Latest Offenders

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A 32-year-old man has been jailed for two-and-a-half years for rape whilst at a Bucks pub. Matthew Clayden, aged 32, of Norfolk Road, Buntingford, Hertfordshire, pleaded guilty to rape and sexual assault at Amersham Crown Court on Monday (February 21). Last year, on August 27, the victim went to a pub in Aylesbury for drinks with some friends. When Clayden was alone with the victim, he kissed her, touched her breasts, and forced her to perform oral sex. He has now been put on the sex offenders register for life. Investigating officer, Detective Constable Laura Wright, based at Aylesbury police station, said: This is a suitable conviction for a serious crime committed against a vulnerable young woman, who was having some drinks with friends. The victim, in this case, has been extremely strong throughout this investigation and hopefully she and her family are happy that justice has been served against the offender.

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A former company boss has been jailed after grooming a child he met using social media apps. David Smith, of Queripel Close, Tunbridge Wells, shared disgusting images and videos on Kik messenger while chatting to the child, who he believed was 12, for 45 minutes. After being confronted, he told police: "Oh god this is the end my life" The 57 year old - known as Kent Guy - was caught after he began chatting on #1 Chatavenue to "Jacob", who he believed was a 12 year old schoolboy, Maidstone Crown Court heard. But prosecutor Martin Yale said it was an undercover police officer and Smith began a two-hour sex chat. As a result, police raided Smith's home and after seizing a hidden iPad which revealed he had been talking to a real child. The device was submitted for forensic analysis. Chat logs were located which illustrated Smith had been involved in explicit communications with other online profiles.

'Smiths use of abhorrent language on chat logs was accompanied with repeated demands for children to send him indecent images...'

A child was identified from the logs who was 12 years old. Smith had sent sexual images of himself to the child and also encouraged them to send indecent photos to him. During a police interview, Smith presented a prepared statement stating he believed that he had been communicating with adults who were using fake profiles. He was charged with attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child, engaging in sexual communication with a child and two counts of causing or inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity. After pleading guilty he was jailed for 28 months and ordered to sign the Sex Offender's Register for 10 years. Judge Julian Smith told him his second victim was real person- a young child "exploring his sexuality". He added: "He sent Smith five pictures of himself and a video. This wasn't a classic case of grooming and this was not face-to-face contact. But the encouragement he gave to the child was sophisticated and effective "They talked about meeting up but it may well be it was just part of Smith's fantasy and he intended nothing of the sort. There was no subsequent meeting and the conversation took 45 minutes..but the impact on the child was real." Nichola Cafferkey, defending, said Smith was suffering from low self-esteem and the chats were a form of "escapism" and he never intended to meet the children. Detective constable Lee Sparks of the Paedophile Online Investigation Team said: "We will do everything in our power to proactively target people like Smith, who seek to commit sexual offences against children, and ensure they receive a prison sentence. "In this case, the evidence was overwhelming. Smiths use of abhorrent language on chat logs was accompanied with repeated demands for children to send him indecent images. "There was also extremely concerning evidence of tentative arrangements by Smith to meet a child to engage in sexual activity."

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A pervert who downloaded indecent images of children has been told it was an "awful thing" which "re-victimised" youngsters.

Police searched John Moor's place of employment and home after receiving intelligence about his work IP address had been involved in illegal activity.

Newcastle Crown Court heard there was no evidence he had distributed them but he had been in contact with others online who were interested in similar material.

Devices, including two mobile phones, were seized and a total, 35 of the most serious, category A images, 29 category B and 150 category C were discovered.

Kevin Wardlaw, prosecuting, said: "He said he found them online, downloaded them, viewed them, deleted them but didn't realise a record of them remained..

"He had got married and became a father and he had put this behind him.

"But he admitted being sexually aroused by viewing the images."

The 38-year-old, of Octavia Court, Wallsend, who has no previous convictions, admitted three counts of making indecent images, possessing 31 prohibited cartoon images and possessing an offensive weapon - an extendable baton found in his car, which he said he had for self-defence after being the victim of car crime previously.

He was sentenced to 14 months suspended for two years with ten-year sex offender registration and a sexual harm prevention order.

Judge Stephen Earl said: "Every time an image is viewed or downloaded it creates a victim.

"Every time someone downloads an image of a young person they don't want on the internet, particularly when they have been victimised, you have re-victimised them.

"If you knew the child, can you imagine the sort of horror you would have.

"That's why it's such an awful thing."

Mark Harrison, defending, said he was remorseful and that the offences happened over the space of a week.

He has since sought help from various organisations.

Mr Harrison added that Moor's marriage broke down and he has only been allowed supervised access to his young son.

He has also been subject to threats and abuse, including in a WhatsApp group with former colleagues, the court heard.

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Colin Christensen, of North Shields, who worked in Tynemouth, admitted two offences of attempted sexual communication with a child A chef who tried to prey on underage girls on Facebook has been spared prison. Colin Christensen befriended what he thought were two girls aged 14 and sent illegal messages to them and a picture of his genitals. A court heard the profiles were being run by a vigilante group called the Child Online Safety Team. Christensen, a grandfather who lives with his mother, made contacted with the profile of a girl in January this year. Despite being told she was 14, the 55-year-old, who lied that he was 36, asked for a photograph of her in her school uniform, which was refused. Kate Barnes, prosecuting, told Newcastle Crown Court : "He asked what she wore to bed and if she thought about sex. She said no, she was too young. "The conversation continued and he went on to ask for pictures and asked what kind of underwear she wore." Christensen sent a picture of his penis then later asked if she was offended or aroused by it. He also asked her to take a camera in the shower with her and made reference to her genitals. Around the same time, Christensen made contact with the Facebook profile of someone purporting to be a 14-year-old. It was a profile being run by the same vigilante group. He again asked for a photograph of her in school uniform, asked what she was wearing then asked her sexual questions. The court heard he said he couldn't have sex with her unless she agreed and told her the first time might hurt. Christensen, of Murton Lane, North Shields, who has no previous convictions, pleaded guilty to two counts of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child. Judge Robert Adams sentenced him to nine months suspended for two years with sex offender registration and a sexual harm prevention order for ten years. The court heard he lost his job of 36 years as a chef at a pub in Tynemouth and is pessimistic about finding employment, given his conviction. Mark Harrison, defending, said Christensen had an "appropriate level of shame". He added: "He has had to have a difficult conversation with his mother, -who relies on him for her day-to day care. "His only ambition is to be allowed to carry on with that care."

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A pervert caught with a sickening collection of more than 2,000 child abuse images that he viewed out of "habit" has kept his freedom. Police found the vile pictures and movies downloaded onto a laptop and computer tower that were seized from Alan Passmore's home in Sunderland during a search on March 17 2020. Newcastle Crown Court heard the images featured children as young as five and some of those shown were displaying "distress". Passmore, who has never been in trouble before, admitted three charges of possessing a total of 2,253 indecent images of children, across all three categories of seriousness. The 50-year-old also admitted having 21 pictures and movies featuring extreme pornography and two prohibited images of children. The court heard over 300,000 other images found on the devices were not examined. Brian Hegarty, defending, told the court: "He accepts he has accessed this type of material for a number of years now. "It was a long established and unattractive habit." Mr Hegarty said the police arrival was what Passmore needed to "jolt him out of a long established rut he was in" and he has co-operated fully with theauthorities, while accepting "he needs to change". The court heard Passmore's home became a target when news spread about his offending and his windows were smashed. Mr Hegarty said: "He has had to move out of that address and also lost the job he had held down for 30 years so his fall from grace is absolutely complete." Judge Stephen Earl sentenced Passmore to two years imprisonment, suspended for two years, with rehabilitation and programme requirements and 200 costs. Passmore, now of no fixed address, must sign the sex offenders register and abide by a sexual harm prevention order for ten years. The judge said the children who feature in such images are "severely victimised". Leading the investigation, Detective Constable Stephen Gillibrand, give a stark warning to those who download and share illegal content that police will take action. He said: "It is with thanks to the vigilance of our officers that Passmore will be strictly monitored under court order and I hope this serves as a warning to others that downloading and sharing indecent material in any capacity is a crime and you cannot hide behind a screen or fake profile, we will still find you.

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A man from Bedford who sexually assaulted a woman as she slept has been jailed for four years.

James Stark, aged 25, of West Rope Way, was out drinking with friends in Bedford and went back in a taxi to the victims home before committing the attack in August 2017.

Bedfordshire Police said that, after talking for a while, the victim went upstairs to bed, leaving Stark on the sofa.

Shortly after, she was woken by Stark, who was on top of her, and she pleaded with him to stop.

He fled the property, leaving behind his trousers, hat, mobile and passport at the victims house. He was arrested later that morning at his home.

The victim had gone straight to her mum and told her what had happened. In her victim statement, she said Starks actions had turned her life upside down and that her mental health had suffered.

Jurors found Stark guilty of assault by penetration following a trial in December. He was found not guilty of rape.

On Monday, February 22, at Luton Crown Court, Stark was sentenced to spend four years in prison. He will also be added to the sex offenders register for life.

DC Brendan Street, who led the investigation, said: I would like to commend the victim for her bravery in coming forward. She was amazing throughout the trial and continued to support the investigation despite a number of trial delays.

I would also like to praise her family who attended every day of trial and sentencing. Starks actions have not only had a significant impact on the victim, but also had a negative impact on her family.

Stark subjected his victim to a horrible ordeal; no woman should ever be made to feel unsafe. Our message to offenders is clear: no will always mean no.

We have a number of highly trained officers and support services working with the victim and her family.

We understand this can be difficult to talk about, but we have a number of highly experienced and trained officers and support services here to help. If you are ready to talk, we are here to listen, help, and support you.

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Abdul Samad preyed on the 20-year-old victim while she waited for an Uber and carried out his assault while en route to a hot food delivery elsewhere in the city. A man pretending to be private hire driver subjected a terrified young woman desperate to get home to sexual attack. Abdul Samad preyed on the 20-year-old victim while she waited for an Uber at 5am on Wallace Street in Glasgow. The 39-year-old assaulted her repeatedly as he drove his hot food delivery route after tricking her into believing he was a private hire driver. He was found guilty at Glasgow Sheriff Court of sexually assaulting the woman but failed to appear for the verdict or sentencing and a warrant has now been issued for his arrest. The victim had been drinking with her friends in Glasgow before going to a pals flat just after 3am on the south side of the city, reports the Daily Record. At 5am, her friend called an Uber as the victims phone was out of battery and she walked to nearby Wallace Street to be picked up. Within minutes a silver Nissan Primera across the road spotted her and slowed down so she waved, assuming it was her Uber. The driver, Samad, crossed to stop in front of her and she approached the drivers window. The girl said: The car slowed down, so I wrongly identified it as my taxi. I told him where I was going and he said he could take me. The victim said she got in the front seat because it made her feel more in control. She said there was a Just Eat delivery bag and a child carrier in the back seat of married father of two Samads car. But as soon as she got in, Samad sped on to the nearby M74 on-ramp heading east, the opposite direction to her parents home. She said: Before we even reached the motorway he started acting inappropriately. He asked whether I had any undergarments on and touched my leg. He told me to relax and stop crying, multiple times. As they sped along the M74, Samad grabbed her hand and thrust it down his trousers. He then continued to sexually assault her in a prolonged ordeal. She said: He alternated doing that all the way on the motorway. I felt too scared to stop him. He was so much bigger than me. I tried to ignore him and just stared out the window. I was crying the whole time. Ten minutes before Samad picked her up, he was captured laughing on CCTV collecting an order from takeaway the Guru Grill in the citys Oswald street. To make the delivery, he took junction 2A off the M74 at Tollcross and headed along London Road and stopped outside his customers house while his victim was too petrified to move. He even returned to his car to retrieve a money bag while waiting for his customer, claiming he feared his victim might steal it. The young woman said that she was frozen by fear and didnt dare to escape or scream while Samad did his delivery. She said: I was so far from home. I was frozen by what had happened. I was too scared. I just wasnt sure what this man was capable of. Samads shift was finishing, so when he returned to the car, he told the weeping girl he would take her home. Now heading on the M74 west, Samad continued the sexual assault. It was almost 6am when he dropped her off near her west end home. Once through the door, she changed into her pyjamas and ran into her dads bedroom. Giving evidence, her father said: She was crying, Oh daddy. She hadnt called me daddy since she was a child. I knew something was seriously wrong. Hysterical, she told her dad she had been sexually assaulted and he immediately called the police. After a 10- day investigation, police officers had to force entry to Samads house to arrest him when he refused to answer the door. Samad initially claimed nothing had happened in the car until it emerged his DNA was on the girls clothes and the twisted predator then claimed she had forced his hand on her and touched him against his will. Speaking about her ordeal, the victim said: When you go through something as traumatic as that, you can never forget whats been done to you. You try to forget the face behind it. I did everything in my power to try and get that man out of my head. The girl, now 23, said that the experience was so traumatic she was placed on antidepressants and developed an eating disorder. Despite the weight of evidence against him, Samad, 39, had pled not guilty to the charges. Procurator Fiscal Depute Mark Allan asked him: You were a man in his late thirties and your position is that a 20-year-old stranger at the end of her night, desperate to get home, couldnt keep her hands off you? Are you seriously asking us to believe that position? Samad said yes, claiming he thought her behaviour was perhaps considered culturally acceptable. It took a jury of nine men and six women 15 minutes to find Samad guilty. Although he was carrying a Just Eat bag and the Guru Grill restaurant is registered with the food delivery companys app, Just Eat insisted that Samad was not on their list of registered delivery drivers. A spokesman for Just Eat said the company did not have anyone with Samads name listed as a driver and could not establish if he was doing a delivery through its app on the night of the attack. She said: Carrying a Just Eat bag is not evidence of somebody delivering on behalf of Just Eat because many self-employed couriers often deliver for multiple apps.

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Vile David Nye's messages to the girl's "mother" were "disturbing and alarming" A Somerset man has been jailed after travelling to Wiltshire to abuse a young girl. David Nye, 56, of Stoney Stile Way in Wells, pleaded guilty to attempting to arrange the commission of a child sex offence at a hearing in November 2021. His admission followed a joint investigation by the South West Regional Organised Crime Unit (SW ROCU) and Wiltshire Police. Nye was sentenced to three years in prison yesterday (Monday, February 21) and will remain on the sex offenders register for the rest of his life. Last summer, he communicated online and via email with someone he thought was the mother of a young girl. Between July 1 and 29, he discussed his sexual interest, before arranging to meet the womans child, with the intention of sexually abusing her. However, during the investigation, there was never a real-life victim and no children were ever in any danger. Nye travelled to the meeting location on July 29, where he was arrested and taken to Melksham Police Station. Detective Constable Jason Walsh, of the Wiltshire Police child internet exploitation team, said: "The messages exchanged between Nye and the 'mother' during the month-long interaction were highly disturbing and alarming. "We were left beyond doubt that Nye posed a serious and dangerous risk to children and used the internet to find victims. "As part of the Child Internet Exploitation Team, it is our duty to protect children and young people from the risk that predators like Nye pose and we will continue to work tirelessly to bring these people to justice and ensure the internet is not a safe place for them to pray on the vulnerable in our communities. "We hope this sentence acts as a deterrent and highlights how serious this offence is." Detective Inspector David Wells from the SW ROCU said: "If David Nye had met the young girl he intended to that day, then we know that child would have been subjected to horrific abuse. "Thankfully, the work of our team, together with the investigation that followed by our colleagues at Wiltshire Police, meant no child was harmed and he has been prevented from carrying out his depraved plans. "This is vital work, identifying offenders who use the internet to directly groom children, share indecent images of children, and, as in this case, attempt to arrange access to children to abuse. "Law enforcement agencies are across the internet determined to ensure they dont succeed. It is vital parents and children themselves take steps to protect against the threat." The NSPCC website has clear and extensive advice for parents and carers, children and young people, and professionals. If you are worried about something that has happened to your child online, report it to CEOP. If you have concerns about your own use of the internet or inappropriate thoughts or behaviour about children, or you are worried about how someone you know behaves, then contact the Lucy Faithfull Foundation.

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Pictured here for the first time is a depraved cocaine-addicted killer who strangled his grandmother to death before having sex with her corpse.

Donovan Miller choked 76-year-old Phyllis Grant and beat her over the head with a vase at her home in Kent Street, Plaistow, east London.

The 31-year-old killer then had sex with her body twice, before admitting his horrifying acts to paramedics, telling them 'I raped her'.

Ms Grant was a regular churchgoer who neighbours described as a 'matriarch of the community' and a 'lovely' woman.

She had been released from hospital after recovering from Covid prior to her killing in March last year.

Donovan Miller choked 76-year-old Phyllis Grant and beat her over the head with a vase at her home in Kent Street, Plaistow, east London. Ms Grant was a regular churchgoer who neighbours described as a 'matriarch of the community' and a 'lovely' woman

The Old Bailey heard how police arrived at Ms Grant's address after 10pm on March 25 last year after Miller called police saying he had killed his grandmother the previous night.

He told paramedic the night of his arrest: 'I raped her as well for what it's worth, yesterday and today.'

Miller later confirmed he had sex with his grandmother's corpse after she had died.

He also told police he was dependent on cocaine but that he had no mental health issues.

Miller, also of Kent Street, Plaistow, appeared in court via video link from the John Howard Centre secure psychiatric unit.

He denied murder but admitted manslaughter and sexual penetration of a corpse.

The Crown Prosecution Service accepted the plea in light of the conclusions of three psychiatrists.

Miller is now due to be sentenced next month. Though Donovan faces a prison term, he could also be sentenced to a hospital order under guidelines for diminished responsibility.

Hospital orders are used if a medical practitioner suggests that an offender suffered from a mental disorder at the time of the offence and the court considers that a hospital order may be an appropriate way of dealing with the case.

Speaking about the plea, prosecutor Caroline Carberry QC said: 'Careful consideration has been given in advance of today to the acceptability of a plea and in light of the conclusions of three forensic psychiatric consultants, the Crown's position is that this is a proper approach to take in this case.'

Judge Anthony Leonard, QC, said: 'So on the basis of diminished responsibility as we used to call it.'

Adjourning sentence until March 28 while further psychiatric reports are prepared the judge told Miller: 'The fact you pleaded guilty today will be taken into account by the sentencing judge.'

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A man has been jailed after sexually assaulting three women at a party at his family home. Matthew Cope, of Rutland Avenue, Newark, Nottinghamshire, admitted three counts of sexual assault. Nottinghamshire Police said the 40-year-old drunkenly groped three women during the birthday celebrations. Cope was given an 18-month prison sentence at Nottingham Crown Court on Thursday and made subject to a four-year restraining order. Nottinghamshire Police said Cope was already drunk when he joined his partner at a birthday gathering at a pub in Newark. After inviting everyone back to his house afterwards, he carried on drinking heavily and started making sexual advances on a number of women in the presence of his partner and other family members, officers added. The force said Cope failed to stop even when others intervened and also put one of his victims in a headlock when she tried to fight him off. Police were called to the house in Rutland Avenue, Newark, and arrested Cope after finding him drunkenly slumped over in his kitchen in the early hours of 13 October 2019. Ahead of sentencing, a victim impact statement was read out from one of the women, who said that the experience had made her "feel physically sick". PC Vicky Buttery, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: "Cope's actions that night were completely unacceptable and have quite rightly landed him with a prison sentence. "While he may have been extremely drunk when he carried out these lewd acts, this should not be used as an excuse on his behalf, as his actions were inexcusable."

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A RUNCORN paedophile abused two children over a period of several years and offered to pay for sexual favours from them. The offences committed by Alan Kent, from Runcorn, were two separate spates of abuse between 2005 and 2019. He preyed on the children in a similar way although there were ten years between the periods of his offending his abuse of one child began around 2005 and the other around 2015. The Crown Prosecution Service said that Kent offered to pay for sexual favours from them and indulged his sexual fantasises while the children understood very little of what he was asking them to do. The parents of the children knew nothing of the abuse. It came to light when they spoke out. One told a partner when she was an adult, the other told a teacher at her school. The police were called in and Kent was arrested at his home in June 2019 and was eventually charged with 9 counts of sexual assault on a child, four of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and one charge of attempting to sexually assaulting a child. He denied all of the charges but was convicted following a trial. On Friday at Liverpool Crown Court, Kent was jailed for seven years and was placed on the Sexual Offenders Register for life. He was also handed an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order that bans him from any contact with girls under the age of 16 and from making any contact with either of his victims. Jo Lazzari is Head of the rape and serious sexual offences Unit at CPS Mersey Cheshire. She said: Alan Kents offending has spanned several years and caused unimaginable distress and trauma to his two victims. His offending seemed to get worse over the years and he has learnt nothing from the harm he has done. He is now in his Seventies and some of his offending dates back almost twenty years. But that is no hindrance to the Crown Prosecution Service bringing a prosecution. The CPS would like to thank the victims in this case and their families for coming forward and helping us to get this dangerous predatory offender jailed. Their courage in supporting a trial has undoubtedly made other children safe from his depravity. We recognise that abuse stays with survivors for their whole life. If there are people out there who have been affected by similar trauma we would urge you to come forward no matter how long ago it happened. We are working with the Police and the Courts to make sure as many abusers as possible are brought to Justice and that victims receive the support they deserve.

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A RAPIST who preyed on a vulnerable young girl after meeting her in a bar has been jailed. Convicted drug dealer Valentine Livingston persuaded his teenage victim to return to his home with a group of friends for a party. However, CCTV footage from a pizza takeaway showed how the victim was mortal drunk and in no fit state to consent to sex, Teesside Crown Court heard. The 35-year-old raped the woman in his bed before hiding her underwear under his mattress after he took advantage of her while they were in Spensley's nightclub on Albert Road, Middlesbrough, in July 2017. The court heard during Livingstons trial how the victim had awoken in his bed without her underwear and in pain. During his evidence, he accepted that they had had sex but insisted that he stopped when she had asked him to. Recorder Peter Hampton jailed Livingston to eight years in prison after he was found guilty of rape in December last year. At the time of the offence she was out in Middlesbrough town centre, just as many people do, he said. During the course of the night she consumed alcohol, she got drunk, just as many young people do. That young girl, incapacitated like she was, should have been looked after, she should have been cared for. Unfortunately, she was to cross your path. The court had heard how she had fallen off a stool in a pizza shop before she was taken back to his flat. A witness said - she was mortal drunk; she was all over, she could barely stand or walk in a straight line. Back at your flat she went to bed, to sleep but you followed her you raped her, he added. This was predatory behaviour and it was driven by a sense of sexual entitlement you possessed at the time of the offence. There was no thought from you about the victim, the impact it would have upon her and you were intent in only satisfying your own sexual desires. Praising the bravery of the victim, he added: She had to wait over four years for the trial to take place, she has shown great fortitude, dignity, and resilience in enduring that unacceptable delay and the experience of giving evidence. I make the same observations about the other witnesses who came to court to give evidence. Livingston, of Avondale Gardens, Dyke House, Hartlepool, formerly of Middlesbrough, denied two counts of rape - claiming the sex was consensual on both occasions. He was acquitted of raping a second woman who said she smoked skunk at his flat after a night out, before going to sleep in Livingston's bed. Paul Abrahams, in mitigation, said his client had cleaned up his lifestyle since the rape was committed in 2017 and was due to become a father again later this year. Livingston was also made subject of an indefinite restraining order to protect both complainants. Speaking after the hearing, investigating officer, Detective Sergeant Lizzie Stubbs, said: I welcome the sentence passed today and hope it brings a degree of comfort to the victim who has shown great courage throughout the investigation and court process. Livingston took advantage of a vulnerable teenage girl and is clearly a danger. Anyone who is victim of rape or any kind of sexual abuse can rest assured they can report in complete confidence to Cleveland Police. We have specially trained officers and we also work closely with local specialist agencies; together we will deal with your report sensitively and thoroughly, while offering all the support you may need.

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A sexual predator who abused two children has been jailed for 24 years.

Gerald Ludlam, also known as Toby Ludlam, was convicted of 14 serious sexual offences at a trial at Exeter Crown Court in December.

Ludlam, who committed the offences in the 1990s and early 2000s, described himself as a 'hard-drinking and hard-working biker' who had been wrongly accused.

But a judge labelled him dangerous paedophile when he was sentenced on Monday [February 21].

The 62-year-old, of Market Place, was given an extended three years on licence meaning he will be almost 90 when the full sentence ends.

His victims, one aged as young as four when she was first assaulted, provided moving statements about the damage his crimes had caused to their lives.

One said: "The abuse I suffered at his hands affected all aspects of my life."

As an adult she struggled to maintain relationships. Her mental health had also suffered.

The other victim said Ludlam had 'taken away my childhood' and left her feeling 'broken'.

Mr Richard Crabb, defending, said the defendant had no previous convictions for anything similar.

"He continues to deny the offences and always will."

He said Ludlam saw himself as part of a hard-drinking, drug-taking, bikers culture. Most of his jobs had been in driving or vehicle recovery. He also dabbled in antiques.

He had more recently been living on his own in a flat and no longer drank alcohol.

Ludlam was found guilty of charges including indecent assault, indecency with a child and rape.

Judge Peter Johnson said: "In December last year you were convicted of 14 out of 15 counts that represented a campaign of sexual abuse against children."

He said the defendant had caused serious psychological and emotional harm to his victims. He had made them feel like liars for speaking out when it was clear he was the liar.

"You have shown no remorse whatsoever and you perhaps never will admit your actions. You continue to deny anything happened and your nods and shaking of the head in the dock confirm that view."

He added: "I find you are dangerous and impose an extended sentence."

Ludlam will serve two thirds of the 24 years in jail. He will remain on licence for a total of 27 years.

"You will be almost 90 when the sentence comes to an end," said Judge Johnson.

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A PERSISTENT paedophile has been jailed for three years for hoarding thousands upon thousands of vile indecent images of little boys being raped and sexually abused and sharing some of them with like-minded perverts. James Pearson went on to delve deeper into the darkness to access the deplorable filth after being arrested in possession of more than 15,000 still and moving images at categories A, B and C, Bradford Crown Court heard today. Judge Jonathan Rose told him that it was dreadful, persistent and prolonged offending, and it was almost impossible to imagine the suffering the abused children went through. Prosecutor Marte Alnaes said Pearson, 32, of Recreation Crescent, Holbeck, Leeds, was first arrested after the police searched his home in March, 2017. He refused to co-operate with the investigation and because of the level of encryption it took a long while to break into his computer equipment to access the images. While under police investigation, Pearson again began hoarding indecent images and was caught in December, 2019, with his new collection. Miss Alnaes said he had distributed images from the first stash with like-minded paedophiles. More than 80, including 22 at category A had been shared. Sean Smith, Pearsons barrister, conceded that the very young age of some of the children and the sheer volume of images were aggravating factors in the case. Smith had experienced difficulties in his upbringing and found relationships difficult. His mother and grandmother were reliant on him and they would be impacted were he to go straight to prison. His probation officer said he was at a low risk of reoffending and capable of rehabilitation. But Judge Rose said Pearson had contributed to the suffering of 15,000 children who were abused because of men like him who provided a market for this deplorable filth. Some of the images showed small boys being raped and sexually abused by adult males while they were bound. Pearson, an educated man with responsibilities, had also distributed the utterly, utterly vile material. While under police investigation he had gone on to collect more of it. He pleaded guilty to making and distributing indecent images of children and possession of extreme pornographic images. He was jailed for two years for the 2017 offences and 12 months to run consecutively for the later offences, totalling three years. He must sign on the sex offender register for life and Judge Rose made a Sexual Harm Prevention Order without limit of time.

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A masked sex attacker who targeted two lone women was tracked down due to the Boris bike he rode off on. Christion Wright, 28, dragged his first victim, a paramedic, into the bushes at St Jamess Park in a terrifying ordeal at around midnight on 29 January last year. Three days after the attack in central London, he pulled his trousers down and molested a second woman on a train. He was jailed last month, but police have now revealed details of how they caught him. Detectives pieced together CCTV evidence showing him cycle away from the first attack. He was then seen to dock the hired Santander bike in Lower Marsh on the Southbank. Wright was then linked to the train assault by his DNA. Catherine Milsom, prosecuting, had told Southwark Crown Court that the first victim had just finished a shift with the NHS and then went into the park. She walked around the lake and up towards Buckingham Palace when she noticed a man nearby wearing a face mask and hoodie. Something about him made her very suspicious, Ms Milson said. Concerned, the victim changed her direction but then spotted Wright hiding behind some trees and clearly following her. She thought he wanted to rob her and offered him her mobile phone. He didnt take and instead said I just want to f**k you, said Ms Milsom. Wright dragged the struggling woman up to some bushes and sexually assaulted her. The woman bit his hand and he then made off on a Santander hire bike. Three days later, Wright pulled his trousers on a train and molested a teenager, 19, on the trip between Waterloo East and Greenhithe in Kent. She had been sitting alone watching YouTube videos on her phone when the defendant came and stood behind her. When she stood to get off and turned round, she found the defendant with his trousers down, Ms Milsom said. The Crown would say he is dangerous. Wright, of Southwark, admitted two counts of sexual assault relating to the first victim and sexual assault and exposure for the train attack. He was jailed for three years and eight months last month and was also placed in the sex offenders register for life. Referrring to the attack on the paramedic, Judge Andrew Goymer said: It is sufficient to say he followed the victim into St Jamess Park, she was subjected to considerable force and feared, for good reason, she was going to be raped. Both are very unpleasant assaults and very distressing to the victims and nobody suggests anything other than a sentence of imprisonment of some substance. Detective Constable Henh Ban Song said: My colleagues and I are using all legitimate methods at our disposal to identify and convict those who commit crimes against women in the capital. In this case, Met officers based at Charing Cross police station used technologies including the CCTV network, financial instrument analysis and DNA matching to identify and convict the offender. Women and girls in London are safer for our hard work and tenacity. Det Con Song also appealed for any other victims of the predator to come forward, adding: In my view, Wrights offending may have escalated quickly and alarmingly had he not been caught so soon after the offence in St Jamess Park.