over his arms to make it look like he had slashed himself.

Another victim was coerced into sending him photos in her underwear. After that, Donald demanded more or he’d post her photo on social media. His campaign of terror only stopped when that girl told her parents and police were contacted.

Police cybercrime experts examined Donald’s phone and recovered a haul of child abuse videos, including many at Category A – the worst level. After the court revelations, the boss of D3mon Discos, Stuart Hall, told the Record that he only became aware of Donald’s grim crimes after we published details three weeks ago.

He said: “I was told by one of his relatives that he’d been charged with sending text messages but I wasn’t told about the sexual threats or the pornography he was downloading. I’m furious I was left in the dark and his family member allowed him to keep turning up for disco work, knowing what he’d been up to. By the time I got to the end of the Record’s story, he was effectively sacked. I just wish I’d known earlier.”

Stuart put out a furious post on his Facebook page, announcing he’d sacked the young paedophile.

He posted on May 6: “Due to recent events coming to our attention regarding one of our former employees, I will confirm Logan has been released with immediate effect and will no longer be anywhere near my house, never mind any discos. We are horrified and disgusted what we have read and can confirm that all information regarding this was withheld.

“We are sickened as we both allowed him near our kids/grandkids and I can’t get over the fact I let him do kids’ parties for me. I physically feel sick. He has been in my house whilst my wife slept, whilst I was gigging somewhere.”

Hall, 51, set up D3mon Discos in Tullibody, near Alloa, in 2016. He said he employed Donald in 2019 as a 14-year-old after his gran asked if he could be given work experience.

He took Donald on as a formal trainee last year, claiming he did a background check on him. At the Edinburgh Sheriff Court hearing, Donald was told he may be jailed for his crimes.

Fiscal depute Joanna Walling said Donald communicated with the first victim in January 2020 over Snapchat, as well as Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. Ms Walling said the teen found Donald “nice to talk to” and entered into a 12-week online “relationship” which saw him profess his love for her daily.

Ms Walling said the victim was “concerned for his welfare” and sent one image of her naked chest. When the girl refused his demands for more, Donald threatened suicide, sending a video of himself near a bridge and leaving her convinced for a week he’d ended his life.

The prosecutor said the second victim began communicating with Donald on Snapchat in January 2020 and he later asked for pictures of her in a swimsuit. Ms Walling said the girl felt “guilty” and sent a photo of herself in her underwear.

Donald responded by sending explicit photos of himself, the court heard. She said the third victim was contacted over TikTok in May 2020 and Donald repeatedly asked for naked pictures.

When the schoolgirl relented, he demanded she send more or he’d post her photo on social media. The court heard the girl told her parents and police were contacted.

Police also recovered videos featuring Donald and girls under 18 and apparently shot with a mobile phone. Two more videos were recorded FaceTime calls in which girls under 18 exposed themselves and carried out sex acts while Donald watched and carried out a sex act.

A victim impact statement from the first victim was read out in court. She said she’d developed an eating disorder, suffered nightmares, feared leaving her home, and saw her school grades plummet. Donald admitted carrying out offences between January 2020 and October 2021 when he was aged between 14 and 16.

He pled guilty to charges including possessing indecent images of children and threatening to share images of his victims. The offences took place at Donald’s home, East Lothian, Midlothian, and Edinburgh. Donald was also placed on the sex offenders’ register and will be sentenced on May 24.

Description

Andrew Barlow, previously known as Andrew Longmire, committed his crimes in the 1980s

A man who was jailed for 13 rapes has been recalled to prison just weeks after being released.

Andrew Barlow, 66, was jailed for life in 1988 for the attacks but was recommended for release by the Parole Board in December.

Despite opposition from the then justice secretary Dominic Raab, Barlow was released earlier this year.

The government have now confirmed he has been recalled to prison following a breach of his licence conditions.

A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: "Protecting the public is our number one priority. That's why offenders are subject to tough licence conditions and when they breach them, we do not hesitate to return them to custody."

Previously called Andrew Longmire, he attacked young women mainly in Manchester in the 1980s.

One attack included the rape of a 26-year-old woman in her Sheffield home, while her three-year-old daughter hid terrified behind a settee.

He broke into his victims' homes, using weapons to threaten them - and in one case to cause injury - before assaulting them, often while children were in the same house.

The Parole Board defended its decision to release Barlow earlier this year, saying the panel had considered "all the evidence".

The board said Barlow's "risk management plan with its extensive list of conditions" would be "sufficiently robust" to manage his return to public life.

"The whole panel would be aware of the correct test and the panel was chaired by a very experienced retired judge who also has considerable experience of parole hearings and applying the statutory test," the board said.

Asked for comment after his recall to prison, a Parole Board spokeswoman added: "The offender has not been referred back to us for a parole review and so we don't have access to any information about him being recalled and therefore we don't have comment at this stage."

Description

A man has been jailed for a minimum 14 years after a jury convicted him of raping and sexually assaulting two young girls. Michael Hopwood, 27, from Openshaw, sexually abused the girls, who were under the age of 12.

The married father had denied three counts of rape, two counts of attempted rape, four charges of sexual assault and one charge of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child. But a jury convicted him and now he has been handed a long jail sentence with an extended licence period.

Peter Cadwallader, prosecuting, told Manchester Crown Court that one of his victims went into school 'upset' towards the end of last year and 'indicated' to friends that she had been raped.

The girl, too young to understand what rape was, reported what had happened to an adult and police were called, the court was told. She described to officers how Hopwood climbed on top of her and described one incident which the jury concluded amounted to an oral rape.

Police later interviewed the second girl. The girl told police graphic details of how Hopwood would molest her.

The girl said the abuse had started during the summer. She told officers she had not spoken to anybody about her ordeal and was scared to do so, said Mr Cadwallader.

When police arrested Hopwood, he denied all allegations of inappropriate sexual conduct, said the prosecutor. The court heard those caring for the two girls were glad he was facing a long jail term as Hopwood could no longer harm them.

Both girls, entitled to lifelong anonymity in press reports of their case as victims of sex crimes, have been 'profoundly' affected by the abuse, the court heard.

One had been bubbly and confident but 'isn't like that now', the court heard. The other was a sweet girl whose attitude 'has changed' and has become very emotional every time she did anything wrong.

One tearful family member described Hopwood as a 'monster'. She told the judge: "If it was up to me, I would lock him up and throw away the key. I believe people like him should be locked away forever."

The court heard Hopwood had no previous convictions or cautions.

Joanne Shepherd, defending, pointed to her client's previous good character and said Hopwood had been suffering with depression 'for a considerable period of time'.

Judge Hilary Manley said the younger victim had 'found the courage' to tell her school friends. She had been groomed by Hopwood who then raped her, said Judge Manley.

The judge went on to say that the older girl had been 'groomed and debased' by Hopwood who then 'bribed her with sweets'. "You destroyed her innocence," said Judge Manley, who went on to say that the impact on both girls had been 'profound'.

Hopwood was handed a 20-year prison sentence. He will be eligible for parole after 14 years. He was also handed an extended licence period of eight years, which means, even if he is released after 14 years, he will be on licence for a further 14 years.

Description

A sex attacker has been handed a 12-year prison sentence after he was found guilty of the rape of a woman on Brighton Beach in the dead of night.

Przemyslaw Pogorzzelec, 44, forced himself upon the woman, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, in the early hours on the morning on the beach in Brighton, East Sussex.

Sussex Police said the sex attack, which happened at 2am on July 31 last year, was seen by witnesses.

Pogorzzelec and the woman were approached by members of the Beach Patrol and security, and the victim told them she had not consented. was then detained and arrested by officers.

The rapist claimed he had chatted with the young woman and claimed he had consensual sex with her.

But when questioned by officers he could not remember her name, age, or anything about her.

Witnesses said she was not able to give consent.

She was given support by specially-trained officers throughout the investigation.

At Lewes Crown Court on May 2, Pogorzzelec, a builder of no fixed address but formerly of an address in Hove, was found guilty of rape, and of sexual assault by penetration.

He was jailed for a total of 12 years, and an extended licence period of three years was also imposed.

The court was told how the incident happened at 2am on July 31 last year.

Pogorzzelec had forced himself on the woman, and had taken intimate photographs of her on his mobile phone.

He was interrupted by the Beach Patrol and security from nearby venues.

Despite denying the offence, he was convicted by the jury after a trial in January.

At his sentencing hearing, it was revealed how Pogorzzelec was convicted in 2013 for exposure, contrary to the Sexual Offences Act.

Speaking after the case, Detective Constable Ciara Richardson said: 'The victim received support from our officers, and showed great courage to give evidence in the trial.

'This was a fast moving investigation where we gathered witness statements and footage which showed how Pogorzzelec had preyed on the young woman when she was alone on the beach.

'We are pleased that a dangerous offender is now in prison for these offences.'

Description

A 60-year-old man who sexually abused a child over a number of years has been jailed for 20 years this week.

Roger Allen appeared at Sheffield Crown Court on Tuesday (9 May) where he was sentenced to two decades behind bars, after admitting a litany of child sexual offences including numerous counts of sexual activity with a child, multiple counts of rape, as well as making indecent images of children and possessing an extreme pornographic image.

Allen’s victim, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, came forward to police to report years of horrific sexual offending. Allen was arrested and when his property was searched, a number of devices containing indecent images and videos of children were found.

Detective Constable Jason Earl from Sheffield’s Protecting Vulnerable People (PVP) team said: “I wish to take this opportunity, at the conclusion of legal proceedings, to commend the bravery of the victim in this case. They have shown immense courage in coming forward to report years of horrific sexual abuse, then demonstrated enormous strength throughout the investigation. It is my belief that had they not come forward when they did, Allen’s serious sexual abuse would likely have continued.

“It cannot be underestimated the significant toll that child sexual abuse has on victims – it irreparably changes a child’s life and in this case, Allen took full advantage for his own disgraceful sexual criminality.

“While he has pleaded guilty to numerous sexual offences and now faces a lengthy period of time in prison, he has shown little-to-no remorse or acknowledgement for the pain and suffering he has caused to his victim. I truly hope now Allen has been sentenced and is behind bars for his awful crimes, the victim feels able to take a step forward in their journey towards recovery and healing.”

Allen, formerly of Abbey Brook Gardens, Sheffield, pleaded guilty to 16 offences: four counts of sexual activity with a child; two counts of rape; three counts of making indecent photographs of a child; one count of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child; one count of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity; one count of causing a child to watch a sexual act; one count of attempted rape; one count of assault by penetration; one count of causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent; and one count of possessing an extreme pornographic image.

In addition to the 20-year prison sentence, Allen was handed a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) and placed on the Sex Offenders Register.

Description

A FORMER Labour MP who downloaded and distributed child abuse images has been jailed for more than two years.

Paul Clark, who represented Gillingham in Kent for 13 years from 1997, told police when arrested at his home: "I know why you're here."

He was caught with more than 1,000 stills and movie clips on five electronic devices - showing some of the most serious acts of abuse.

The 66-year-old also joined sexually-explicit chats online, Maidstone crown court heard.

After being arrested at his home by the National Crime Agency in May 2021, Clark told officers: "I know why you're here. I kept telling myself to stop.

During his time as a Labour MP, he was a parliamentary private secretary for high-profile Cabinet members including deputy prime minister John Prescott and education secretary Ed Balls.

Clark, who at a previous hearing gave an address in Wallington in Surrey, pleaded guilty last December to three offences of making indecent photos of children between April 2013 and May 2021.

The father-of-two also admitted six charges of distribution between October 2020 and May 2021.

Prosecutor Daniel Stevenson told the court none of Clark's offences took place while he was an MP.

But Mr Stevenson said there were two "distinct periods of offending" - with 20 images downloaded in 2013 and the majority seven years later during the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown.

A total of 298 category A images, 415 category B and 733 category C were found on two iPhones, an HP laptop, a hard drive and Acer computer tower.

The age range of the children being abused ranged from three to 16, Mr Stevenson told the court.

The iPhones contained what Mr Stevenson called "two significant chatlogs" in which Clark discussed the sexual abuse of children in WhatsApp and Kik conversations with two other users identified as "Toni" and "PR".

The court was also told of the sexual terms used in Clark's internet searches.

Ronnie Manek, defending Clark, told the court the ex-MP's life took a "downward spiral" during lockdown and led to his further offending.

Mr Manek said: "Covid hit and played a huge factor. It was a time when the country was in lockdown, and I appreciate it's no justification, but it can affect the mindset of individuals."

Jailing Clark for 28 months, Judge Philip Statman told him the case represented "a tragic fall for someone who had put the community first" - but the offences were so serious, jail was inevitable.

The judge added: "Each of these children is a victim. From the images it is clear they are disturbed by that which is being done to them.

"This is a catalogue of criminal offending, committed for your own sexual gratification.

"It is not just a case of browsing on the internet. This is almost a level of addictive conduct which you pursued and you have a very long way to go in understanding what led you to commit these criminal offences.

"Much has been rightly said about the public service you have performed in the past.

"You put the community first and indeed you have tried your best to continue with issues of a community nature, not just here but in Africa since you lost your seat in 2010.

"It is right too that I emphasise there is no suggestion that any of your offending took place during the time when you were a sitting MP.

"But there is punishment that comes your way on a very different level - the ignominy and public humiliation that your appearance in the dock in the crown court causes you."

The judge said he accepted that the pandemic and his failing marriage may have contributed to his mild depression.

He told Clark: "Possibly because of the job you had, the control you had, the excitement you had in those years both as an MP and after, travelling as you did - that being at home and stuck with difficulties within your marriage may have contributed to the level of depression that you felt.

"I have no doubt as you sit there engaged in this offending, it doesn't go through your mind that you will be caught and be presented before a crown court today."

But Mr Statman insisted he could not spare Clark jail, as his barrister had urged.

The judge said: "These offences clearly pass the custody threshhold and well and truly pass the level which would permit me to impose a suspended sentence order, bearing in mind the aggravating factors I have mentioned."

Clark will have to serve half his sentence and will be subject to signing on the sex offender register for 10 years on release.

He will also be subject to a 10-year sexual harm prevention order and barred from working with vulnerable adults and children.

Clark was supported in court by two relatives, said to be his cousins.

The Labour stalwart was said to have played a key part in the 2005 general election, hosting then-prime minister Tony Blair and chancellor Gordon Brown on a visit to Kent.

Clark was later appointed transport minister in 2008.

After losing his seat two years later, Clarke stood for re-election in 2015 but was again defeated by Conservative Rehman Chisti.

Description

A trainspotting pervert has once again been given a jail sentence for an indecent assault he carried out against a young boy in the 1980s.

Steven Gustafson began chatting to a young teenage boy about trains at Newcastle Central Station in the early 1980s before he asked him to take a trip underneath the arches of the King Edward VII bridge. The victim was then indecently assaulted.

The vile offence only recently came to light when the now-adult victim read that Gustafson had been jailed in 2021 for a very similar offence dating back to the same time. He then reported the assault to police.

In 2021, Gustafson was jailed for four and a half years for carrying out similar sexual offences which were also committed in the 1980s. He was in his mid-20s at the time when he befriended two boys who shared an interest in trainspotting and then sexually abused them after taking them to isolated places.

Gustafson, who has been serving his prison term at HMP Northumberland, was due for release this summer, but was hauled back in front of a judge at Newcastle Crown Court on Thursday to be sentenced for the indecent assault which had recently come to light. The 65-year-old pleaded guilty to the single offence in March this year.

The court heard that the victim was a young teenage boy in the early 1980s and had first met Gustafson at Sunderland Train Station and began chatting about trains. Gustafson then offered to take the boy and his friend to Sunderland's South Docks, but he declined and instead went home.

But months after their first meeting, the boy ran into Gustafson again, this time at Newcastle Central Station.

Jane Waugh, prosecuting, said: "The victim recognised the defendant and again began chatting about trains. The defendant suggested they go over the to the King Edward VII bridge and look under the railway arches."

As the boy engaged into further conversation about trains, he realised Gustafson was "not really interested" in them. It wasn't long before Gustafson indecently assaulted the boy after putting his arms around his shoulders and asking sexual questions.

After pushing away Gustafson, the boy fled on a train and kept the assault a secret until years later when he confided to a former partner. However, the incident had a profound impact on the victim, who would regularly search for Gustafson on the internet. It was during one search that he read the defendant had been jailed for sexual offences.

Reading of his prison sentence, the victim then bravely reported what happened to him to police.

The court heard that Gustafson had nine previous convictions for 21 offences, all of which were offences committed against boys under the age of 16. All of his sexual offending took place behind the backdrop of a "railway setting", the court heard.

Peter Schofield, defending, said Gustafson had not committed any offences since 1998 and had successfully completed a sex offender treatment programme in the 1990s.

He said: "He has worked hard to change his life and plays a useful part in the community and his church. He is at a low risk of re-offending and has a firm plan to move away from this area. He is unlikely to re-offend again and has made efforts to stay offence free. There is a positive side to his general behaviour."

Sentencing Gustafson, Recorder Benjamin Nolan KC handed him a further 12-month prison sentence. He remains on the sex offender's register for life.

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Ali Razza Hussain Kasmi, 36, is charged with six offences including two rapes and two counts of gross indecency with a child.

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A contractor who sent a naked picture of his genitals to a female patient he spotted in hospital has been placed on the Sex Offenders Register for a year.

Scott Brown, 47, was carrying out contract work at the Carseview Centre when he targeted a woman who was being given medical treatment.

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Mark Thompson, from Aberdare, sexually abused a boy over the course of two years, beginning when the boy was just eight years old.

The boy knew it was wrong, but he was too scared and frightened to tell anyone. He kept what had happened to him a secret for over ten years- until 2021, when he bravely disclosed the abuse he had suffered at Thompson’s hands.

An investigation was launched and Thompson was arrested and charged.
The matter went to trial and Thompson was subsequently found guilty for a number of sexual offences.

On Friday 28 April, the 39-year-old was jailed for 16 years for rape, inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and sexual assault.

Detective Constable Emma Songhurst, who led the case, said:

“I would like to commend the victim and their family for the courage they have shown throughout this investigation.

“Every child has a right to grow up free from fear and abuse and I hope this case demonstrates our dedication and determination to pursue justice for anyone who has suffered like this.

“I would encourage anyone who has been the victim of a similar crime to report it to us, regardless of how much time has passed, as the crime will be fully investigated, and they will get our full support.”

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A paedophile turned up at a Derbyshire railway station with a bottle of whisky and beer in a rucksack to take a 13-year-old girl he’d groomed online to some nearby woods for sex.

In a message shortly before he did, Ryan Burton told the teenager to say she was his cousin if anyone challenged them. But unbeknown to the 25-year-old, Leah, who he’d messaged continually for three weeks and badgered into meeting him, was really an undercover police officer.

Jailing him for 27 months, Judge Shaun Smith KC said: “What you set about doing in January and February of this year was appalling, quite frankly. You did not know it was a police officer, you thought it was a 13-year-old girl.

“I am not going to repeat the disgusting things you said you were going to do to her but sometimes people say these things and never go out of their bedroom and the court can be content it is all talk. But that did not happen with you.

“You intended to meet up with what you thought was a 13-year-old girl in order, and I have absolutely no doubt in my mind about this, that you will have had sexual activity with her. You arrived at the station, you had a rucksack and in it booze to ply her with but thankfully it was not a 13-year-old girl.

“I take into account your age and I take into account that you were bound to be caught and that demonstrates an element of naivety. But there is concern (from the probation service) in your pre-sentence report that you pose a high risk to female children online aged 11 to 16 in order to satisfy your sexual needs.”

Stefa Fox, prosecuting, said an undercover police officer set up a profile for the decoy, named Leah, and that “almost immediately” the defendant began chatting to her online. He said very quickly their online chat turned sexual and over the next three weeks the officer gathered 188 pages of chat logs between them.

The prosecutor said: “He asked her what school she went to and told her he was a fast food manager. He sent her a picture of his (private parts) and asked her if she liked it and if she wanted to have sex with him. The conversation continued with him saying ‘you look very young, it’s going to be fun dating you,’ and ‘can I see you nude?’.

“He said she would look cute in her school uniform and then sent her a video over Snapchat of him (touching himself sexually). Throughout their conversations he persistently tried to make plans to meet her.”

Mr Fox said the pair did arrange to meet at Alfreton railway station on February 22, this year, and he sent her messages that morning saying he would take her to some woods he knew and that if anyone saw them together she should tell them she was his cousin. He said the police confronted him at the railway station and he had a rucksack in which was a bottle of whisky, beer, food, soft drinks and a towel.

Burton, of George Street, Alfreton, pleaded guilty to attempted sexual communication with a child, attempting to cause a child to watch a sexual act and attempting to meet a child following sexual grooming. He has no previous convictions.

Mark Knowles, mitigating, said: “I asked the defendant if there was any shame and embarrassment in terms of what he told the probation service and he told me he finds it difficult to speak to people generally."

As well as the jail term, Judge Smith placed Burton on the sex offender register for 10 years and handed him a 10-year sexual harm prevention order.