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A teacher and university worker caught with sick videos of children was finally jailed five years after being arrested.

However, despite possessing videos which were in the most serious Category A and lasted up to forty minutes, German national Olaf Raetzel is likely to be released within a matter of weeks.

Preston Crown Court, sitting at Burnley Crown Court, heard that Raetzel, 51, was arrested in Ormskirk in 2015 but failed to turn up for a police appointment.

He started a new life in Dublin where, despite his perverted past, he was working as a content moderator for a social media company.

He was detained again in September last year on a European Arrest Warrant and brought before a special High Court session which granted his extradition.

More than five years on from a police raid at his home in West Lancashire, he pleaded guilty in December to three counts of possessing indecent images of children.

Prosecuting, Eleanor Gleeson said police seized a laptop, USB device and Samsung tablet in May 2015 and recovered 21 files containing the sick photographs and videos.

In total, there were seven videos classed as Category A, five videos in Category B and nine Category C photographs.

However, there were further inaccessible files whose names alluded to illicit content, while his browser history was also suggestive of illegal content.

The youngest children seen in the videos were estimated to be aged between five and eight, while the majority involved girls believed to be girls aged 9-15. The videos ranged between two to 39 minutes long.

Raetzel, now of no fixed address, gave no comment in interview and was released on bail, only to fail to turn up to an appointment at Ormskirk police station in November of that year.

Defending, Peter Holden said Raetzel came to the UK in the early 90s and had undertaken a degree in Theoretical Physics. He then started a PHD before moving into teaching and went on to a job as a learning technology development officer at Ormskirks Edge Hill University.

Mr Holden said: It was an unhappy time for him in Lancashire and he began to engage in the activities outlined in the pre-sentencing report.

Mr Holden admitted that the perverts refusal to attend a police appointment painted a picture of a man who panicked and fled justice.

But he said that Raetzel had no previous convictions in Europe or the UK and had committed no further offences in the Republic of Ireland.

His devices were searched upon his latest arrest and no further illegal images were found.

Sentencing, Judge Sara Dodd said that had Raetzel been brought before the court in 2015, he would likely have been handed a five-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

However, as that time has now passed and no further offences committed, this was no longer deemed necessary to protect the public.

She handed Raetzel a five month sentence, of which he will serve no more than half.

The two months already served in Preston since the hearing at the lower court count towards that time, meaning he is likely to be released within weeks.

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This is the face of a vile paedophile who has been jailed for sexually abusing a girl, toddler and a baby.

Christopher Mark Parkes has been sentenced to 17 years in prison for the sickening offences.

The 48-year-old's offending came to light when the oldest of his victims, a teenage girl, told her mother that she had been assaulted by him..

She told her mum that Parkes had started "blackmailing" her, asking for sexual activity.

Further investigations into the paedophile showed he had also abused a toddler.

Parkes, from Vardon Way, Kings Norton, appeared at Birmingham Crown Court on January 21, where he was jailed for 17 years and three months.

He had pleaded guilty to three counts of sexual assault of a child under 13, two counts of sexual activity with a child, two counts of assault of a child under 13 by penetration, one count of voyeurism and three counts of making indecent images of a child.

He will also be on the sex offenders register indefinitely.

Parkes committed the offences between January 2019 and August 2020 against his three victims.

When police raided his property, they found images of some of the abuse including that of the very young children on the defendants phone.

Parkes initially denied the charges but changed his plea after overwhelming evidence was presented to him.

West Midands Police released a picture of Parkes.

Julia McSorley, of the Crown Prosecution Service, said: This was a distressing case and our thoughts are with the young victims and their families.

"Christopher Parkes is an extremely dangerous man with a perverted sexual interest in very young children, including a baby and a toddler.

"It is rightly so that he has received a lengthy prison sentence which reflects the seriousness of his offending. He will now be in prison where he can no longer be a danger to other children.

Description

A Norfolk man who sexually assaulted a 13-year-old girl was discovered after the victim's mother saw the offender on a phone watching her sleep, a court has heard.

Simon Price, 40, met a girl on a gaming platform in November 2019 when he said he was 26 and the victim said she was older than she was.

Norwich Crown Court heard after a while conversations between the two moved to Instagram and became more personal, including his medical illnesses and her difficulties.

Benedict Peers, prosecuting, said "conversation became increasingly flirtatious".

Price, of The Fallows, Taverham, began behaving as if they were in a relationship.

The conversation became more sexualised and they exchanged images and videos as well as live streaming each other.

Mr Peers said there came a time when the victim blocked Price on Instagram but he contacted her on other social media sites.

The court was told she was to tell police she felt "guilty" due to his medical history.

In March last year Price drove down to the south coast where he picked up the victim and sexually assaulted her in the back of his car on the sea front.

The victim told police she "froze" during the course of the assaults.

Mr Peers said following the sexual assaults Price "encouraged" her to self harm and said "he wanted to help her do it".

The offences came to light after the victim's mother came into her bedroom in May last year and found her asleep.

But "she could see a man watching her during a live stream video on her phone".

Police were contacted and Price was later identified.

A victim impact from the teenager described how she had been self harming more and did not feel safe being on her own anymore.

She said she found it hard to trust people because she did not want to be lied to.

A victim statement from her mother described the "horror" she felt at what had happened and how it affected her daughter as well as her, her partner and other daughter.

She also could not put out of her mind the picture of her daughter asleep next to the phone with the defendant watching.

Price appeared in court for sentence on Monday, February 1 having previously admitted an offence of an adult meeting a girl under 16 following grooming and two counts of sexual activity with a girl.

He also admitted an offence of engaging in sexual communication with a child and one count of making an indecent photo of a child.

Price was given an extended sentence of 10 years four months made up of five and a half years in custody with an additional five years on licence.

Judge Andrew Shaw said Price posed a significant risk of serious harm to members of the public.

He said Price had "lied about your age" and groomed her before committing the sexual assaults on her.

Price was also made the subject of an indefinite sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) and put on the sex offenders' register for life.

Andrew Oliver, mitigating, said the best mitigation he could advance were his guilty pleas which demonstrated his contrition.

He said it was clear the victim was vulnerable to his grooming and had suffered a deterioration in her mental health.

But Mr Oliver said it was a deterioration in the mental health of the defendant, who suffers from multiple personality disorder, which precipitated these offences.

He added Price suffered abuse as a child himself during a severely traumatic childhood.

Mr Oliver said Price had believed the victim to be older but by the time he committed the physical offences against her "knew her true age".

He referred to it as the "biggest mistake of my life" and is appalled he harmed a child in the way he was harmed as a child.

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THE jailing of a Ross-shire man caught with thousands of sickening indecent images and videos of children smashes the myth that computers provide a hiding place for abusers.

Police made their remarks in reaction to the sentencing yesterday of Dingwall man Liam Mackay (31) of Deas Avenue.

He had previously admitted downloading indecent images and videos of children aged between two and 12.

He was sentenced to 22 months' imprisonment and 30 months on licence thereafter.

He has been placed on the Sex Offenders Register indefinitely.

Last May, officers carried out an operation at Mackays home in Dingwall where electronic equipment was seized and analysed.

Thousands of indecent images of children were recovered which led to Mackay's arrest.

Detective Chief Inspector Richard Banks of Police Scotlands National Child Abuse Investigation Unit said: There is a misunderstanding by some that the internet provides anonymity. Mackays arrest shows that this is not the case and no matter what steps you have taken to avoid detection you cannot hide behind a computer.

We will work with our partners to take action against anyone who is involved in these abhorrent crimes. Any form of child sexual abuse is a serious criminal offence and a priority for Police Scotland. I would urge anyone with any concerns about a child at risk of abuse, or a potential victim, to contact us immediately.

The court was told that Mackay had previous convictions, one for a sexual contact offence against a 14 year old girl, and for similar charges of possessing child porn.

His latest offence was committed while he was still under supervision for his offending.

The court heard he had also downloaded child porn on a previous occasion whilst under supervision.

When officers arrived at the property on May 7, 2020 to execute a warrant, they discovered a USB stick hidden in the hollow leg of his bed.

Inverness Sheriff Court heard that a cursory examination of it revealed images of children aged between two years and 12 years being abused.

Fiscal depute Alison Young said that forensic analysis discovered 2180 still images and 315 videos and that Mackay was a registered sex offender and on a community payback order.

They were categorised in three rankings of obscenity, the highest being 'A', of which there were 308 images and 171 videos.

In 'B', there were 511 stills and 107 videos, and in 'C', the memory stick had 1,361 photographs and 37 videos.

They were created between March and December, 2019.

Mackay admitted downloading indecent images and videos, the play time of which was a total of one day, six hours, three minutes and one second.

Description

A man who groomed a teenage girl online before meeting her for sex has been jailed for a string of child sex offences.

Alex Cadwell, 21, was arrested on Friday, August 30 2019 after a report of a rape involving a 13-year-old girl.

It took place in the toilets to the rear of the British Legion on Hollyhedge Road, Cobham on Saturday, 24 August 2019.

A court heard that Cadwell had groomed the victim online over the period of a month, inciting them to commit sexual acts before meeting in real life.

Police said he then engaged in sexual activity with the teenager.

Surrey Police responded and Cadwell was identified, arrested and interviewed. His digital devices were seized and further enquiries revealed extensive online grooming of the victim, together with other offences involving other victims.

He was charged and following a trial in November was found guilty of 22 sexual offences including two counts of sexual activity with a child, making indecent images of child, inciting a child to commit sexual acts and causing a child to watch a sexual act.

Cadwell, of Greenacres Avenue, Uxbridge, appeared at Kingston Crown Court via video link on Friday (January 29), where he was jailed for ten years with a five year extension period.

He was also placed on the Sex Offenders Register indefinitely.

Cadwell will be subject to a strict Sexual Harm Prevention Order on his release.

Investigating Officer Detective Sergeant Alan Poland said: "I hope that this sentence brings some closure to Cadwell's victims who have shown courage throughout the proceedings from the initial report through to giving evidence in court.

"Further to this I hope that it acts as a deterrent to those who seek to prey on children for their sexual gratification.

"Whether this is done hiding behind a computer screen, or hiding behind an alias in real life offenders will be identified, arrested and prosecuted."

An NSPCC spokesperson said: "Cadwell's use of online platforms to groom and abuse a 13-year-old child highlights the risks young people are currently facing on the internet.

"This will have been a terrible ordeal for the victim and we hope she gets all the support she needs to move forward with her life. It is also imperative that online platforms continue to design in safety measures for all the young people who use them."

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A paedophile groomed a schoolgirl on Snapchat before meeting in woods near her home to sexually abuse her.

Matthew Gomez, then 20, pretended to be 16 when he targeted two 13-year-old victims on the social media platform.

The pervert sent the girls disgusting images of himself and asked them to provide him with sexual photos in return.

Liverpool Crown Court heard the now 23-year-old, of Crabtree Close, Netherley, secretly recorded photos of the children.

He took his abuse a step further when he met one girl in Widnes, filmed her on his phone performing a sex act on him, then repeatedly asked for sex.

But when she told him to stop because he was hurting her, Gomez called her a "d***head" and as he walked away revealed that he had recorded her.

One of the main features of Snapchat is that pictures and messages are usually only available for a short time, before they are automatically deleted.

However, Gomez used an iPad to film and permanently retain indecent photos and videos sent to him on his mobile phone by five separate girls from Merseyside and Cheshire.

Steven Swift, prosecuting, said these girls included one child as young as eight, shown dancing around in a bedroom with her sister, aged 12.

Gomez admitted three counts of possessing indecent images, including Category A files - the most serious category - on the basis he didn't accept the girls were under 16.

He still maintained this stance today, but Judge Denis Watson, QC, said a trial over the issue wasn't required, because it wouldn't impact his overall sentence.

The court heard this was because Gomez was convicted of even more serious offences at a trial in December.

He was found guilty of five sexual offences in respect of one 13-year-old girl, and two sexual offences in respect of a second girl, also aged 13, in 2017.

The two girls said they told Gomez they were 13 and that he claimed to be 16.

However, he denied lying about his age, or knowing that either of them were underage.

Gomez was convicted of causing a child to watch a sexual act, after sending the first girl a photo of himself masturbating, and causing a child to engage in sexual activity, relating to asking her for a nude picture and the girl sending a photo of her breasts.

He was convicted of meeting a child following sexual grooming, after travelling to Widnes to meet her, then going to the woods.

Two convictions for sexual activity with a child related to the girl performing the sex act on him and him repeatedly asking for sex, then touching her with his penis.

Gomez was found guilty of another count of causing a child to watch a sexual act, for sending the second girl a photo of himself masturbating, and of causing a child to engage in sexual activity, when she sent him an image of her performing a sex act.

David Birrell, defending, said his client, of previous good character, still maintained his innocence in relation to the convictions following the trial.

He said: "Your honour will have seen from the pre-sentence report that he continues to deny the offences, but he does respect the jury's verdicts and he put that in his letter to your honour."

Mr Birrell said the offences took place over several months in 2017, when Gomez had been "young for his age", as shown in a medical report.

He said: "It appears that his significant health issues, the brain tumour, stunted both his physical and emotional development.

"Certainly the author of the pre-sentence report points to his immaturity as one of the reasons, certainly not the only reason, but one of the reasons for the offending."

Mr Birrell noted the report found he was "willing to engage in work around his offending".

He said: "He has some qualifications, he has worked in the past, he's from a good family, a good home, his parents sit in court, they stand by him, and others speak highly of him."

Judge Denis Watson, QC, said Gomez had "a sexual interest in younger girls" and knew due to using Snapchat that it was popular with younger teenage girls, some of whom were willing to "flirt sexually" and meet with him.

He said Gomez was "adept" at using a second device to film and store photos of the girls on Snapchat.

The judge said there were "elements of planning, grooming, targeting and persistence".

Referring to the first victim who he took to the woods, Judge Watson said: "These are events that she will never forget."

Judge Watson told Gomez that a medical report set out "the condition that you had led to not just a lack of physical development and growth, but a lack of self confidence, which seems to me to be a factor why you were interested in contacting younger girls".

He said: "You appear to have accepted the jury's verdict. Quite how that sits with you contesting and continuing to contest the correctness of the verdicts in the pre-sentence report is a difficult one, but it does suggest to me that you're willing to address your behaviours."

Judge Watson jailed Gomez for six and a half years, and imposed an indefinite restraining order to protect his victims.

The judge ordered Gomez to sign on the Sex Offenders Register and to comply with a Sexual Harm Prevention Order indefinitely.

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A Bristol man thought he was persistently pestering girls aged 12 for sex.

But in reality Adam Pugh, of Seneca Street in St George, was making lewd suggestions to adults, either paedophile hunters or undercover police.

Pugh - who has developmental delay akin to mild learning difficulties - was also found to have downloaded and shared indecent images of children.

Bristol Crown Court heard that, since his offending emerged, he has given himself a self-imposed ban from the internet.

The 37-year-old pleaded guilty to attempted sexual communication with a child, two charges of arranging or facilitating a child sex offence and attempting to cause a child to watch a sexual act.

Judge Euan Ambrose handed him an eight-year extended sentence comprising of four years' custody and four years' extended licence.

He told Pugh: "I am quite satisfied you are dangerous.

"This was persistent offending, undeterred by your arrest.

"You had no way of knowing those you were speaking to were not real children.

"You pose a significant risk of serious harm to children."

Pugh was ordered to register as a sex offender for life and was given an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order designed to stop his reoffending.

James Haskell, prosecuting, said in June 2019 Pugh chatted online to a girl who told him she was 12, and his conversation became increasingly sexualised.

The 'child' was in fact a member of paedophile hunter group Innocent Voices.

Later in the same month Pugh chatted online to another 'child' aged 12 who was also an adult hunter, discussed sex with her, talked about meeting up and sent her a photo of his private parts.

The hunter group then confronted Pugh, police arrested him and he was released pending further investigation.

But the court heard that, once released, Pugh was at it again - this time chatting to another 'child' aged 12 who turned out to be an undercover police officer.

This time he sent the supposed youngster a video of himself engaging in a sex act.

He also talked about meeting her after lockdown to have sex.

During the course of a police investigation it was discovered Pugh had downloaded and distributed child abuse images, which he admitted and asked the court to take into consideration.

Susan Cavender, defending, said: "He has given up all internet access.

"He now has a Nokia with no internet.

"He asks me to assure you of his genuine remorse.

"He has mild to moderate learning difficulties.

"He has made appalling mistakes."

The court heard Pugh, who has limited experience of travel from Bristol, never intended to meet the 'youngsters' and talk of such amounted to fantasy.

Description

The victim of a Bedfordshire paedophile has told of his "relief" after speaking out about the Bedfordshire paedophile who sexually abused him from when he was just 10 years old.

The victim said that before he spoke to police he was "writing off" his life.

Michael Fensom, now 78, of Coronation Road in Cranfield, Bedfordshire, starting abusing the victim in 2000.

The abuse stopped about five years later in the victim's mid-teens when he was attending middle school.

Telling how Fensom had sexually abused and indecently assaulted him, using excuses to get him on his own at his home, and on trips out, the victim said: "I've had to live for years knowing about it, keeping it a secret, writing off my life.

"Since the start of this whole thing with the police, it's not easier to live with, but it feels like there's more support there than you could ever imagine."

He added: "I didn't want to have that first conversation with a police officer, but when I did, it just felt good.

"For me to be able to come out and say it after a long time, that helps a lot, and with support, I think I'll be alright."

In September this year Fensom pleaded guilty to nine counts of indecent assault on a male and four counts of sexual activity with a child.

He pleaded not guilty to a further three charges of indecent assault on a male and two counts of sexual activity with a child, and these charges will lay on file.

He has also been placed on the sex offenders register for life.

Fensom was sentenced at Luton Crown on Tuesday (January 26) to nine years and six months in prison, with an extended 12 months licence period.

Fensom was first arrested in February 2018 after the victim found the courage to speak to police after confiding with his partner about the historical abuse.

After the predator denied the allegations an investigation into the abuse was launched.

Detective Constable Charlie Sermons, from Bedfordshire Police's Public Protection Unit, who investigated the case, said: "It took a lot of courage for this man to open up and admit what had happened to him as a child.

"Fensom was someone he trusted as a boy, and in return, he subjected him to repeated sexual abuse over several years. His victim, fearing he would never be believed, felt unable to tell anyone what was happening until many years later."

He added: "I want to thank the victim for finding the courage to open up and come forward, and I would also like to thank his partner for her support.

"I know that this sentence won't bring back those lost years, but I hope seeing Fensom jailed will give him some closure.

"It is never too late to report sexual offences, no matter when they happened, and this case shows that you will be believed, and we will do all we can to see an offender brought to justice."

Detective Inspector Martin Eaton said: "We know only too well that a victim may carry this burden for many years before they are ready to open up about what has happened.

"If you are experiencing, or have ever been subjected to, sexual abuse, please report it, don't carry this by yourself.

"Our specially trained officers, together with a network of partner agencies, are ready to listen, and can support and guide you through an investigation and beyond."

Description

Jonathan Furber, of Salisbury Road, had previously pleaded guilty to two charges, attempting to incite a child to sexual activity and attempting to incite a child to watch a sexual act. He was arrested after paedophile hunters arranged a meeting at a pub where he was confronted.

The 31-year-old was given a 16-month sentence for the offences, suspended for two years.

Sentencing Furber on January 28, Judge Miller QC said that this was "a one and only" opportunity for him, but warned that any reoffences or breach of the sentence would see him returned to court.

Winchester Crown Court heard from prosecutor Roderick Blain, who said that in 2018, Furber began messaging with an account that he believed was used by a 14-year-old girl called Hannah. This account was actually being run by an adult female member of a "vigilante organisation".

Despite telling Furber that the supposed user of the account was underage, he proceeded to send sexually explicit pictures. Conversation then moved to WhatsApp, where "extremely graphic and sexualised" messaging continued, including video of the defendant masturbating and suggestions 'Hannah' should do the same.

A meeting was then arranged at a pub, where the court heard that Furber "wanted to take her into the forest for sex". Upon arrival, he was confronted by the paedophile hunter group "in numbers", who livestreamed their citizens arrest on the internet. Police subsequently were called and arrested Furber.

Mitigating, Ruby Selva said that Furber had lost his job and his relationship, and had not been taking medication for ADHD. She said that he had been communicating with adult females, and this "spiralled", leading to him being "humiliated" on the internet.

She said that there was "no suggestion" her client had been pursuing others, with no evidence of other messaging or sexually explicit images of children found on his phone or computer.

Furber had been "wholly co-operative" with the investigation and prosecution, she said, having pleaded guilty even after the Crown Prosecution Service informed the defence that the vigilante group was not responding to their attempts at contact, with the leader having been prosecuted.

Selva said that he had "expressed true remorse" for his actions, and had "strived to address his offending", calling for a suspended sentence to be given.

The judge agreed with Selva, with the starting point of four years for the first charge halved as the offence in question could never have taken place, as the 14-year-old child did not exist. This was then reduced by a third due to his guilty plea, and then suspended for two years.

Sentencing Furber, Judge Miller said that he had demonstrated "considerable remorse" by pleading guilty despite the absence of evidence from the paedophile hunters, and said that was "a real chance of rehabilitation."

"I am being lenient," she said. "You're not going to get another chance like this, it's a one and only."

She warned him against reoffending or breaching the terms of his sentence, adding: "This is a chance. Please don't make me regret it."

In addition to his suspended sentence, Furber was ordered to attend a sex offenders course and to attend 25 days of rehabilitation, as well as conduct 100 hours of unpaid work. He was also given a sexual harm prevention order and ordered to surrender his phone, which is to be destroyed.

Description

A Derbyshire man has been jailed for 16 years after committing a string of vile sexual offences against young girls.

Ryan Chadwick, of College Street, Long Eaton, committed the crimes against three girls aged under 16 in the town over the course of several months.

The 23-year-old was arrested and brought before the court, which was told he met the first victim over social media.

He began by speaking to the young teenager on Snapchat in February 2020 and offered her money for sex. He then met up with her and had sex with her twice.

He then went onto assault another girl who was under the age of 13, and attempted to rape her twice in May 2020.

Shortly after this he had sex with a third underage girl on two occasions.

Chadwick admitted to numerous offences at a prior hearing, and was sentenced at Nottingham Crown Court.

He pleaded guilty to several counts of assault by penetration and sexual activity with a child, two counts of inciting a child into sexual activity, two counts of attempted rape of a child, and paying for the sexual services of a child.

He was jailed for 16 years, and must serve a minimum of two thirds, and was given an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order stopping him from having any contact with any girl under the age of 16.

He was also ordered to sign the sex offender register for life and banned from ever working with children.

Detective Constable Claire McKeown, who led the investigation into Chadwick, said he had shown no remorse.

"I cannot give praise enough to the three girls in this case, who came forward and bravely spoke about their individual ordeals at the hands of Chadwick," she said.

"This sentencing reflects the seriousness of Chadwick's crimes, for which he showed no remorse, and I am hopeful that it will give some closure to each of the girls whose lives have been turned upside down as a result.

"My message to anyone reading this who may have also suffered sexual assault or abuse, whether now or in the past, is please speak to someone. There is help available, whether you wish to involve the police or not.

"If you do feel able to contact us, we will always listen, investigate and support you through the process."

Description

A convicted sex offender posted indecent material on a secret Twitter account he set up, a court heard.

Lee Patterson, 23, was subject to a sexual harm prevention order which meant his internet use was monitored.

It was discovered by a sharp-eyed probation officer that he set up a secret Twitter account.

The officer then realised he was using an email account they were unaware about, Norwich Crown Court was told.

Peter Gair, prosecuting, said police were informed and it was found Patterson had posted two messages on his Twitter account containing indecent material, one of which was a live-stream video.

Mr Gair said it was also found that Patterson had access to a phone which he had not told anyone about.

Patterson claimed he had thrown the phone down a drain when he realised he had been found out and Mr Gair said that meant police were unable to find out what he had been accessing on his phone.

Mr Gair said when interviewed Patterson claimed he had not complied because he loved social media.

The court heard he had now been recalled to prison as he had been jailed 16 months in March 2020 for a previous breach.

Patterson, of no fixed address, admitted two offences of sending grossly offensive indecent matter by electronic communication and breaching his sexual harm prevention order and notification order in December 2020.

The court heard he was already on the sex offenders' register for life.

Jailing him for two years, Judge Maureen Bacon told him: "You are a persistent offender. You are unable to restrain yourself even though court orders have been put in place."

She said he had shown a deviousness and had continued to offend.

She said: "When you knew the heat was on and police were coming you threw the phone away,"

David Stewart, for Patterson, said he was a vulnerable young man who was isolated and unable to cope on his own.

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Louis Alexander Szasz never considered the fact that children were being abused, a judge was told.

The 41-year-old "just stumbled across" the photos and "didn't know why he downloaded them".

Prosecution barrister, Rose Burns told how police had found a large number of files on a MacBook and external hard drive belonging to Szasz.

These included 683 category A images - the most serious category - as well as extreme pornography involving animals.

Ms Burns told how officers had gone to his home address in Bridge Road, on May 18, 2019.

During a police interview the next day he said he did not look at images often and was not addicted to them.

Appearing before Southampton Crown Court, the water cooler engineer faced six charges with the offences taking place between August 2016 and May 2019.

These included making indecent photographs of a child and distributing indecent images.

The court heard how Szasz had used the "black" or dark web to download files.

Some of these had then been distributed via a sharing application.

Defending, Peter Asteris said that his client had never been before a court before.

He described him as extremely vulnerable and suffering from extremely low self-esteem.

Mr Asteris argued that Szasz cares for his terminally ill father and had pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity.

During sentencing, Mr Recorder Richard Smith QC said that the offences had crossed the custody threshold.

However, he said how Szaz had sought to address his behaviour and that there was a realistic prospect of rehabilitation.

He was given a 30-month community order, must complete 40 days of rehabilitation and 150 hours of unpaid work.

Szasz will be the subject of a ten-year sexual harm prevention order.

Mr Smith warned if Szasz failed the order he would have no one to blame but himself.

Description

A SEX offender put himself at risk of a third spell behind bars in less than ten years after flying to Poland to visit a girlfriend without informing police. Frank Smith also breached a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) and his notification requirements by changing his bank details and adopting aliases while using the internet, again without telling a police monitoring officer. The now 37-year-old served a three-year prison sentence, imposed at Teesside Crown Court, in May 2012, for grooming and having sexual activity with a 15-year-old girl, as well as for downloading indecent images of children. He was also made subject to lifetime registration as a sex offender and an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order. Within months, however, he moved from the family home in Blackhall Colliery, County Durham, to Town End Farm, Sunderland, after finding work at the nearby Nissan motor manufacturing works, but failed to tell monitoring officers. He also uploaded 17 indecent images of children to be viewed by internet chat room site users. In conversations with those users, recovered by police, Smith boasted of having had sexual relations with girls aged 13 and 15, the latter being the reason for his 2012 prison sentence. Smith was jailed for 32 months for those offences at Durham Crown Court, in November 2016. Laura Doherty, prosecuting, told Newcastle Crown Court, police became aware he had travelled to Gdansk, in Poland, in October 2020, without notifying police. It was also discovered he had used online alias names, one for an Xbox profile, and changed his bank account. When interviewed he admitted having visited his girlfriend in Poland and said he had not used any of the aliases for more than three days but conceded he had not informed police of any of them. Smith, of High Street East, Sunderland, admitted three counts of failing to comply with a SHPO. Barry Robson, for Smith, said a probation report recommended the defendant should be subject to a rehabilitative course, which would serve the public better than a short prison sentence, during which he would not receive the same assistance. Recorder Richard Wright QC agreed, saying the alternative would be a short custodial sentence. He told Smith: The effect is I couldnt order you to do the work that I can on a community sentence. Imposing the 18-month order, he said Smith should undergo a 40-day programme with the Probation Service. But he told the defendant: I make this clear. I have, effectively, given you an opportunity because I consider it in the best interests of the public to deal with you in this way. Should you fail to comply, there wont be any further chances.

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A man from the West Midlands travelled nearly 90 miles to Bedford with the intention of sexually abusing an 11-year-old child.

He was handed five years in prison at Luton Crown Court on Thursday, January 21.

Jamie Macpherson, 46, from Walsall was arrested at Bedford Train Station by police soon after arriving in Bedford, Bedfordshire, on June 18 last year.

He was found with two hard drives containing "huge" amounts of indecent images of children.

The images included category A images which means: "Images involving penetrative sexual activity, images involving sexual activity with an animal or sadism."

These were described by investigators as "some of the worst and most abhorrent child sexual abuse material" they had ever seen.

Following his arrest Macpherson pleaded guilty to facilitating and arranging the commission of a child sexual offence, possession to show or distribute indecent images of children, and possession of indecent images of children.

Additionally, he also pleaded guilty to distributing indecent images of children, in relation to offences committed in the West Midlands.

His five-year sentence was comprised of three years for the Bedfordshire offences and a further two years, to run consecutively, for the West Midlands offences.

He was also served with an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Macpherson's plans to travel to Bedford were uncovered as a result of a proactive operation by the Eastern Region Special Operations Unit.

Once Macpherson was arrested, the investigation team worked with digital media investigators, who were instrumental in securing the evidence from the hard drives in his possession.

Investigation Officer Paul Baddeley, from Bedfordshire Police's Cyber Hub, said: "Macpherson is an extremely dangerous offender who has travelled a long way from his home with a clear intent to sexually abuse a child.

"Following his arrest, he was found in possession of huge amounts of indecent images of children. Some of these have been described as some of the worst and most abhorrent child sexual abuse material the investigation team have ever seen.

"Thanks to close collaboration with our colleagues at West Midlands Police and the Eastern Region Special Operations Unit, this horrific offender will be locked up away from our communities and children he could pose a risk to."

He added: "We are seeing an ever increasing amount of referrals of this nature, we would like to take this opportunity to remind parents and guardians of how important it is to ensure their children know how to keep themselves safe online.

"Any child can become the victim of grooming, no matter what their gender, ethnicity or background. If you think that this might be happening to you or someone you know then it's important you speak out and tell someone you trust."

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Tyrell Robinson and his friend Korie Berman met three 14-year-olds at his flat in Bradford in August 2018. Bradford Crown Court heard the 23-year-old knew the girls' ages and had discussed the fact with Berman, 22. Both men admitted sexual activity with a child. Robinson was jailed for three-and-a-half years and Berman for six. Gillian Batts, prosecuting, said the player had met the victims at a social event he had been told not to attend by Bradford City's management. The court was also told the club had given all players safeguarding training regarding young and vulnerable people, which included guidance about not giving under-18s their contact details.

'Violently ill'

However, Robinson later sent one of the girls a message saying: "I think you are stunning, but your age is a killer." Robinson, from South Ockendon, Essex, admitted having sex with one of the girls in his bedroom after he and Berman met up with them. He also took a photo of Berman in bed with the two other girls and shared it with him. Berman admitted to police he had sex with them, although the court heard the girls, who had been given alcohol, had "little or no recollection" of events and had been "violently ill" afterwards. The court also heard Berman, from Thurrock in Essex, had sex on two other occasions with one of the girls at Robinson's flat while the footballer was away. Robinson was suspended by Bradford City days after the attack in August 2018 and was later sacked by the club. Judge Richard Mansell QC said the teenagers had been "immature, typical 14-year-olds who were sexually inexperienced, naive and vulnerable to grooming and sexual exploitation by adult men". All three girls and their families suffered considerable harm, he added. In addition to their sentences, both men will be on the sex offenders' register for life.