Latest Offenders

Description

A former Trowbridge school teacher has been sentenced to four years imprisonment for non-recent child sex offences.

Robert Kalton, 88, of Ashby Road, Burton upon Trent, was sentenced at Salisbury Crown Court today (15/02).

The former teacher and church choirmaster of St Augustine's Roman Catholic School pleaded guilty to four counts of gross indecency with a boy under the age of 14 and two counts of gross indecency with a man over the age of 16 at a previous hearing at Salisbury Crown Court on November 24.

At the hearing today Kalton was sentenced to four years for one count of indecent assault on a boy under 14. On three further counts of indecent assault on a boy under 14 he received sentences of 20 weeks, two years, and two years respectively. On two counts of indecent assault on a man aged 16 or over he received one year and one year respectively. The six sentences will run concurrently.

He is also on the sex offenders register for life.

The court heard that at the time the investigation commenced Kalton was already serving a four year prison sentence for similar offending. In total Kalton has been convicted of 32 sexual offences against at least six young boys. His offending spanned a period of two decades and he operated in various locations across the UK.

The victim in this case came to police in December 2019 and reported that Kalton, who was a Maths teacher at a Catholic secondary school in Trowbridge, had abused him multiple times over a 5 year period when he was aged between 11 and 16 years old, with these offences dating back to the 1970s.

In a statement released by his victim to the court, the former pupil said: "Robert Kalton was a teacher. He was also a religious man. As such he had power and respect. He occupied a position of trust, and he abused that trust in the worst way possible. School is a place where you spend a large proportion of your childhood. It is a place where you should feel safe. Instead, I was made to dread and fear going to school."

Detective Sergeant Rachel Winter of Wiltshire Police said: Robert Kalton is a sexual predator who used his position of authority as a teacher and member of the Catholic church to systematically abuse young boys. He stole his victims childhoods and changed their lives forever. They have lived with what happened to them for many years, and undoubtedly the crimes committed have affected them ever since.

"The victim in this case has shown immense courage throughout the investigation and legal proceedings. It is their perseverance which has resulted in the conviction.

"This case also highlights that no matter the length of time that has passed, the public should feel reassured that we will thoroughly investigate non-recent offences and support and work with victims throughout.

Description

A dangerous man from Taunton has been jailed for nine years after pleading guilty to 19 separate charges including having sexual activity with a child.

Ayden Reader, 22, from Taunton, is now starting a stretch behind bars after his 'sickening' behaviour which left his victim feeling guilty and ashamed.

As well as pleading guilty to having sexual activity with a child, Reader also pleaded guilty to taking, making, possessing, and distributing thousands of indecent images. Taunton Crown Court heard how he had connected with a teen girl on social media in 2021 and began to message her.

It was reported to police and officers seized Readers electronic devices where they discovered 882 category A images (the most serious), 950 category B images and 2,543 category C images.

The victim made a statement where they said: "What Ayden has done to me and the way he has treated me has made me less believing of people. When I am anxious, I feel sick, I struggle to sleep and cant cope in public places without feeling overwhelmed. It made me re-live what happened and made me feel guilty and shame.

I am worried that if he would be released from prison, that he might message me again and, if this happens, it will be like a circle for me and never-ending.

While under investigation, officers secured an Interim Sexual Harm Prevention Order for Reader which led him to reside in Kent while enquiries continued. A Kent Paedophile Online Team investigation was launched after receiving intelligence that he was accessing and sharing child abuse images while living in the county.

While being investigated by the Avon and Somerset and Kent Police forces, Reader began messaging young girls on social media, breaching the terms of his Sexual Harm Prevention Order. He also accessed devices he had not declared or made available to police.

Officers from Kent Police seized various devices, where they found 830 category A images, 973 category B images and 610 category C images. Kent Police worked alongside Avon and Somerset Police to bring charges against the 22-year-old.

Reader was charged by Avon and Somerset Police with:

• One count of sexual activity with a child
• One count of causing a child to engage in sexual activity
• One count of taking indecent images
• Six counts of making indecent images

He was charged by Kent Police with:

• Three counts of making indecent images of children
• One count of being in possession of prohibited image of children
• One count of distributing indecent images of children
• One count of possessing extreme pornography
• Four counts of breaching his Interim Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO)

During the hearing on Friday, February 2, the judge also granted an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order for Reader and an indefinite restraining order banning him from contacting the victim for life.

The officer in the Avon and Somerset case, DC Melanie Downton, said: I would like to first commend the incredibly bravery shown by the victim in this case. She has shown incredible resilience and courage in come forward and supporting our investigation. I am pleased we could get this positive result for her and her family.

We have worked in partnership with Kent Police to bring this dangerous offender to justice. I hope this sentence will give other sexual offence victims the courage to come forward and report what has happened to them.

We have a dedicated child protection team who have a wealth of experience and knowledge in investigating offences of this nature. The team will do their upmost to listen and help victims and provide them with the support they need.

DC Downton also urged children and their parents to have open and honest conversations about social media.

She said: While social media can be a great tool for connecting with school friends and sharing content, it is also a dangerous tool when used by someone with malicious intent. We urge parents to speak with their children about social media and how to stay safe.

Description

A paedophile teacher has been jailed after raping 12-year-old schoolgirl in a hotel and spending 500 on her in a toy shop.

Simon Murch, from Sheffield, met his victim online after she told him she was aged 18, when in fact she was aged 12, a court heard.

The 55-year-old asked her to send explicit photos and they arranged to meet at The Tollgate Hotel in Blurton, Stoke-on-Trent.

Prosecutors say he would have known instantly that the girl was underage when he picked her up in his car a short distance from her home.

Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court heard she stayed in the car while he booked the room before they went inside and engaged in sexual activity. He then indulged her with 500 worth of toys at Smyths.

Murch was arrested after the girl reported his actions to another schoolteacher. He has been jailed for seven-and-a-half years with an extended licence period of one year.

Prosecutor Tim Harrington told the court the defendant contacted his victim on WhatsApp last year after their communication began on a website.

He said: 'He asked if she wanted him to be her sugar daddy. She told him she was 18 and doing her A-levels. He asked her to send pictures of her private area. She sent videos of herself performing a sex act.

'They arranged to meet in Stoke-on-Trent. He booked a room at The Tollgate Hotel. At that stage he may not have known her true age.'

Mr Harrington continued: 'He asked if she was on the pill. He picked her up in his car a short distance from her house.

'As soon as they met he would have known she was underage. He went in to book the room on his own. She stayed in the car. He did not want to cause alarm to anybody. It would have been plain to anybody she would have been underage. There is an element of significant planning.

'They went into the hotel. He took off her clothes. They had full intercourse. After they had full sex he took her to Smyths toy shop where he spent 500 on her.'

The court heard the victim told a teacher that she had a sugar daddy. Her parents and the police were then informed.

Murch, of Parkside Road, Hillsborough, Sheffield, pleaded guilty to rape of a child under 13.

Alisdair Williamson KC, mitigating, said Murch's mum had died shortly before his offending and his sister had taken her own life. Mr Williamson said: 'He was in a state of emotional turmoil.'

He said the victim represented herself to be aged 18 at all times. Mr Williamson added: 'She continued to represent herself as 18 after the hotel and he believed her to be 18.

'When he went to the toy shop after with the victim he was told that was to buy presents for the victim's younger sister.

'It is devastating for the victim. It has ruined his life as well. He has learned a salutary lesson and will respond properly to the courses that may be available to him in custody.

'His life is in ashes. He must rebuild himself. He apologises to the victim and her family, through me.'

Judge Graeme Smith said: 'Because of problems in your relationship with your partner you began communicating with adult females over the internet, exchanging photos and images and meeting some for sex. One was this victim.

'You asked if she wanted you to be her sugar daddy. You sent her money and you exchanged pornographic images with her.

'It would have been plain when you met her that she was significantly younger than 18. You simply carried on. As a teacher you should have been alert to the risks. When you met her it was plain she was not an adult.'

Murch must serve two-thirds of the custodial sentence before he can be considered for release by the parole board. He was placed on the sex offenders' register for life and was made the subject of an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).

Speaking after the case, Detective Constable Jordan Kirkland, from Staffordshire Police's Child Protection and Exploitation Team (CPET), said: 'I'd like to commend the survivor in this case and her family for their immense bravery in coming forward and telling us what Murch did.

'We are committed to working with our partners to robustly target those engaged in child sexual abuse and supporting survivors as much as possible.

'I want this case to serve as a reminder to anyone who may be a victim of sexual abuse, no matter how recent, that getting in touch with us is the first step to securing justice. Specialist officers can speak to you in confidence and stop those responsible.'

Description

Matthew Clarke gained the 14-year-old's trust before regularly meeting up with her at hotels around Devon, a court heard.

He emotionally manipulated his victim by saying he was depressed and used encrypted chat to keep their relationship a secret. After his arrest police found images on his phone of the pair having sex.

Clarke, 28, of Bank Lane in Brixham, has been jailed for four years for multiple offences of sexual activity with a child.

The judge told Clarke: "You embarked on a sexual relationship, a relationship you knew was not only unlawful but you must have appreciated had a potentially devastating impact on the victim. These offences were in part as a result of a degree of grooming."

Exeter Crown Court was told the pair met at a party where people who liked animals dressed in furry costumes. The teenager's parents attended with her and there was no sexual element to it.

Clarke was in a relationship with someone else but told the girl he was unhappy and only she could help him. The relationship turned sexual and Clarke would book them a room at the Premier Inn and other hotels.

He became more demanding about sex and also said he wanted to take pictures and video. He would emotionally manipulate the girl by becoming upset in order to get her to do what he wanted.

Clarke also told his victim she would get into trouble if the truth came out. The victim eventually confided in a friend and Clarke's manipulative and controlling behaviour came to light.

The victim said in a statement Clarke's behaviour had a devastating impact and feared nothing would make it right.

Clarke pleaded guilty to four charges of sexual activity with a child; one offence of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and three of making indecent images.

Detective Constable Natasha Elliott-Smith said afterwards: Through support of specialist trained officers, the complainant was able to provide a compelling victim testimony and this no doubt influenced the defendant's guilty plea.

I would like to thank the victim for their bravery in coming forward. I would also like to thank their family and friends who have provided ongoing support to them and assisted greatly with the police investigation. We hope this sentencing can begin to offer some closure for you.

This case once again shows the Polices commitment to supporting victims of sexual abuse, to thoroughly investigate offending of this deplorable nature, to protect the vulnerable in our society and bring offenders to justice.

Mr Paul Dentith, defending, said probation had requested he be given a community order and complete a sex offender programme. Clarke has no previous convictions, is ashamed of his behaviour and has mental health conditions.

He was made subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order until further notice and must sign the sex offender register for life.

Description

A 20 year-old man has been jailed for seven and a half years for rape and possession of an offensive weapon in Portsmouth.

Wade Terry King of no fixed address in the city was found guilty of raping a 16-year-old girl at an address on Foster Road on Saturday 12 March 2022.

After failing to appear for his trail in November 2023, King, who was 18 at the time of the offence, was sentenced at Portsmouth Crown Court on Thursday 15 February to 7 years imprisonment and was also ordered to sign the sex offenders register for life.

King was also sentenced to a further 6 months imprisonment for the possession of an offensive weapon in June 2023.

Description

A man who sexually assaulted a young girl in Wisbech has been jailed.

Arturas Opulskis, 41, assaulted the girl in the town between 2016 and 2018.

The sexual assault came to light in 2021 after the girl told a friend and then confided in a trusted adult.

Police were contacted and Opulskis was arrested.

He denied any sexual assault.

In September, Opulskis, of no fixed abode, was unanimously found guilty of assaulting a girl under 13 by penetration following a trial at Peterborough Crown Court.

On Friday (9 February) at the same court he was jailed for eight years.

Description

THE editor of the Worcester Observer newspaper faces a potential jail sentence for making indecent photographs of children. 

Rob George of Rowan Close, Bromsgrove, admitted three charges of making indecent photograph/pseudo photography of a child when he appeared in Courtroom 2 of Worcester Magistrates Court. 

The 42-year-old pleaded guilty to making one category A image - the worst level identified within the sentencing guidelines. 

He also admitted making two category B images and 36 category C images during the court hearing on Thursday, (February 15). 

Magistrates heard the images were made between March 7, 2014, and October 14, 2021, in Bromsgrove. 

Lauren Millichip, prosecuting, said: "The offence is aggravated by the age and vulnerability of the children, between one and eight-years-old."

The prosecutor added there were also moving images found in a video file.

James McAulay, defending, asked for a pre-sentence report to be completed before George is sentenced. 

Roger Phillips, chairman of the magistrates bench, said the bench declined jurisdiction in the case, given the seriousness of it. 

George, who was given unconditional bail, was told to attend his sentence which was scheduled to take place on Friday, March 15 at Worcester Crown Court.

The chairman told George magistrates were granting the report which he said would consider "all options" including custody.

George was also told he would immediately have to register on the sex offenders register, telling him to do this at Worcester Police Station. 

George is listed as being the editor of Worcester Observer, Malvern Observer and Evesham Observer on their websites.

He has also worked as a reporter at the Bromsgrove Standard.

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Conviction in the Murder of Emma Caldwell

A 51-year-old man, Iain Packer, has been found guilty of murdering 27-year-old Emma Caldwell in 2005 and hiding her body. He was convicted at the High Court in Glasgow on Wednesday, February 28, 2024.

Emma was last seen on CCTV around 11 p.m. on Monday, April 4, 2005, walking alone on Butterbiggins Road towards Victoria Road on the south side of Glasgow. She was reported missing by her family on Monday, April 11, 2005. Her body was discovered in Limefield Woods, near Biggar, on Sunday, May 8, 2005.

In addition to the murder conviction, Packer was found guilty of numerous charges involving violent and sexual crimes against several women over many years.

He was sentenced to life in prison and ordered to serve a minimum of 36 years behind bars.

Statement from Assistant Chief Constable Bex Smith

“Emma Caldwell, her family and many other victims, were let down by policing in 2005. For that we are sorry.  

“A significant number of women and girls who showed remarkable courage to speak up at that time also did not get the justice and support they needed and deserved from Strathclyde Police.  

“Police Scotland launched a re-investigation of the case in 2015 after instruction from the Lord Advocate.  

“It is clear that further investigations should have been carried out into Emma’s murder following the initial enquiry in 2005.  

“The lack of investigation until 2015 caused unnecessary distress to her family and all those women who had come forward to report sexual violence.  

“It is the courage, resilience and determination shown by Emma’s family, in particular her parents William and Margaret, and all those who survived Iain Packer’s horrific catalogue of offending that got us to where we are today.  

“William is, sadly, no longer here to see this day, but I hope this verdict gives Margaret and all those affected by this case, the justice they deserve.  

“This was an extremely challenging re-investigation and without doubt the largest police enquiry of recent times in Scotland.  

“Over seven years, a full review of the original enquiry by Strathclyde Police in 2005 was completed.  

“More than 30,000 documents and statements were gathered and reviewed along with in excess of 23,000 productions. New forensic tests were carried out and new witnesses were identified and interviewed, leading to the convictions today.

“As part of the re-investigation a report was also sent to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service in relation to the Strathclyde Police investigation.

“Iain Packer was a calculating sexual predator who targeted women over many years. It is hard to comprehend how anyone could carry out such despicable, ruthless acts.  

“He took Emma’s life for his own gratification in the most appalling circumstances and cruelly left her body in remote woods hoping to cover his tracks.  

“But time is no barrier to justice and I would urge anyone who has been the victim of sexual violence to please come forward and speak to us.  

“You will be listened to and you will be supported – no matter when the offences took place.  

“We have reflected and learnt from the initial investigation and subsequent re –investigation.  Significant changes have been made in recent years to improve our organisational culture and our response, particularly in respect of investigative structures, victim care and processes to these types of crimes.  

“Our Violence against Women and Girls Strategy demonstrates our absolute commitment to tackling the violence and abuse that disproportionately affects women and girls.

“What shone through to the enquiry team throughout the investigations into Emma’s life was her gentle personality, and I want to finish by saying that our thoughts remain with Emma, her family and all those affected by this terrible case.”

Description

Three men who raped a woman who thought she had got into a registered taxi will be sentenced in April.

The woman got into a car after a night out with friends in Hull city centre on 30 July.

Bakhtullah Safi and Habibullah Ahmadzai, both 18 and of Wellsted Street, Hull were found guilty of rape at Hull Crown Court.

Kehan Safi, 26, of Wellington Lane, Hull, pleaded guilty to rape at an earlier hearing.

CCTV footage showed the woman walking along Ferensway when she entered the car and travelled off in the direction of Hull Royal Infirmary.

During the course of the journey, Ahmadzai, Bakhtullah Safi and Kehan Safi, carried out their attack before requesting a 20 taxi fare.

The woman refused to pay and fled to safety.

Sexual predators

Det Con Ashley Webster from Humberside Police said the defendants had shown "no remorse" for their actions.

They are what I can only describe as sexual predators who subjected a lone woman who had just been on a night out with friends, to a horrific and utterly traumatising ordeal.

"This was a truly disturbing case and Im pleased these men are now behind bars and are being punished for this horrific attack."

The gang will be sentenced at Hull Crown Court on 2 April.

Description

A mechanic from Cheshire who created and moderated sites dedicated to child sexual abuse on the dark web has been jailed for 16 years.

Nathan Bake, 28, is one of three UK-based moderators of a site called ‘The Annex’ who were identified by the National Crime Agency, as part of an investigation targeting those behind the site.

The Annex, which is no longer active, had around 90,000 global members who used it to share and discuss some of the most extreme kinds of abuse material, involving ‘hurtcore’ and the sexual abuse of babies and toddlers.

As the head moderator, Bake was second in command of the entire site, which was run by an American man, who was sentenced to life in prison in the US in January.

Bake was responsible for managing around 30 staff members, and worked with them to enforce the site’s rules and ensure it continued to run smoothly.

Two such staff members were Kabir Garg, a psychiatrist from London, and a 48-year-old man from Eastbourne, who will be sentenced at Lewes Crown Court next week. The pair were also moderators and sat just below Bake in the site’s hierarchy. Garg was jailed for six years last year.

New users of The Annex would first be held in the ‘gateway’ where they would have to impress and gain the trust of the site’s administrators by posting a certain amount of abuse material, before being granted access to the wider site.

Bake and the other moderators would advise members on techniques to evade law enforcement detection, and encourage them to keep the site busy by sharing links to child abuse content.

In one post recovered by the NCA, Bake said: ‘Come on people, Show us what you’ve got for HAPPY HOUR. Show us the boys and girls that turn you on the most’.

NCA officers arrested Bake at his home in Runcorn in November 2022 and seized a number of devices, including laptops, phones, USBs and external hard drives. One laptop was running, with the TOR dark web browser in use and indecent images of children on the screen.

Officers gathered evidence from his devices which proved Bake was co-creator of a second child abuse site, and was also the head moderator of a directory-style page, which contained links to further abuse forums on the dark web.

Hundreds of thousands of indecent images and videos of children were also recovered from his storage devices, as was 576 page paedophile manual.

Bake pleaded guilty to 12 counts in November 2023, including facilitating the sexual exploitation of children, participating in an organised crime group, possession of a paedophile manual, and distributing and making indecent images of children.

He was sentenced today at Chester Crown Court to 16 years imprisonment, placed on the Sex Offenders Register for life and given a lifetime Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Description

A man from Liscard has been sentenced to 18 years in prison with three years on extended licence after being found guilty of 30 counts of historical sexual abuse against two children in Wallasey.

Brian Cawood, 61, of Silverlea Avenue, Liscard, was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court today, Wednesday 14 February, after a jury found him guilty of the various offences, which date back to the 1980s and 1990s.

Cawood has also been handed a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and will be required to sign the Sex Offender Register for life.

Detective Constable Becky Robinson said: “I hope this sentencing shows that time is no barrier in reporting offences to Merseyside Police and we will take every report extremely seriously, regardless of when it occurred.

“This result was only possible thanks to the sheer determination and bravery of his victims, despite Cawood denying the offences.

“Thankfully a jury saw through his lies and he will now spend a considerable amount of time in prison.”

Description

A head chef at an Indian takeaway has been jailed for sexual offences involving two teenage girls. One of the victims in the case was aged 13 at the time.

Rajon Ahmed, 40, from St Ives, was sentenced at Exeter Crown Court after previously being convicted at Truro Crown Court.

The sentencing was heard in Exeter as that is where trial judge, Judge David Evans, regularly sits.

Ahmed was convicted by a jury of sexual assault, sexual communication with a child, and two counts of sexual activity with a child.

He was found not guilty of a second sexual assault charge. Ahmed was sentenced to 16 months in prison.

He will be subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for 7 years and be on the Sex Offenders Register for 10 years.

During the trial it was heard how Ahmed was well aware the victims in the case were aged 13 and 16 respectively.

Despite this he followed the first, younger victim on social media and offered her cigarettes and cannabis. He then sent the victim explicit images of himself. Ahmed and the victim met twice and on the second occasion he kissed her and touched her inappropriately.

The second, older victim, was also communicated with on social media by Ahmed and offered cigarettes. On one occasion he hugged her and touched her inappropriately as she moved away.

Following the sentencing, Detective Inspector Andrew Shorten said: “I welcome today’s result and I am grateful to the victims in this case for supporting this investigation over a protracted period of time. I would also like to thank West Cornwall Public Protection Unit for the comprehensive investigation which has brought this offender to justice and prevented further harm. I hope this case reassures the community how seriously the police take reports of Child Sexual Offences and gives people the courage to come forward in future.”

Police Staff Investigator Steve Panter added: “There is a real fear that the pattern of his offending would have escalated had it not been for the courage of the victims and witnesses to come forward and challenge his behaviour when they did.  I would like to thank the victims who should be commended for their courage and resilience during the investigation and the court process.”

Description

A man has been sentenced to prison for sexual offences involving children following an investigation by the South East Regional Organised Crime Unit (SEROCU).

Iain Miller of the Green, Whitchurch, was sentenced to a total of three years in prison at Winchester Crown Court on Wednesday 14 February.

The 58-year-old pleaded guilty at a hearing at the same court in January to the following offences:

• Attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child
• Two counts of attempting to cause/incite a child in sexual activity
• Attempting to meet a child following grooming

The court heard that between 15 and 23 November 2023, Miller engaged in chats online with what he believed to be a 13-year-old girl. The chats were sexually explicit in nature.

He then arranged to meet the girl in Andover, at which point he was met by police officers and arrested. Miller was charged with the offences on 24 November.

Detective Inspector Kay Hutchings, of SEROCU, said: This investigation shows exactly what happens when people try to groom children online, and it should serve as a warning.

If you engage in this sort of behaviour, there is a very strong chance that the person you are talking to is in fact a police officer, which will mean you are quickly arrested.

This will have a devastating impact on your family, career, friendships and reputation. You will face court hearings and are likely to serve time in prison.

I hope that Iain Millers case shows that this sort of offending will not be tolerated, and that our officers will take action to stop those who look to exploit children online.

Description

A paedophile who was jailed for grooming an "extremely vulnerable" child before having sex with her reoffended "almost immediately" after he was released from prison. Jason Thomas, 42, was jailed in 2021 after pleading guilty to two counts of sexual activity with a child and engaging in sexual communication with a child.

He was given a five-year prison sentence, of which he served half, and when he was released in 2023 he had to abide by a sexual harm prevention order which banned him from downloading certain apps, using certain websites and trying to conceal his identity online, among other things.

But Thomas, of Pendeen, breached the order 12 times and found himself back before Judge Simon Carr at Truro Crown Court for sentence having pleaded guilty before magistrates.

Prosecuting, Katie Churcher said: "The background to that order being that it was imposed for a period of ten years following his conviction in 2021 with two counts of sexual interaction with a child. Following his release from custody, after he served what had been half of what was a five-year sentence, he was visited in Bridgewater by DC Allen and given another copy of the prevention order and handed over his phone.

"At that time they saw that the application Snapchat was on there. He was told the main feature of Snapchat is auto-deletion so was told he couldn't have that on the phone and it was deleted and he was reminded he needed permission to set up social media accounts.

"He was visited again unannounced on Jan 15 and handed over his phone again. He volunteered he had been using Whatsapp and said he'd been using Snapchat but had deleted it.

"My Google Activity was looked at to check internet history, there were searches for pornography and pornographic videos, it looked as though he had been deleting his internet history, and he had been using social media accounts that had been deleted including Tinder, Snapchat, WhatsApp, Telegram, various other live streaming apps, and private browsing applications.

"There was also an uninstalled VPN which conceals online IP addresses. It had been installed and deinstalled. Lastly they found his email account had been accessed, used and deleted. He was arrested for those breaches and interviewed on Jan 15. In essence, he made admission and when he was spoken to he said he had been doing things he shouldn't do."

Robin Smith, for Thomas' defence, said: "This man is very realistic about his position and his fate, perhaps the best mitigating factor is that he was extremely frank and candid with the police from the moment of arrest. Having spoken to him face to face he remains realistic and he appreciates he has some big problems to deal with.

"He is now in a state where he can accept the help given to him."

Sentencing, Judge Carr acknowledged Thomas' early plea and gave him full credit and added that the defendant's remorse seemed genuine. He said: "The circumstances of your offending is extremely troubling. Inevitably a sexual harm prevention order was made for a substantial period of time.

"After serving your sentence you were released on licence. It was clear you started offending almost immediately after you were released. What was found on the phone... is that you had set up a number of accounts and done everything possible to hide your identity. You put on devices to clear your history. You accessed sites that you would immediately delete like Snapchat.

"This is a serious breach of a sexual harm prevention order and you must have known so at the time. You have expressed remorse but you still present a high risk to children and I suspect you will do for a very long time."

Judge Carr sentenced Thomas to two 2.5-year sentences, which will run concurrently, giving him a total sentence of 2.5 years imprisonment. He will be eligible for parole after serving half the term.

Previously, we reported how Thomas groomed a vulnerable child before having sex with her. He later told the girl that hed be going to prison but the feeling of the encounter was the best feeling hed ever had.

Description

A 55-year-old man from Ipswich has been jailed for the illegal filming or photographing of children and adults.

Ian Butcher, of Woodbridge Road East, appeared at Ipswich Crown Court yesterday, Monday 12 February, where he was sentenced to 20 months imprisonment.

He was also made subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for 10 years, which places restrictions on his use of any computer or device capable of accessing the internet and the storing of digital images. He must notify police of any purchase of such devices and allow officers access to inspect any devices or storage immediately on request.

Butcher had pleaded guilty at a previous court hearing on Friday 6 October to the following four offences:

• one count of taking an indecent photograph of a child (namely taking six videos)
• one count of making an indecent photograph of a child (namely the possession of 16 indecent images)
• two counts of voyeurism (in both cases recording the private act of an adult)

The offences relate to eight separate victims, aged between 12-years-old and 32-years-old. Six are children and two are adults.

The incidents - which occurred over a period of 19 months - involved cases of children being filmed while getting undressed in a changing room; the possession of indecent images of children; and adults being filmed whilst showering.

The first incident was reported to Suffolk Police at the beginning of December 2022 by a teenage girl, who said she had been filmed by Butcher over the top of a cubicle in the changing rooms at a swimming pool a number of years earlier.

Detectives immediately began an investigation and Butcher was first arrested just over one month after this first disclosure, on 13 January 2023. Following his arrest, Butchers phone was seized and officers from the Internet Child Abuse Investigation Team were then able to analyse its contents.

A folder was found in the image gallery of his phone, which contained 11 videos, all of which were voyeuristic in nature and all but two appeared to have been filmed in changing cubicles at swimming pools. The remaining two appeared to have been filmed in a domestic setting.

There were also 20 screenshots, where the videos had been played and then a photo captured when nudity was visible. 16 of these were of children and four of an adult.

Eight victims were subsequently identified, but six remain unidentified. Of these at least three appeared to be children, with the others of an indeterminate age.

The court heard that Butcher had been a Scout leader at the time the offences had been committed, and he had been involved with the Scout Association for almost 40 years, reaching the level of Assistant District Commissioner. Some of the victims in these cases were children who were participating in scouting activities.

Detective Constable Santiago Nield, from the Internet Child Abuse Investigation Team, said: Ian Butcher was a person in a position of trust and in the majority of the cases we identified, his offences involved a clear abuse of that trust.

The crimes we discovered took place over a period of almost two years, so his offending was persistent for a significant length of time. Although not all of the victims were children, the majority were and so he clearly had a sexual interest in juveniles.

I want to thank all the victims who have worked with us for their bravery, especially as the fact that they had been victims of this type of offence wouldve come as a complete surprise to them and a very disturbing one at that. They all had their privacy violated, but in the case of the children also their trust and part of their childhoods too.

I would also like to commend the bravery of the first girl who made contact with us, who was clearly crucial to his offending being uncovered. She hadnt felt able to come forward at the time the incident occurred, as she had been so shocked and didnt want to believe it had happened, but as she got older she became more confident in herself and her recollections.

I would also like to thank the Scout Association, who cooperated with our investigation from the outset and assisted us with whatever we required from them.

Hopefully this case demonstrates that we listen to and hear victims of these types of offences and will investigate allegations, taking swift action wherever possible.