Latest Offenders

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A REGISTERED sex offender sidestepped a strict court order by having a host of electronic devices he had not declared to police, a court heard. When interviewed by police, Steven Singleton, 63, spoke of being a hoarder who built computers and held the misguided belief that legal transparency would see his life destroyed. Singleton had first been sentenced by magistrates in 2014 for 11 offences which related to indecent images of children and extreme pornography, Carlisle Crown Court heard. His punishment included the imposition of a sexual offences prevention order (SOPO) aimed at curbing online crimes. That placed a legal obligation on him to declare internet-capable devices, and make them available to police for installation of motoring software. But Singleton was found to have flouted the order after police paid a routine visit to his Levens home on May 10 last year. A host of devices including laptops, an iPhone, iPad, tablet and fire sticks were seized. He denied having them, but did have them, said prosecutor Brendan Burke. Singleton, of The Green, admitted breaching the SOPO and was sentenced at the crown court by Judge David Swinnerton. Richard Bennett, defending, said one device was fitted with the monitoring software but conceded the others did not. I think the main point is there are no illegal or prohibited images on any of the devices which, of course, have been thoroughly examined by police, said Mr Bennett. The fact there are no images is a clear indication that following the original conviction, the sanctions meted out to him in 2014 have been successful, in part." Unemployed Singleton had since completed a sex offender treatment course and in 2017 was assessed by the probation service as posing low risk of reoffending. He told police in interview he is a hoarder particularly with computer equipment which he likes to build, said Mr Bennett. His misguided thought was that police would take the devices from him and in effect destroy his hobby and, to use his words, his life. All of the devices had been in his possession for a number of years. This is another lesson he must learn by way of a court sanction. Judge Swinnerton suspended an eight-month jail term for two years and ordered Singleton to undergo further probation service rehabilitation. He will be deprived of the seized devices. You must comply to the letter with the terms of the SOPO, Judge Swinnerton reminded Singleton.

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A paedophile who tried to groom a young girl on Instagram was caught after a mum became concerned about changes in her daughter's behaviour, a court has heard.

The mother asked to look at the schoolgirl's mobile and saw she had sent a friend a screen shot of a conversation she had had with a man on the social media site during which the unknown male had asked her for a photo, and discussed meeting. The mum subsequently contacted a so-called paedophile hunter group which took over the youngster's accounts.

Over the following weeks Jose Pardinez-Olea sent a series of sick sexual messages and requests to what he still believed was the 12-year-old girl he had originally been chatting to, including videos of himself masturbating and urinating. Sending the 41-year-old to prison, a judge told him he had no doubt he had intended harm to the girl.

Swansea Crown Court hard that in early 2020 the mother of a girl living in the county of Rhondda Cynon Taf became concerned about changes in the youngster's behaviour, including in the way she was eating and way she used her phone.

Dean Pulling, prosecuting, said the mum asked to see her daughter's mobile, and on the device found an Instagram screenshot the girl had sent a friend which showed a conversation she had been having with an unknown male calling himself Josh. During the course of the conversation Josh had asked the girl to send him a photograph of herself, and had mentioned meeting at his house in Port Talbot.

The prosecutor said the original conversation had been deleted but the mum was so concerned she synced her phone to her daughter's so she could monitor her social media activity. The man calling himself Josh continued to message the Instagram account, and the mother began to reply as her daughter until Josh sent a photo of his penis - at that point the woman contacted the police and a paedophile hunter group.

The court heard a member of the group took over the running of girl's accounts, and over the following weeks Josh - later revealed as Pardinez-Olea - sent a series of highly sexual messages as well as naked pictures of himself via WhatsApp. The court heard the defendant also sent photographs of scenes from pornographic films he was watching, videos of himself masturbating and urinating, and tried to get the youngster to perform sexual acts on herself.

The paedophile hunter group running the accounts then contacted a similar group in Wales who confronted Pardinez-Olea at his then-home address at Ynys Street in Port Talbot. Police were called and the defendant was arrested. Officers seized his phone, and also recovered a small amount of cannabis from the property.

The court heard police sent the evidence in the case to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) for a charging decision in early 2021 but the file was returned as it was incomplete. It took another six months for the file to be resubmitted, and the CPS authorised charging in August though it was not until February 2022 that the defendant was charged via postal requisition. The prosecutor said the delay was "clearly not acceptable".

Jose Pardinez-Olea, now of Elias Street, Neath, had previously pleaded guilty to attempting to cause a girl under 13 to engage in sexual activity, attempting to engage in sexual communication with a girl under 13, attempting to cause a girl under 13 to watch images of sexual activity, and possession of cannabis when he appeared in the dock for sentencing. He has one previous conviction for one offence, that of driving with excess alcohol.

Giles Hayes, for Pardinez-Olea, said the defendant's arrest had been a "wake up call" for him, and he had stopped drinking and taking drugs, and had returned to work. He said his client was keen to stress that his behaviour at the time of the offending had been effected by isolation, loneliness, and substance misuse.

Recorder David Harris noted that the author of the pre-sentence report concluded that with appropriate treatment there were good prospects of rehabilitation, but he told the defendant he had no doubt that he had intended to cause harm to the child he believed he was communicating with.

With a one-third discount for his guilty pleas Pardinez-Olea was sentenced to a total of four years in prison. He will serve up to half that period in custody before being released on licence to serve the remainder to the community. He will be a registered sex offender for the rest of his life, and was made the subject of an indefinite sexual harm prevention order.

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Prosecutor Neil Treharne told the court on Friday (May 20) that on December 8, 2021 police executed a warrant at Denny Lakenvelders home in Wordsworth Avenue, Cheltenham. It followed officers receiving information from the National Crime Agency that a device at the property had downloaded illegal images.

The Agency stated that on that numerous occasions during October last year Lakenvelder had downloaded indecent images of children from the Kik social media site," said Mr Treharne. When police arrived at the address they seized a mobile phone and sent this off for analysis.

"The results revealed that it contained 56 images of the most serious kind, known as category A, featuring children as young as one year old up to pre-pubescent boys and girls. There were 107 additional indecent images in categories B and C.

In his police interview Lakenvelder admitted he had downloaded images of very young children. He said he did not download any moving images.

Nicholas Clough, defending, said: Lakenvelder has already sought professional help for his sexual offending since his arrest. The images are at the lower end of the scale and he is only charged with possession.

"He did not distribute the images. I believe that as he made a full admission of his guilt on more than one occasion I feel that any custodial sentence could be suspended."

Lakenvelder admitted three offences of making indecent images of children - 56 category A images, 67 category B images and 40 category C images.

Judge Advocate Alastair McGrigor told Lakenvelder: You have indulged in possessing indecent images of children. This offence crosses the custody threshold.

However, I accept you admitted your guilt to the police and you have since shown regret for your behaviour. This demonstrates to me that there is possibility for rehabilitation, for which I can suspend the sentence.

The judge sentenced Lakenvelder to a prison term of six months, suspended for two years and ordered him to attend 20 programme sessions and 30 rehabilitation activity requirement days and undertake 180 hours of unpaid work. The judge also imposed an indefinite sexual harm prevention order on Lakenvelder to limit his use of the internet and placed Lakenvelder on the sex offenders register for seven years.

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A former soldier has been jailed for having sex with a vulnerable 13-year-old girl who he groomed online while pretending to be a teenaged boy. Matthew McKay used a false name and internet profile and said he was 15 when he contacted the girl through Instagram and Snapchat.

He persuaded her to send him naked selfies and responded with photos of his private parts and eventually met the girl for sex. By then she realised he was an adult but he claimed to be in his 20s, when in reality he was 35.

The girl, from the South Hams, already had emotional issues and was so traumatised by the sexual abuse that she tried to take her own life. McKay was already a registered sex offender, having been caught by a paedophile hunters sting operation in 2018, while he was still a serving soldier and based at the Duke of Gloucester barracks at South Cerney, near Cirencester.

He groomed and had sex with the girl in Devon in 2021, when he was in the middle of a sex offenders treatment programme, which he was sent on as a direct alternative to prison when he was sentenced for the earlier offences in August 2019. His behaviour should have been controlled by a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) which allowed the police to monitor his computers and phones. He got around it by buying a secret mobile which he did not declare to the police.

He was also a registered sex offender but flouted its rules by moving out of his home near Ivybridge and into his bosss home in Paignton, even though there were four children living there. Police found sex aids and a realistic model of the middle part of a child when they searched his home.

Matthew McKay, aged 36, formerly of Uptown, Ugborough, but now of Paignton, admitted two counts of sexual activity with a child, one of meeting a child following grooming, and one of sexual communication with a child. He also admitted three counts of breaching a SHPO or the sex offenders register and six of making possessing indecent images of children. These included three offences of recording images which he got the 13-year-old to send him.

He was jailed for ten years with a six year extended licence by Judge Peter Johnson at Exeter Crown Court, who was the same judge who freed him and sent him on the sex offenders course in 2019.

The judge deemed him to be a dangerous offender, made a new SHPO, barred him from working with children and put him on the sex offenders register for life.

He told him: Within a short time of your last appearance at this court, and while subject to the order, you started offending again, this time, unlike the earlier matters which involved adults acting as decoys, you moved on to a real child.

In a short time, you were up to your old tricks, engaging in sexual communications, inviting the girl to produce images of herself, in direct breach of the SHPO and using a phone which you did not tell the police about.

Matters got much, much worse and you ended up meeting the girl and penetrating her mouth and vagina. It caused her concern and worry and she thought at one time she might be pregnant.

Her victim personal statement and that of her mother make extremely worrying reading. Your actions caused immense upset and affected her mental health. She made a serious attempt to take her own life. Her mothers statement showed there was a marked impact on the education and school life of a young girl.

There are a substantial number of aggravating features. I take into account the massive harm you have done. I find you are a dangerous offender who poses a significant risk of causing serious harm to young girls by further offending.

Mr Joss Ticehurst, prosecuting, said McKay met the girl online when he was using the false name of Tom Smith and claiming to be 15. She realised he was much older during their Instagram and Snapchat exchanges but only learned his real name when he was arrested.

He flattered her by calling her amazing and telling her how attractive he found her. He gave her the nickname sexy girl in their online chats. He turned their chats to sex and met the girl for the first time when they were both shopping in Newton Abbot in October 2021. He recognised her but she did not know it was him until he sent her a message saying how good it was to see her.

He then arranged a second meeting at which they had sex and he told her she was a good girl. Police found hundreds of child abuse images he had downloaded from the internet on his phone as well as naked videos which she had sent him on Snapchat and which he had recorded from one phone to another to prevent her knowing what he was doing.

Mr Lee Bremridge, defending, said McKays work on the sex offender treatment programme had been disrupted by Covid lockdowns and he did not have the chance to receive the full benefits from it.

He said McKay joined the army when he was 16 and served his country with distinction until the previous offences came to light, ending his career. He has a strong work found other work ethic and found another job after returning to Devon.

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A man raped a woman in her home after meeting her on a dating site. Michael Collins has been locked up for eight years following the attack on his victim, who he met on Plenty of Fish.

The incident happened in 2016. Collins, now 28, went to the woman's house after making contact with her online. Minshull Street Crown Court heard the victim thought he was picking her up to go on a date.

They stayed at the woman's house. After watching TV, they kissed, which was consensual, the court heard.

Collins then attempted to put his hand under the woman's breast. She said no - and told him she didn't want to have sex. He continued to touch her, despite her protests. He sexually assaulted and raped her.

The court heard Collins said: "For f**k sake, that took me an hour to get that out of you." He repeatedly told her she was 'p*****g him off' and that she was 'lazy'.

The victim, the court heard, has suffered psychologically, has left the home and now suffers from anxiety. Defending, Richard Orme told the court Collins, originally from Ireland, comes from a 'family-focused' community. He followed his parents to Manchester to 'make a life in the UK'.

Recorder Abigail sentenced Collin to eight years. She said: "It was your intention to have sex, the consent was entirely irrelevant."

She said that while Collins 'may have matured', the fact he has 'persisted on the delusion that what he did was acceptable' meant he was still a 'risk' and must be kept behind bars.

Collins, of Craig Road, Gorton was found guilty of two counts of rape; sexual assault; and causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent. He was ordered to sign the Sex Offender Register for life.

Following the case, DC Martyn Bateman, of GMP's City of Manchester C.I.D, said: "Despite being told no, Collins forced himself upon this woman to satisfy his sexual desires. Sexual offences often have a lifelong impact on victims but, hopefully, today's result will provide her with a level of closure.

"It is also my hope that this case builds public trust and confidence that, though these cases can take some time, GMP is committed to bringing offenders to face justice by launching thorough investigations which gather all evidence to secure the best possible outcome."

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47-year-old David Michael Wells will spend 18 years behind bars and another 4 years on licence after being found guilty of raping a child on no less than 6 occasions. Wells, of Chale Street in Chale Green, was charged with 6 counts of rape following a lengthy police investigation which began in January 2020. Hampshire Constabulary launched the investigation after the victim reported she had been abused by Wells between 2017 and 2018 when she was under the age of 16. Wells denied the offences and the case went to trial on 25th April this year at Newport Crown Court. On 28th April, after 4-and-a-half hours of deliberation, the jury convicted him of the charges. Appearing at the Isle of Wight Crown Court this morning, Wells was jailed for 18 years, with 4 additional years on extended license. A lifetime Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) and restraining order were also granted. DC Daniel Hayward, of the Child Abuse Investigation Team, has said: Wells is a danger to children who is now behind bars where he belongs. The child in this case should be commended for her bravery in standing up to her abuser and finding the courage to talk to police. It is because of this that Wells is now in a place where he cannot harm another child. I hope this case, and the bravery of the girl involved, encourage others who have been harmed by this kind of awful abuse to speak out and seek support. An NSPCC spokesperson has today said: Wells not only repeatedly abused a child, he then forced her to re-live that abuse in trial by denying his offences. Childhood abuse can have devastating effects which can last a lifetime, but we hope this victim is now receiving all the support she needs and can take some solace knowing her bravery in speaking out has helped ensure Wells faces justice. We would urge anyone who has experienced abuse and is suffering, no matter when it happened or who the perpetrator is, to speak out and seek support.

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A Bourne man who admitted a string of sexual offences after being caught by a "decoy" at a church has been jailed for four years and eight months. Anthony Fiddler, 38, of Recreation Road, Bourne, was also made the subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for ten years after he pleaded guilty to eight sexual charges.

Fiddler admitted having sexual communications with a 15-year-old boy between 17 May 2021 and 24 May 2021. In a second charge relating to the same child Fiddler pleaded guilty to causing him to watch a sexual act on 24 May 2021.

Fiddler also admitted two charges of attempted sexual communication with girls aged 12 and 14 between 24 May 2021 and 25 May 2021. He also pleaded guilty to a fifth charge of attempting to incite a 14-year-old girl to engage in a sexual act between the same dates.

Lincoln Crown Court heard the girls aged 12 and 14 were in fact decoys. Fiddler also admitted three further charges of making indecent photographs of children between August 2000 and November 2020.

The charges related to 124 images in the most serious category of A, 86 category B images and 630 category C images. Caroline Bradley, prosecuting, said the offences arose out of online contacts made by Fiddler with one teenage boy and two decoys pretending to be girls aged under-16.

Miss Bradley told the court Fiddler made contact with a 15-year-old boy after seeing an advert for gardening services. The court heard Fiddler requested pictures from the two decoys and sent one a sexual image of himself.

Miss Bradley said Fiddler was caught after he arranged to meet one of the decoys at a church in Bourne. The civilian decoy was present along with the police when Fiddler arrived.

Police found indecent images of children when they analysed Fiddler's mobile phone. Karen Walton, defending Fiddler, had asked for sentence to be adjourned for the preparation of a probation report and to consider if Fiddler was suitable for treatment in the community.

The court heard Fiddler had just one previous conviction for exposure in 2005. But Miss Walton said Fiddler had come to court prepared for prison.

"He is struggling come to terms with what he has done," Miss Walton added. Passing sentence Judge John Pini QC told Fiddler the really concerning aspect of his offending was that he was going to meet the decoy at a church in Bourne.

"Of great concern is that you arranged to meet one of the girls at Bourne Abbey Church," Judge Pini said. "I do not at this stage assess you as dangerous, but that is the direction in which you are travelling."

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A paedophile pensioner was told you thoroughly deserve it by the judge who caged him for 29 years. On Friday, sick sex offender Rick Passway was finally made to pay for a catalogue of abuse against six women and girls in the 1970s and 1980s. They included the rape of one woman in Faringdon in the mid-80s just days after she had a hysterectomy operation in Swindon to remove part of her womb. Passway, then a taxi driver, had driven her home from the hospital before raping her on the floor of her living room. Another victim was a child and teenager when she was repeatedly sexually abused by the man over the course of several years. He also pawed four other victims, who were aged eight to 14 when they were touched by him. 'No mercy' Sentencing the 77-year-old at Oxford Crown Court on Friday, Judge Nigel Daly blasted: Your treatment of your [first victim, who was repeatedly raped as a child] was despicable. Youve heard what she has to say about that. Youve taken away her childhood. You have ruined her adult life. The rape of your [second victim, who was sexually assaulted in the mid-80s] was shocking in the extreme. In respect of the other offences, it is quite clear you were unable to keep your hands off young women and would sexually assault them at any opportunity, repeating it again and again and again because you never got caught and you were never punished. You showed your victims no mercy. You showed them no compassion and you have displayed no remorse or contrition since - either at trial or since. Sending him down for 29 years, the judge added: That is the sentence upon you. You thoroughly deserve it. Mitigation Earlier, John Cammegh QC said: I have asked Mr Passway whether he has remorse. I am bound by my instructions. I am afraid I cannot, despite having spoken to Mr Passway just now, offer any remorse flowing from him because he denies the majority of these offences took place. He added: Mr Passway knows he is going to die in prison. Passway, of Bunce Road, Swindon, was found guilty over two trials of rape, indecent assault and indecency with a child. He was sentenced for 22 counts in total, including six counts of rape. The offences were committed in Wantage, Faringdon and Fairford. Judge Daly imposed an extended year on licence, but noted that the defendant would be well into his 90s before he was eligible for release on parole. Senior Crown prosecutor James Bailey-Woodward for the Crown Prosecution Services Rape and Serious Sexual Offences unit said: Rick Passway unashamedly preyed on young girls for years, creating a culture of fear and intimidation to ensure that they would not speak out about his despicable crimes, allowing his offences to become more and more serious. He then denied any wrongdoing. Its thanks to the courage of his victims that we were able to put him before a jury who found him guilty.

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A serial sex offender who recorded himself sexually assaulting a toddler was caught out by police who recognised his tattoos.

Peter Neilds attacks on the little girl came to light after police found a phone hidden in the headrest of a chair in his Little Sutton home and matched his tattoos to those captured in the video. Officers had gone to arrest him on suspicion of downloading indecent images from the internet but were faced with vile footage of Neild himself carrying out abuse.

The 50-year-old, who told police "I need help, I cannot continue like this", was labelled a danger to children as a judge jailed him at Liverpool Crown Court earlier this week. At a hearing earlier in May, Frank Dillon, prosecuting, said police raided his home on January 27 this year because they believed he had downloaded indecent images of children from the internet.

Yet when they searched his home and found the phone hidden in the headrest they discovered horrific images of Neild carrying out abuse himself. Mr Dillon said: His device was reviewed and two video clips were identified showing a male offender committing a contact sexual offence with a small toddler. All that could be seen of the offender was his hand and wrist but there were tattoos visible that were identical to those of the defendant.

Officers have since been able to identify the child and she and her family are being supported by social services. Neild was also sentenced for an earlier set of offences committed when he was living in Southport.

In 2018, Neild messaged a member of UK Justice, a paedophile vigilante group, who was posing as a young girl online. Neild messaged the account numerous times, becoming increasingly sexual and aggressive in the way he spoke to her, asking her to send him pictures of herself masturbating.

Describing the messages sent by Neild, Judge Gary Woodhall said: They are graphic, they are aggressive and they are bullying. Eventually, Neild invited the girl to Southport, where he was living at the time, where he said he would meet her off the train.

Rebecca Smith, defending, said Neild, who has previously received jail terms for sexual offences including rape, unlawful sexual contact with a child and sexual assault of a child, realised he had committed yet more extremely disturbing sexual offences. She said: In his own words, the ones he spoke to the officer during his interview, I need to get help, I cannot continue like this. He knows this is criminal behaviour and it will not be tolerated.

Sentencing him on Monday, Judge Gary Woodhall judged Neild to be a dangerous offender and handed him an extended sentence. Neild, of Chester Road, Little Sutton, was jailed for 10 years and 10 months, with a further five years on extended licence.

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Heavily tattooed Jai Pennycuick had abused a young girl at a flat in Edinburgh's Broomhouse in the 1990s.

The victim only reported to police what happened in May 2020 after coming forward and speaking to specially trained officers Pennycuick, now 39, was then quizzed by officers weeks later as part of an investigation into historic sex crimes.

Prosecutor Bill McVicar told the High Court in Glasgow: "He broke down crying and subsequently gave as full an account of the incident as he could remember. "He accepted what he had done was wrong ... and that he now had to face the consequences of what he had done."

Pennycuick - a construction site labourer - pleaded guilty to a charge of lewd and libidinous conduct towards the child on an occasion between June 1996 and June 1997.

The girl would have been as young as seven years old at the time.

Mr McVicar told how Pennycuick, of the capital's Pilton, was convicted of a number of sex crimes in England and Wales in the late 90s including indecent assault of a boy.

Until he was jailed, Pennycuick, who describes himself as single, had been attempting to find a partner on internet dating sites.

One recent post states: "Hi my name is jai I'm looking for a long term-relationship. I live in Edinburgh I have no kids never been married I like the outdoors and traveling I work on building sites."

Kenneth Cloggie, defending, said: "He cannot change the past and he is ashamed of that."

Sentencing, Lord Matthews said Pennycuik was also young at the time, but that he now had to deal with him as an adult.

The judge cut the jail-term from two years due to the guilty plea and further placed Pennycuik on the Sex Offenders Register (SOR) for 10 years.

Pennycuick will have to notify police of any change of address once he is released from prison.

As a Registered Sex Offender he will be subject to close monitoring by Police Scotland and criminal justice social workers and could face prosecution for any breach of the SOR imposed on him.

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Kyle Welsh, from Stockton, was investigated by police after they received a third-party report in 2020 that he had sexually assaulted a child from around 2009 to 2013.

The girl was aged roughly six or seven when the abuse began.

Cleveland Police said specialist officers provided safeguarding and support during the investigation, and remarked on the girl's courage to come forward.

Welsh appeared at court in March and pleaded guilty to sexual assault of a child and sexual activity with a child. He was remanded in HMP Durham and appeared for sentencing at Teesside Crown Court on Wednesday 18 May.

Welsh, of Consett Close, Stockton, received a prison sentence of five years and 10 months and will be subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) as well as a restraining order on his release.

Speaking on Tuesday 24 May, officer in the case Detective Sergeant Cheryl Hall, said: "This was an upsetting case involving offending against a child who was only six or seven years old when it began.

"The victim lived with what happened to her for many years until she felt able to confide in someone, which took an enormous amount of courage.

"I hope she can take some comfort now that Welsh is behind bars and that he will also be subject to strict conditions.

"I hope she can begin to rebuild her life and I wish her well for the future."

Detective Chief Inspector Deb Fenny added: "I cant emphasise enough that police are here for victims of sexual abuse - no matter how long ago it may have taken place.

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A teenager who woke up to find a man raping her said she hoped he rots in prison after he put her through months of misery. Jacquani Phillips, 21, filmed part of his abuse of the woman who was then still under-18 during the ordeal near Bicester on October 10 last year. His victim, who was in court on Tuesday afternoon to see him jailed for eight-and-a-half years, said her life had stopped in the six months after he raped her and as the case proceeded for trial. In her impact statement, read to Oxford Crown Court, she told her abuser: Youre disgusting. A horrible piece of work and I honestly hope you rot in prison. Prosecutor Jonathan Stone told the court that the victim had taken medication on the night of the rape, which put her into a deep sleep. She woke up three times in the night to find that Phillips was raping her in the bed. Despite the effects of the medication, she elbowed him and told him no making it clear she did not want to have sex with him. Police forensic experts later found videos on his phone taken in the early hours of the night of the sexual assaults, which appeared to show him molesting an unresponsive woman. There was also an explicit photograph. Jailing him for eight-and-a-half years, of which he will serve at least two-thirds in custody, Judge Nigel Daly told Phillips: I have considered whether life imprisonment is appropriate in this case. It is not. I have considered the dangerousness provisions [where Phillips would receive an extended licence period] and whether or not they apply in this case. I have considered that they do not. A restraining order bans him from contacting his victim indefinitely and he will remain a sex offender for the rest of his life. Lucy Tapper, mitigating, said that although a few years older than his victim was immature for his age. That claim was supported by a psychiatric report. He was a 21-year-old man who had taken responsibility for his actions in spite of knowing there was a lengthy sentence ahead of him, she said. Ms Tapper reminded the judge there were a number of positive character references submitted in support of her client. Prior to his remand he had dreams of becoming a pastry chef. Phillips, of Ploughley Road, Ambrosden, pleaded guilty a month before his trial date to rape, sexual assault by penetration and sexual assault. He hada one previous conviction for fare dodging on the railway.

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A 63-year-old man has been jailed having been found guilty of sexually abusing a young girl over several years. Brian Matthews, of London Road, Bexhill, has been handed a 19-year sentence for his offences.

Matthews began sexually assaulting his victim when she was only nine years old. The abuse continued into her late teens.

As well as the sexual abuse, which included multiple counts of rape, Matthews subjected the girl to both "emotional and psychological abuse" as he attempted to normalise his behaviour and control the actions of the victim. His abusive actions continued for many years.

Police eventually received reports of the crimes and began investigating. The victim was provided with specialist support from officers whilst Matthews was arrested and charged with the following offences:

- Four counts of assault on a girl under 13 by touching

- Four counts of assault on a female over 13 with penetration

- Rape of a girl aged 13 to 15

- Two counts of rape of a female aged 16 or over

- Two counts of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child

- Cruelty to a person under 16

- Engaging in coercive and controlling behaviour

Having been charged, Matthews denied all the charges brought against him. He was found guilty by a jury on all of the above charges with the exception of one charge of rape of a female aged 16 or over, whilst the judge discharged the jury from reaching a verdict on the charge of engaging in coercive and controlling behaviour.

On April 28 at Lewes Crown Court, Matthews was handed his sentence of 19 years in jail including one year on extended licence. He has been placed on the sex offenders' register for life.

Matthews was also given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) forbidding any contact with the victim or any child under 18 without consent of a parent/guardian and social services, or if inadvertent and not reasonably avoidable. He is prohibited from possessing any device which may be capable of storing or accessing digital images unless access is provided for inspection by a police officer or police employee.

Detective Liz Brunt said: Brian Matthews depraved, horrific abuse robbed his young victim of her childhood and she will have to live with the effects for the rest of her life. I would like to thank her for the incredible bravery she has shown not only in reporting these crimes initially, but in supporting our investigation and helping to put a dangerous predator behind bars.

Without her courage and determination, this simply would not have been possible. Hopefully this sentence will offer some measure of comfort to her and stop Matthews from causing further harm to young people.

For information on reporting sexual offences and the support that is available, see the Sussex Police website.