Latest Offenders

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A man has been given a four-year sentence for sex attacks carried out when he worked in a children's home.

Dean Gathercole was jailed for 19 years in 2018 after being found guilty of three counts of rape and six counts of indecent assault.

Nottinghamshire Police said a woman now in her 40s learned of his offending and reported further instances of abuse.

Gathercole, 58, was convicted of three counts of sexual assault and sentenced at Nottingham Crown Court on Tuesday.

The new sentence will run consecutively to the term handed down in 2018.

Police said the abuse took place during an overnight stay at a holiday park, when the defendant assaulted the teenager - who was then in his care - in a swimming pool and a cabin.

'Simply unforgivable'

Gathercole was one of a number of former employees at children's homes mentioned during the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse's investigation into services in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire.

Det Con Stephen Dunn, from Nottinghamshire Police, praised the woman for the "enormous courage" she showed in reporting the abuse she suffered.

"Gathercole was entrusted to look after vulnerable young people who looked to him for guidance and support," he said.

"Instead of helping this child through a very challenging period of her life, he chose instead to groom and abuse her for his own sexual gratification.

"His behaviour was simply unforgivable, and I am pleased that he has now been held accountable for these appalling crimes."

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A business owner found guilty of two charges of sexual assault is on the sex offender register for five years after his sentencing today.

Keith Warren, 54, owner of Newark Cue Club, was sentenced by Judge Mr Recorder Simon King, at Nottingham Crown Court this morning.

Judge King said: "I think it is a tremendous shame that Mr Warren finds himself in this situation, but it is of his own doing."

The court was told Warren had an 'unblemished' life prior to the offences.

Warren was sentenced for two counts of sexual assault against a woman, who was said to have been 'greatly distressed' by Warren's actions.

He was found guilty of two of three charges of sexual assault brought against him at a retrial on January 16, with a not guilty verdict for one charge.

Warren had previously appeared before the court in early April 2022 for the same charges, but the jury was unable to reach a verdict, leading to the retrial this year.

Judge King sentenced Warren to a two-year community order and up to 45 rehabilitation activity requirement days for each of the two offences, to be served concurrently.

He will also be on the sex offender register for five years, and a restraining order in place for the same length of time, barring him from contacting the victim.

Warren was warned that any breach of the restraining order could result in a prison sentence.

"Any offence of sexual assault is considered as serious by the court," Judge King added.

"This is not to say it can be overlooked or minimised, but it falls to the lower end of the spectrum."

It was said that Warren was 'not a predator who might present serious risk'.

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The image of a man seen ‘tweaking his nipples’ near children has been released.

Convicted sex offender Christopher Bagley of Stroudley Way in Hedge End was jailed on Friday.

The 77-year-old was found guilty of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child and breaching his sexual harm prevention order.

Southampton Crown Court heard how a witness saw Bagley ‘furtively sheltering in the bushes’ by the duck pond in Dowds Farm Park in November.

The witness said he ‘unzipped his hoodie and proceeded to rub and tweak his nipples for about five seconds.’

She said: “He then took the whole jacket off.

“There were two boys on the opposite side of the pond area playing.”

He left the pond area and park to return to his car, passing by a children’s playground.

But, mitigating, Damien Hayes, said it was a ‘private moment’ as Bagley undressed to urinate.

Giving evidence, Bagley told the court he ‘could have done more’ had he seen the young boys on the other side of the pond.

He said: “I have no recollection of tweaking my nipples. I was not aware of anyone in the area.”

The court recorder, Mr Donald Tait sentenced Bagley to a total of 18 months in prison.

Bagley was previously sentenced in Bournemouth in 2006 after admitting sex offences with young boys.

The former head of computing and maths teacher at Poole Grammar School admitted sexually assaulting an 11-year-old boy, four counts of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a 10-year-old boy, and exposure.

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A CONVICTED sex offender who previously boasted he had a ‘black belt’ in attacking women has been locked up again.

Andrew Matthews was jailed in 2021 for sexually assaulting a woman, as well as punching her and spitting on her while drunk.

The 37-year-old was told at the time that he would have time ‘to sit at Her Majesty's pleasure and contemplate what he has done’ while serving his prison sentence.

But he has now been sent back to prison for making homophobic comments with intent to cause harassment, alarm or distress.

He was charged with breaching of a restraining order and using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour, and he appeared to be sentenced at Chester Magistrates’ Court on Saturday, March 18.

Michael Caine, prosecuting, informed the court how the offences were committed two days earlier on Thursday, March 16.

Matthews, formerly of Orford, used threatening, disorderly, abusive or insulting words or behaviour with intent to cause another person harassment, alarm or distress.

He also, ‘without reasonable excuse’, attended within 100 metres of a named Warrington street which he was prohibited from doing through a restraining order imposed by Liverpool Crown Court in July 2021.

This was imposed after Matthews was convicted of a sickening sexual assault committed against a woman, when he groped his female victim in the crotch, leaving her in pain and tears.

The defendant ‘forcibly grabbed’ his victim over her clothing’, causing her to scream and leaving her with bruising.

This came after he boasted to her about having a ‘black belt’ in attacking women.

He also choked her by grabbing her throat, punched her to the face, pushed her and spat at her five times.

Although the only physical harm caused was tenderness to the face, the woman told police how Matthew’s actions made her feel ‘depressed and upset’.

She also said she ‘felt uncomfortable in own skin’, was left anxious and suffered regular panic attacks as a result.

The crown court at the time heard how Matthews had 19 previous convictions for 24 offences, covering a ‘wide range’, but with many involving violence.

He was sentenced to 18 months in prison and ordered to sign the sex offender’s register for 10 years.

For these latest offences, magistrates said that they would take the defendant’s guilty pleas into account, however they said that the severity of the offences meant that only an immediate custodial sentence was appropriate.

This was due to him being on post-sentence supervision at the time, as well as his previous record of offending and the fact that he made homophobic comments.

Matthews, now of Brantfield Court in Padgate, was sentenced to 14 weeks in prison and ordered to pay compensation of £154.

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A child sex offender has been jailed for 12 years after he admitted a string of sick crimes. Thomas Nellist, 23, previously pleaded guilty to five counts of incite a boy under 13 to engage in sexual activity, three of engaging in sexual activity with a boy aged 13 to 15, eight of making multiple indecent photographs/pseudo-photographs of children, attempt to cause a child under 13 to watch/look at an image of sexual activity.

He was sentenced at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court on Monday, March 20. Nellist, of Biddulph, also admitted possession of multiple prohibited images of children and possession of an extreme pornographic image.

The offences took place in Staffordshire between 2017 and 2022. Nellist - who pulled a bizarre expression in his custody mug shot - was placed on the Sex Offenders Register and will be subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) for life.

Det Con Emily Raybould, the officer in the case, said: “I would urge anyone who has been a victim of such crimes to come forward and report this to us. We will listen to you, and you and your families will be supported by specially-trained detectives and support workers.

“If you are or have been a victim or you are worried about something, and you don’t feel ready to talk to the police, please speak to someone you trust.”

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A SEX offender has been jailed for 15 years after he was found guilty of a string of crimes against a child.

John Bliss, of Greenmeadow, Gwent appeared at Chelmsford Crown Court on Thursday, March 16, where he faced charges of rape, sexual assault by touching, and causing a girl to engage in sexual activity.

His victim was under the age of 13.

Following a trial, Bliss, 43, was found guilty of seven of the offences and sentenced to 15 years in prison.

He has also been issued with a lifelong sexual harm prevention order.

An investigation into Bliss originally began in 2020 after Essex Police were contacted by the victim, who was just a child, to disclose she had been subjected to multiple serious sexual assaults in Harlow.

Essex Police’s child abuse investigation team then led an investigation which resulted in Bliss’s arrest.

When interviewed, Bliss denied the offences, but his sentencing will see him stay behind bars until 2038.

The victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, described the impact the case has had on her life.

She said: “I have constant anxiety which feels like it’s never going away – I find myself waking up in the middle of the night, feeling alarmed and panicked because my mind is telling me that he is standing outside my bedroom.

“I don’t like being away from my home comforts because then I feel unsafe and I don’t like staying around people’s houses, I feel at risk.

“I ask myself, why me? Did I do something wrong? Did I deserve it?”

The victim’s family gave an official statement through the police, which described how they have been dealing with the aftermath of the crime.

They said: “This has been our worst nightmare – something I never thought possible, that anything like this could happen to us.

“Since what happened, we have been picking up pieces to the explosion that has gone off.”

Essex Police’s investigating officer, Sergeant Gemma Marriner, said the force’s crime and public protection team would ensure perpetrators like Bliss will face justice.

She said: “Bliss’ actions on this vulnerable victim were evil and even once he was arrested, he didn’t have the decency to admit what he’d done, resulting in victim and her family being accused of lying.

“The public may underestimate the detrimental effect that these crimes may have on a victim and although she may never forget what has happened, I hope that this sentence can allow her to move forward.

“In sexual offences investigations, victims are often concerned that they will not be believed and that it will be the perpetrators word against theirs, particularly in cases where we do not have any forensic opportunities.

“This is not the case and our Crime and Public Protection Team is formed of officers who are trained and passionate to ensure that dangerous perpetrators get their justice.”

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A man who raped a woman went on to harass and stalk his victim after being released on police bail.

Harvey Blyth sent the woman a series of "vile" messages via social media and began to harass her. When police searched 20-year-old Blyth's phone they found videos of children being sexually abused, he had made "disturbing" internet searches, and had shared a private sexual video of a woman.

Swansea Crown Court heard heard Blyth has significant mental health and psychological issues which have largely gone untreated, and that a probation officer determined that he should be categorised as a dangerous offender. As the defendant was given a 10-year extended sentence he told the judge "I'm a bit upset about that. I was expecting three or four years".

Craig Jones, prosecuting, told the court that after the rape Blyth performed a sex act over his victim. The incident was reported to the police and the defendant was arrested and interviewed, and then released on conditional police bail. The prosecutor said Blyth then "embarked on a campaign of what could properly be called harassment" which included sending "vile" and abusive messages to his victim via Facebook. Blyth was arrested and interviewed about his breach of bail conditions, and then released - and went back to harassing his victim on social media.

The court heard the defendant was arrested again, and while being held in Swansea Central police station subjected an officer to racist abuse. Following this arrest a number of Blyth's phones and other devices were seized, and officers found three videos showing boys aged between 10 and 14 being sexually abused as well as a video showing a man having sex with an animal. An examination of his internet history showed the defendant had been making searches including "is rape okay" as well as "paedo rapes kids" and "naked 5 year old". Police also found that Blyth had sent had an intimate video which he had surreptitiously shot to somebody else.

In an impact statement which was read to the court the victim of the rape said the experience had left her feeling "wrecked inside". She said she now feels anxious and scared of men, and is far less sociable than she used to be. The court heard the woman whose video Blyth shared now feels "haunted" by the idea that the footage "may still be be out there". In his statement, the officer who the defendant racially abused said he had been distressed and embarrassed at what happened in front of his colleagues.

Harvey Kristian Blyth, of Beauchamp Walk, Gorseinon, Swansea, had previously been convicted at trial of rape and had pleaded guilty to disclosing a private video, stalking, making - that is possessing - indecent images of Category A, possession of extreme pornography, and racially aggravated disorder when he appeared in the dock via videolink for sentencing.

Georgina Buckley, for Blyth, said there was a letter from the defendant's parents before the court as well as psychiatric and psychological reports which set out his mental health issues. The barrister said for the first time the defendant was now receiving medication, and that Blyth's parents had seen a "remarkable change" in him as a result.

Judge Geraint Walters said the rape had taken place while Blyth was under the influence of alcohol and cocaine and after he had "partied hard". He said the defendant had then been "relentless" in trying to contact his victim despite attempts by police to reign him in. The judge said police had subsequently found evidence of the "disturbing" internet searches Blyth had been making.

Judge Walters said it was clear from everything he had read about the defendant that he had had behavioural problems from an early age which his parents had tried their best to deal with, and there was a "significant amount of work" which needed to be done with him. He described Blyth as a "young man with profound and complex needs" who seemed to have little understanding of the difference between right and wrong, and he said a detailed probation report had concluded that the defendant was a dangerous offender in the meaning of the legislation who would continue to be so until he was appropriately treated.

Blyth was made the subject of a 10-year extended sentence comprising seven years in custody followed by a three year extended licence. The defendant can apply for release after serving two thirds of the custodial element of the sentence but it will be for the Parole Board to determine if he is safe to be released. Blyth will be a registered sex offender for the result of his life.

As the sentence was passed Blyth said to the judge: "I'm a bit upset about that. I was expecting three or four years."

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A man from Manchester who sexually assaulted two children has been jailed for eight years and six months following a National Crime Agency investigation.

Specialist NCA investigators operating online identified Jeffrey Owens, 44, (pictured) as a user who had been discussing his sexual interest in children on different chat platforms.

He went into great detail in conversations with other users about how he had assaulted two children on a number of occasions.

Owens was arrested in May 2020, after which NCA investigators were able to evidence that he had assaulted, and engaged in sexual activity in front of the children at least 11 times, and had threatened them into keeping it a secret.

Both children have been safeguarded.

Officers analysing Owens’ phone later recovered several more chat logs where he spoke to various people about abusing children and shared indecent images.

Over 4,000 indecent images of children (IIOC) in categories A-C were also recovered, which Owens had stored across several devices.

Some of those images included ones he had taken himself using a hidden camera.

Earlier this year, Owens pleaded guilty to 26 offences, including the sexual assault of a child under 13, seven counts of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child, causing a child to watch a sexual act, three counts of voyeurism, and four counts of indecency with a child.

He was sentenced today [20/03/2023] at Manchester Minshull Street Court to eight years and six months in prison, with a further four years on licence.

He was also handed an indefinite sexual harm prevention order and will be on the sex offenders register for life.

Mark Barrow from the National Crime Agency said:

“Owens is a persistent offender who seemingly sought out as many opportunities as he could to satisfy his sexual interest in children.

“He consistently took advantage of children, sexually assaulting them and forcing them to watch him perform sexual acts on many occasions, then blackmailed them into keeping his horrific actions a secret.

“It’s clear this investigation has placed a dangerous sexual offender behind bars. Identifying such individuals and ensuring they can no longer pose a threat to children is an absolute priority for the NCA.

“We will continue to do all we can to tackle this threat but also hope to see a shift from industry to take responsibility for identifying and preventing sexual abuse happening on their platforms.”

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John Hawker, 25, of St Athan, cruelly abused the victim after bribing her with chocolate and presents

John Hawker repeatedly raped an underaged teenage girl after grooming her for a number of years. The victim said the abuse still continued to make her feel ill and said "I don't feel like me anymore".

John Hawker, 25, cruelly abused the girl which began with him "inappropriately touching" her when she a young child. She consistently told her abuser she was "not interested" in sexual behaviour and told him to stop but he offered her bribes of chocolate and presents in order to gain her "confidence and trust".

A sentencing hearing at Cardiff Crown Court on Monday heard the girl was sleeping when she woke up in pain and discomfort. She realised Hawker was raping her and struggled in an effort to push him off but the defendant persisted. Judge Jeremy Jenkins told the court Hawker had taken the victim's virginity during the rape. He added: "This was her introduction to sex."

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A MAN who invaded a womans home at night and threatened to rape her has been jailed.

She woke in the early hours to find Eric Bristow Smith standing by her bed, said Tony Dunne, prosecuting.

He put a hand over her mouth and said: You want raping, you whore.

He appeared to be drunk or high on drugs.

He grabbed her twice sexually and tried to expose her legs, but she fought him off and fled from her home, the court heard.

In a personal statement to the court, she said she had had to move address and was now on medication for depression.

I cannot understand why he did it to me or why it happened, she wrote.

Smith, 37, of Outgang Lane Caravan Site, east York, pleaded guilty to two charges of sexual assault.

He was jailed for 27 months at York Crown Court and will have to register as a sex offender for 10 years.

Mr Dunne said Smith got into the womans York home through an unlocked door.

When she realised he was there, she told him to get out, but he sexually assaulted her.

She told police she was struggling for breath and panicking.

The incident lasted 10 minutes, said Mr Dunne. The defendant was drunk or had taken drugs.

Smith was arrested the same day and told police that he had been in the womans home, but denied sexually assaulting her.

He said he couldnt remember what had happened because he had been intoxicated.

For Smith, Caroline Abraham said he had not offended in any way since the incident some months ago.

There is a different side to the defendants personality, she said.

He had major family commitments and responsibilities including to his mother who had ill-health.

In the months leading up to the incident, his father-in-law had died of Covid and another family member was also ill with the illness, the court was told.

He resorted to drinking as a means of coping, Ms Abraham said.

Since the offences, with support from his family, he had stopped misusing alcohol.

Ms Abraham said there had been a significant delay before Smith had been prosecuted.

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A REVELLER on a night out has avoided being sent to prison, despite sexually assaulting a young woman on a night out.

David Kovac grabbed the victim to the genital area and gave her unwanted kisses in the middle of a busy street in the town centre.

The 35-year-old told police that he could not remember what he had done because he was extremely intoxicated at the time.

He later admitted a charge of sexual assault however, and he appeared to be sentenced at Warrington Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, March 16.

Stephanie Fanello, prosecuting, explained to the court how the offence was committed in October last year while the defendant was on a night out.

The defendant was on Bridge Street in the early hours of the morning when he approached a young woman who was a stranger to him.

Kovac then grabbed her to the genital area and tried kissing her. This was non-consensual, the court heard, and Kovac was repeatedly told to back off, which he failed to do.

During his police interview, during which he was shown CCTV footage of the incident, he confirmed that he did not know the woman and said that he could not remember the incident due to him being intoxicated.

He added that he was ‘raised appropriately’ and that he ‘respected women’.

The court heard an impact statement from the victim in which she said she has not been able to relax as a result of the incident.

She struggles to sleep and has not been eating properly, while she is also constantly anxious and nervous and is scared about going out again.

Defending his client, David Robb said that Kovac ‘clearly expresses remorse and regret’, adding that his behaviour was ‘out of character’.

He said that the defendant was extremely drunk and is ‘completely appalled about what took place’.

The court heard how Kovac is a single man with no children living in the UK, is working and sends a lot of his income back to his parents in Slovakia.

Before sentencing, deputy district judge Anita Price said: “This was an appalling incident.

“This offence clearly does cross the custody threshold, and you committed this offence while in drink, which makes it more serious.

“You also committed it in a location and time which adds to the seriousness of it.

“You have heard the impact it has had on this young lady, and no doubt continues to have on her.

“Were it not for your guilty plea and no previous convictions, you would have been going to custody today.”

Kovac, of Fitzherbert Street in Orford, was sentenced to 26 weeks in prison suspended for two years.

He was also ordered to complete 30 rehabilitation activity requirement days, including a sex offender treatment programme, and an alcohol abstinence monitoring requirement for 60 days.

In addition, he must abide by sex offender registration and notification requirements for seven years.

The judge opted not to order compensation for the victim as to not ‘reminder her’ of what Kovac did, however he was told he must pay court costs of £120 and a victim surcharge of £154.

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Daniel Molan, 51, exposed himself to teenage girls and masturbated in view of them but was given a suspended sentence and allowed to walk free from court (pictured outside Bolton Crown Court)

At Bolton Crown Court, he faced up to three years in jail under sentencing guidelines after he admitted three offences of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child and two of outraging public decency, but was given 22 months jail suspended for a year.

His lawyer Paul Treble told the hearing: 'He has been open and honest with probation and psychological report. He has told me he deeply regrets what he did and is ashamed of it. As a result, probation have said that he is someone they were willing to work with.

'He is in full time employment and was described by his employer as having a good work ethic. Whilst I'm not negating the seriousness of the offence, the harm is relatively modest.'

The court heard Molan targeted his first victim aged 14 at 8am on a day in February 2022 as she was walking to her bus stop in Leigh.

Amanda Johnson, prosecuting, said: 'Whilst waiting for her bus, she noticed the defendant nearby. He was standing and looking at her rather than looking up the road for the bus. At the time although she noted the strangeness of his conduct, she thought little more about it.

'The defendant then exposed his penis to her. He stood staring at her with his penis exposed, trying to get her attention. Fortunately the bus arrived, and she quickly boarded. She did not report the matter at the time as she thought it was a one-off incident but she fell victim to the defendant a second time a week later.

'Again, she was at the same bus stop at around the same time. Again the defendant was there, wearing the same clothing. He again exposed his penis to her however on this occasion he began to masturbate in full view of her. The bus arrived and she got on. This time, on her arrival at school she informed a teacher of both incidents.

'In April, 2022, after the Easter holidays she was again at the bus stop... This time the defendant did not expose himself, but he was wearing the same clothing. She was afraid and decided to walk past him, filming him on her phone as she did so.

'The video was then provided to the police. She described how he had made her feel really uncomfortable and she was worried about where else the defendant may have behaved like this. She worried about younger children having seen him engaging in this conduct.'

Describing a later incident, Ms Johnson added: 'Two girls aged 14 were on the bus, going to school, having boarded at Leigh Bus Station. They were sitting on the back few rows.

'The defendant also boarded and made his way to the rear. He left two empty seats between himself and the girls. The girls were with their friend whose attention was first drawn to the defendant. He nudged her with his leg and she got up and moved away from him.

'One of the girls could feel that the defendant was staring at her. She turned to look at him and thought that he looked weird. It looked as though he was feeling pleasure. She turned back around and put her headphones in.

'One of the others also felt like she was being watched. She looked at the defendant who had a bag on his knee and he was staring at her legs. She then saw that he was masturbating and saw his exposed penis.

'She then called her mother to tell her what was happening. Her mother advised that she report it and one of the girls then went to tell the bus driver who stopped the bus and went to challenge the defendant. He removed him from the vehicle and then contacted the police.

'One of the girls described being "a bit freaked out" by what had happened, but said she was OK. One of the others was rather more affected and described feeling she judges all the men she meets. She worries on the bus when a man gets on behind her, that he will sit next to her.

'Police conducted enquiries and discovered a similar incident in March 2022 involving three schoolchildren at Leigh Bus Station with a similar description of the offender had been given and a PC viewed CCTV footage. The defendant was arrested and interviewed on 13 June 2022. He made no comment.'

The court heard Romanian-born Molan was of previous good character.

Sentencing the judge Mr Recorder Andrew McLoughlin told him: 'You have targeted school girls, one in particular was a victim on two separate occasions at the same bus stop near her school. Although she admits that she has the mental strength to not be too affected by the incident, others, unfortunately, have been impacted more.

'The reasons for why you undertook these offences are still unclear, especially considering your age and lack of previous convictions. It's clear that you need significant assistance with your criminal behaviour. I believe that you will benefit from this intervention from probation and am therefore convinced that I can suspend your sentence.'

Molan was also ordered to complete 40 rehabilitation activity requirement days and 120 hours of unpaid work. He will have to abide by the terms of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for 10 years and sign the Sex Offender Register.

It comes as three women, who were flashed at by killer policeman Wayne Couzens days before he murdered Sarah Everard, warned that indecent exposure offences are not being treated seriously enough.

Earlier this month Metropolitan Police Chief Sir Mark Rowley called for a change to the law on flashing.

He argues that a football fan who streaks on a pitch should not be treated the same way as a sexual predator.

On average, women and girls are being subjected to more than 40 indecent exposure and voyeurism attacks every day.

However, data from the Ministry of Justice showed the number of people convicted of indecent exposure has collapsed in recent years, almost halving from 810 in 2016 to 435 in 2020.

Solicitor Harriet Wistrich, director of the Centre for Women's Justice, said police were not taking the offence seriously enough: 'This sort of offending can be an indicator of more serious, prolific and sometimes escalating sexual offending.'

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A man who discussed meeting what he thought was a nine-year-old girl for sexual activity was told he was 'very lucky' to be spared from prison.

Struan Taylor, formerly of Victoria Street in Kettering, believed he was speaking to the youngster's mum when he embarked on his sickening chat and thought she would let him abuse her child.

But he had no idea he was communicating with an undercover police officer when he suggested possible locations and sent 'disgusting' pictures.

On Friday at Leicester Crown Court the 24-year-old was handed a suspended sentence and placed on the sex offender register.

Taylor, now of Sutherland Way in Livingston, Scotland, was arrested on January 25, 2022, after sending sexual images of himself and explaining in detail what he wanted to do to the 'child' when they met.

He denied attempting to arrange or facilitate an act which would commission a child sex offence but was found guilty by a jury.

Taylor, who wore a blue suit in the dock, spent about two months in prison on remand before being released on bail ahead of his trial.

The court heard he had claimed he didn't get any sexual gratification - and that his pleasure was that the person he was talking to was able to live out their fantasies.

Sentencing, His Honour Judge Ebraham Mooncey said: "The jury said that what you were talking was palpable nonsense.

"What you were doing was living out sexual fantasies and your aim was to meet with a child."

Prosecutor Claire Fraser said there was a significant disparity in age and told the court that sentencing guidelines for the offence said it had a starting point of five years in prison with a range of between four and 10 years.

Defending, Stephen Garbett said no firm meeting was ever arranged and that the chat was always with the 'mother' and not the 'child'.

He said Taylor, who had no previous convictions, was 'horrified' by the messages he had sent.

He said: "He does accept that his behaviour was absolutely inappropriate and the language used was disgusting."

Mr Garbett added that Taylor was a 'very, very changed person' and urged Judge Mooncey to suspend any sentence he passed, acknowledging that it was a 'big ask'.

Mr Garbett said: "He is a person who made a pretty awful mistake."

His Honour Judge Mooncey told Taylor his behaviour was 'worrying' and reduced the sentence from four years in prison to three years because there was no real child.

He then further reduced it to two years because of his mitigation meaning it could be suspended. And he said that, because he had already had a taste of custody and because of the prospect of rehabilitation, that he was willing to suspend the two-year prison term for two years - telling Taylor he was very lucky to have avoided jail by the skin of his teeth.

He told him: "I hope the probation service can work with you and the court will never see you again."

Taylor was ordered to take part in rehabilitation activities and carry out 100 hours of unpaid work.

He will be subject to a sexual harm prevention order and will be on the sex offender register for 10 years.

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A scheming paedophile who sexually abused a girl with learning difficulties was caught when he mistakenly sent social media messages to her mum admitting his crimes.

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A RYEDALE sex offender who had a vast hoard of more than 330,000 sexual images of children - and distributed some of them online - has been jailed.

Stephen George Garside’s collection of videos and pictures included some featuring children as young as two, said Brooke Morrison, prosecuting.

He had printed off some of the images off and made a photo album of them.

Garside had been downloading sexual images of children for 12 years by the time police put a stop to his crimes.

Officers arrested him at his place of work and searched his work locker and his home near Malton.

After pleading guilty to a series of online sex charges, Garside claimed to a probation officer that he was interested in adult pornography and never looked for sexual images of children online, York Crown Court heard.

But deputy circuit judge Deborah Sherwin dismissed that claim.

“It is clear to me you have held an interest in child pornography for many years,” she said. “This was sexually motivated by the need to satisfy your needs, you not having experienced a sexual relationship in your adult life.”

She jailed Garside for 18 months. She also put him on the sex offenders’ register for 10 years and made him subject to a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) indefinitely.

The order will restrict his use of the internet and enable police to monitor what he does online.

Garside, 58, of Saxon Drive, Rillington, near Malton, pleaded guilty to six charges of making indecent images of children by downloading them, one of distributing a small number of images from the least serious category, one of having extreme pornography and one of having prohibited images of children.

He represented himself and when asked by the judge if he wanted to give any mitigation, declined.

Ms Morrison said police went to Garside’s home and place of work on July 7, 2020. They found him at work and searched him. They also searched his work locker and his home and seized a number of internet devices and related items.

Forensic checks revealed that between them, the seized devices and items contained 333,337 videos and pictures, all but 115 of them were of children. There were 373 videos of which all but one were of children. There were 94 sexual videos of children of the most serious category, 51 of the middle category and 219 of the least serious category. There were seven prohibited videos of children and one sexually extreme video.

There were 321 sexual pictures of children of the most serious category, 606 of the middle category and 332,237 of the least serious category, 114 sexually extreme pictures and 59 prohibited pictures of children.

The earliest material was dated 2008 and dates on other material showed he had continued to download material up until his arrest 12 years later.

On two occasions, he had used “torrent” software to distribute a very small number of the images of the least category online.