Latest Offenders

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A Liverpool man who admitted enjoying watching the live abuse of young childrenhas been jailed after being convicted for the third time in nine years of online child sexual abuse offences.

Richard Thomas, 31, pleaded guilty to five offences at Liverpool Crown Court. He was jailed for two-and-a-half years.

He admitted three counts of making indecent images of children, one of encouraging the commission by another of the offence of distributing indecent images of a child, and one of breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).

The NCA identified that Thomas was using an online video conferencing platform to watch indecent images of children online.

Investigators were able to prove that the chat room user names 'Ped UK' and 'P1' belonged to him.

Thomas has two previous convictions for offences related to indecent images of children. In 2010 he was given a three-year community order, then in 2016 he was given a 12 month prison sentence and a SHPO prohibiting him from accessing the internet unless approved by a police officer. .

As well as the prison sentence, Thomas was ordered to be on the sex offenders register for life. The SHPO remains in place.

Graham Ellis, NCA operations manager, said: "This is Thomas' third conviction for offences related to online child abuse. By viewing these horrific images of children he – and others like him - are fuelling the abuse of young children across the world.

"We know that the scale and severity of this type of offending against children is getting worse and increasing. With many individuals we see an escalation in offending which is very frightening; going from viewing abuse images to sexually abusing children.

"The NCA and our law enforcement partners will not stop pursuing child sex offenders and will do everything in our power to bring them to justice."

The NCA's most recent National Strategic Assessment published this week shows the number of referrals to the NCA from industry of online child sexual abuse and exploitation has increased by 997% from 2012 to 2018.

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A 21-year-old has been labelled a "persistent, predatory and exploitative paedophile" and jailed after attempting to meet a girl aged nine for sex in a Somerset hotel.

A court heard Scott Horsburgh from Radstock was caught in a sting by an uncover policeman who posed as the girl's dad on an online chatroom for children.

It was Horsburgh's first criminal conviction despite extensive evidence that he posed a danger to children, Bristol Crown Court heard.

Between 2013-2015 he received police cautions for crimes including inciting children under 13 years of age to engage in sexual activity.

Horsburgh admitted two charges when he appeared in court on Wednesday, May 15.

These were arranging or facilitating the commission of a child sex offence and breaching a sexual harm prevention order, both of which were committed between April 9-17 2019.

'I want her to call me big daddy'

The court heard he falsely claimed he was 15 in a profile with the username Boy For All on the chatroom on April 9.

He unwittingly contacted the undercover officer who was using a profile called Pre Teen Lover UK which had an avatar of a young girl in school uniform as its display picture.

Prosecuting counsel Chloe Griggs said: "This defendant's profile stated that he was 15 years old and his user information said 'Girls and mums any age'.

"Mr Horsburgh initiates the contact and writes 'Hey, do you f*** your daughter?'"

The undercover officer said his daughter was aged nine and Horsburgh told him "how he would like to sexually abuse" the girl, Ms Griggs said.

Hotel arrest

The conversation continued the next day.

Ms Griggs said: "The defendant writes 'Can she wear short skirts or shorts for me? I want her to call me big daddy or uncle'."

On April 15 the undercover policeman and Horsburgh arrange to meet in the car park of Co-op in Radstock and Horsburgh asked the officer to bring his daughter along, the court heard.

The officer then suggests meeting at the Centurion Hotel in Charlton Lane, Midsomer Norton and Horsburgh gave him his mobile phone number.

On April 17 the officer told Horsburgh that he was in room six of the hotel with the imaginary girl.

"He writes 'When I'm outside your door I will let you know and she can open it'," Ms Griggs said.

As Horsburgh approached the hotel reception, he was escorted away and arrested, she said.

The court heard he had no previous convictions. However, he had multiple police cautions for sexual offences committed since December 2012 - when he was aged just 15.

The cautions led to Horsburgh being taken into local authority care and removed from his natural family.

Ms Griggs also said he had "sexual discussions" on a website called Chat Hour for children aged 6-14 after creating another fake profile.

She said on June 1 2016 "a foster carer raised concerns with the police that this defendant was still talking to children openly".

She requested that the judge made Horsburgh subject to a further sexual harm prevention order which his defence counsel Caighli Taylor raised no objections to.

Miss Taylor told the court: "He's fully cognisant with the seriousness of the offences and the concerns the court will have about the risk he possesses and the inevitability of custody.

"One of the more significant strands of his mitigation is his guilty plea and his tendency to accept responsibility and accept his offending history.

"He has a complex background - abuse suffered at a young age, into the care system aged 16, cut off from his family at that point.

"Without going into detail it's plain to see that it's not been easy for him.

'Serious offending history'

"In the last few years he had been engaging with social services in relation to work around his offending behaviour.

"There will be many features of the report that reveal concern, not least that he's had a lot of help and gone onto commit these offences."

She added: "His regret is acknowledged to be genuine and [so] is his motivation to change.

"He fully intends to take every opportunity he's given to receive help in prison and work as hard as he can [on] his rehabilitation.

"His offending history is serious.

"The most serious cautions relate to when he was 16, not long after he was a victim of abuse himself.

"[Because he's only 21] there's still the capacity for change."

'Persistent, predatory and exploitative paedophile': Judge sums up

Addressing Horsburgh, the judge His Honour Judge Horton said: "You're only now still 21 years of age and you have already shown overwhelmingly that you're a persistent, predatory and exploitative paedophile who uses social media as a weapon against children.

"And you resisted any steps that society has taken to curb your offending which has included putting you on a course with a view to allowing you to gain information [and] develop strategies for yourself to avoid committing offences.

"In 2013 as a juvenile you were warned for an offence of exposure.

"In 2014 ... you were cautioned for three offences in relation to inciting children under 13 years of age to engage in sexual activity.

"In 2015 arising out of some extremely serious and dangerous circumstances, a standalone application was made which led to a sexual harm prevention order being made against you at Bristol Magistrates' Court.

"You then appeared in June 2018 for two breaches of that order in relation to your use of computer equipment.

"You were being monitored. You were placed in accommodation which was aimed ... to support and to watch that you were behaving properly.

"On April 9 you used your skill with determination and sophistication I liken with those who use social media as a weapon against children to create a false web of information and to gain access to websites which are created for children but which have become a magnet for paedophiles like you."

Judge Horton said his "conversation from the very outset was a squalid sexual description of what you were seeking" from "a man you assumed to be the father of a nine-year-old daughter who was going to allow you to commit a series of offences".

"You discussed and arranged meticulously with him what you were going to do and where you were going to do it," the judge said.

He added: "It's my consideration ... that you were seeking to have conversation on Chat Hour and Kids' Chat, seeking to have conversations with kids between the ages of 6-14 which were sexual [conversations].

"You have admitted that you are sexually attracted to young girls but it's clear [you are attracted to] young boys as well.

"You had to previously be removed from a home due to your sexual behaviour to two young children in that household."

The judge said the abuse Horsburgh received as a child led to his sexual interest in children.

He continued: "Analysis by the probation services confirmed my preliminary description of your behaviour which has really commenced in a young age and continued and persisted no matter what help has been provided.

"There's every single suggestion that you're deeply engaged and determined as a paedophile who will have to be watched at all times."

The judge said the offences involved "significant planning", acting with another person to commission them, the perceived age of the victim (nine) and that Horsburgh lied about his own age.

He said the defendant's previous record and his failure to comply with an existing sexual harm prevention order were aggravating factors.

"You're still only 21.

"It's important to respect that you have not only pleaded guilty at the first instance but that you have admitted the offences when they have been put to you.

"And wherever you have been interviewed about these matters you have been prepared to discuss them.

"It's no doubt for that reason that rather than being formally prosecuted as you could have been the court administered cautions ... believing that assisting you would result in these matters ceasing.

"That has not been the case."

Judge passes sentence

Horsburgh was given a total of four years and three months in jail for the two crimes.

The judge told him: "You will serve half of that sentence before you're released.

"You will then be on licence for the remainder of that term."

The conditions of his release on licence will be that he attends specific courses and stays at certain addresses.

The judge continued: "Because of these offences you will be placed on a barring list preventing you from ever working with the young, vulnerable or elderly.

"You will be placed on the Sex Offenders' Register for life.

"When you're released you will be required to notify the local policy where you are."

He was also ordered to pay a 170 surcharge.

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Stuart Keay jailed for string of sex offences against girls as young as six

Stuart Richard Keay, aged 48, of Baring Close, Itchen Abbas, was found guilty of 15 charges, which included counts of rape, indecent assault, inciting a child to commit an act of gross indecency and sexual activity with a child.

It follows a three week trial at Winchester Crown court.

Keay faced 16 charges against him relating to girls aged between six and 17-years-old who he abused in Winchester, Eastleigh and Denmead between 1992 and 2018.

Keay was brought to trial after three victims who had suffered years of abuse at his hands came forward to police last year. Judge Jane Miller QC sentence Keay to 24 years in prison.

Detective Constable Naomi Stocker, who led Operation Amberstone, she said: This was a huge investigation that took us back to 1992 when Keays offending began, right the way to 2018, when his offending finally ceased due the bravery of his victims to speak out.

This was a truly appalling case of abuse, which took place over many years. I am overwhelmed by the bravery of the victims in coming forward and reporting what had happened to them. I want to commend them and thank them for their help in convicting Keay, a very dangerous and manipulative man. No amount of jail time will make up for what has he has done, but I hope this serves to at least offer the victims some closure, and a chance to move on with their lives.

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Marcus McPherson, still only 21, targeted young girls online and violently sexually assaulted two of his victims after eventually persuading them to meet.

McPherson, of Dunveth Road in Wadebridge , appeared at Truro Crown Court for sentence after admitting sexual assault, assault by penetration, distributing an indecent image of a child, three counts of meeting a child following sexual grooming, engaging in sexual communication with a child and two breaches of a sexual risk order.

Moving onto the offences against the first victim, Mr Lee described how she met the defendant in 2015 when she was 14 and he was 17.

Mr Lee described “persistent and demanding messages” in which he requested sexual chat and photos and also sent pictures of his penis to the girl.

In November 2015 she went to meet a friend at a bus stop in Lanivet and agreed the defendant could come along. When they were alone McPherson pushed the girl back and tried to unbutton her trousers and zip.

He then held her head with one hand and continued trying to undress her with the other, saying it was ‘what happened to people who said no’.

The second victim, of a similar age to the first, was again bombarded with sexual messages by McPherson and eventually agreed to meet him in Par in 2017.

He took a train there and they went to the skate park and then into the woods to take shelter from rain.

When there he put her arms around her so she couldn’t move and his hand inside her top, touching her breasts.

He then put his hand inside her underwear and abused her in such a way she was left in pain. When she told McPherson to back off he still persisted saying ‘let me do it, it’ll feel really nice’.

Chillingly, Mr Lee said after the ordeal McPherson continued to message her and blackmailed her into sending him a naked photograph, warning if she didn’t he’d tell everyone what happened. The girl sent him the picture but he then distributed it to others leading to her receiving comments and abuse.

While the investigation was progressing McPherson was made subject of a sexual risk order which he repeatedly breached by being found with social media apps on his phone. One breach was reported by a girl he knew from school who he contacted and in turn told police as she was aware of his situation.

The girls McPherson physically abused were said to have suffered physically and emotionally as a result of his offending, going on to have problems with their education and with self-harm.

Judge Carr sentenced McPherson to an extended sentence of 14 years, nine years custodial and five on licence. He will only be eligible for parole after two thirds of the custodial element.

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Mark Williamson of the Calderwood area had nearly 5000 indecent images and clips on his devices. A sick Calderwood perv who told police it looked like some children enjoyed being abused has avoided jail. Appearing for sentencing at Hamilton Sheriff Court on Friday, Mark Williamson was given a two-year supervision order. The 28-year-old, of Maxwellton Road , was also placed on the sex offenders register for the same duration. Court previously heard that nearly 5000 indecent images and video clips were found on devices belonging to the creep, who admitted downloading and possessing child porn between January 2012 and June last year. Fiscal depute, Paula Russell, said girls featured in images downloaded by Williamson could have been as young as four, adding that his Internet history showed searches for pre-teens. His sick predilection was uncovered after police raided a flat in Glasgow Road, Blantyre, where he was staying in June last year. Sick Williamson told police that a distinction should be drawn between teenagers and those under the age of 12, but said he had stumbled upon images while searching online for music. Ms Russell had previously told how Williamson had stressed he was not sexually aroused by them but had a persistent, morbid curiosity. She added: He said he did not enjoy seeing children in pain and could not tell from the images whether or not they were. Their faces were often covered, but possibly in some images the children appeared to be enjoying it. Williamsons defence said his client clearly has issues but had co-operated with social work so far and would continue to do so. Diarmid Bruce added: My client pleaded guilty at the first diet stage. Its a serious matter and he knows his conduct was unacceptable. Sentencing the pervert, Sheriff Thomas Miller said he was willing to go with the recommendations in the very full report he had been presented with. Williamson has also been banned from owning any device with Internet access unless it had the ability to store a search history that could not be deleted.

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A paedophile who repeatedly abused a child while involved in a charity project more than 20 years ago has been jailed. Stephen Madge, from Sevenoaks, was convicted of six counts of indecent assault at Maidstone Crown Court after targeting a teenage boy during the 1990s. Allegations of abuse were first made to Kent Police in November 2014, when it was reported that Madge, 62, had been responsible for multiple offences during his charity work. He was said to have developed an obsession with the victim, who he came into contact with in 1993 and repeatedly abused him throughout the year. Officers arrested him at his home in Bradbourne Vale Road, Sevenoaks, in May 2015 and despite denials of any wrongdoing Madge was charged with six counts of indecent assault. He pleaded not guilty and the case went to trial, where a jury unanimously found Madge guilty on all counts. He was today sentenced to six years imprisonment, with an extended licence period of a further year. Madge was also made subject of a sexual harm prevention order and added to the sex offenders register, both for indefinite terms. "Sex offenders like Madge wreak incalculable damage on their victims, many who will suffer in silence for years, or throughout their whole lives" - Lisa Roots. Detective Constable Lisa Roots of the Vulnerable Investigation Team said: "Sex offenders like Madge wreak incalculable damage on their victims, many who will suffer in silence for years, or throughout their whole lives. "Thankfully in this case the victim has shown extraordinary courage to come forward. "Madges lies have forced him to testify in court and endure further anguish, but I hope he can now take some comfort that justice has been served. "This case is another example of why we continue to urge anyone who has been a victim of sexual abuse to come forward. "We will always fully investigate all accusations of non-recent offences, no matter how long ago they were."

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Stuart Eager, 70, of Lady Lane in Swindon, was convicted by a unanimous jury verdict of three counts of indecent assault at Portsmouth Crown Court.

The court heard that Eager, who denied the allegations, had assaulted the boy on three separate occasions in 1988 at Budds Farm in Havant, where he allowed the victim to sit on his lap and steer his car around. The boy had been 11 or 12 years-old at the time.

Judge William Ashworth sentenced Eager to four years in prison with indefinite licence conditions.

Following the sentencing, Detective Sergeant Julia Nicol, who led the investigation, said: "The horrific manipulation and abuse perpetrated by Eager has had a significant impact on this young boy's life.

"He was only 11 or 12 at the time of these offences, which makes them all the more shocking and depraved.

"The boy, now a grown man, harboured this secret for decades, during which he struggled to cope with life and school, his identity, and suffered terribly with his mental health.

"His childhood was stolen from him, and his adult life was spent trying to come to terms with the trauma.

"It is only in the last couple of years that he has found the courage to come forward, and I wholeheartedly commend him for that.

"I have no doubt that there are many people out there that have suffered similar abuse, and spent decades struggling with the trauma, that have not yet found the confidence to report it to police. I would like to assure those people that they are not alone, and we are here to listen to them and support them if they wish to make an allegation."

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A music teacher has been jailed for five years.

A music teacher has been jailed for five years for plotting to sexually abuse young girls in the Philippines.

James Alexander, 42, was caught by the National Crime Agency after he sent money to known facilitators who had live-streamed child sexual abuse from Illigan City.

He was arrested on 30 June 2018 at Manchester Airport as he flew into the UK from Thailand where he lived since 2017.

NCA investigators seized his electronic devices.

Forensic analysis showed Alexander, of Beeston, Leeds, sent at least 15 money transfers to abuse facilitators between August 2017 and Jun 2018.

It also showed that Alexander - who served as a reservist in the Parachute Regiment from 1999 to 2003 – tried to arrange with abuse facilitators over Skype and WhatsApp to travel to the Philippines to abuse little girls himself.

Alexander had a discussion with one female facilitator about a 13 year-old girl, in which he said: "If I meet anyone else I would like younger".

He then asked the facilitator for pictures of her 12-year-old daughter.

It is believed indecent images of the 12-year-old were sent to him, as his recovered chat history shows he said: "nice baby…now take the other pictures I asked."

On 1 February 2018 he and the woman discussed plans for him to meet the girls in a hotel and he asked: "Are you going to bring them both with you and stay also".

He added: "You'll show them what to do."

TJamesAlexander teachinghe woman told Alexander she had other daughters aged nine, six and four.

Alexander, who taught in Leeds and Malaysia before moving to Thailand, asked for sick images of the girls aged nine and six posing in a certain way, and asked what the six-year-old would do with him.

He also explained how he would like to sexually abuse the four-year-old.

Alexander told another Filipino mother – who says she will make her daughters do anything for money – that he wants to have sex with her seven and 11-year-old girls. He directed them to pose for photographs.

NCA officers also discovered other WhatsApp messages where Alexander asked a 10-year-old to send him images of her posing, and asked if he could meet her.

There were no records of Alexander ever travelling to the Philippines.

In-country investigations into the facilitators continue but as a result of NCA intelligence, one suspect was arrested and several children safeguarded.

Alexander taught at Bromsgrove International School in Bangkok, Thailand, which dismissed him upon notification of the investigation. Safeguarding checks were made at the school and there was no evidence of Alexander offending there.

Alexander's phone contained child abuse images.

He admitted one count of arranging/facilitating the commission of a child sex offence; three counts of attempting to cause/incite a girl under 13 to engage in sexual activity, and one count of making an indecent image of a child.

Alexander, who also performed as a DJ in Thailand, was prosecuted under section 72 of the Sex Offences Act 2003 which allows British nationals to be prosecuted in the UK for offences committed abroad.

Today, at Leeds Crown Court, he was also given a five-year sexual harm prevention order which bans foreign travel, and he was made to sign the sex offenders register for life.

Hazel Stewart, NCA senior investigating officer, said: "Alexander clearly tried to manipulate and exploit the poverty of the vulnerable in order to gratify his sick sexual desires.

"He believed he could abuse Filipino children safely from his home and wanted to visit the Philippines to carry out the sexual abuse himself.

"The NCA has strong partnerships with law enforcement in the Philippines. We work together to combat this kind of offending.

"We and UK policing will never give up our pursuit of offenders who commit these horrendous crimes."

Victims or anyone with information about child sexual abuse offences should contact their local police.

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A paedophile from Penzance confessed to police that he had been "at it again" after they seized his laptop and phone.

Jason Barnes, 29, of Nicholas Parc, was imprisoned for breaching a suspended sentence imposed in October 2016 for making indecent images of children. He committed similar offences less than a year later.

Prosecutor Philip Lee spoke at Truro Crown Court about how police attended Barnes' home in August 2017 and seized a laptop and phone. When the devices were seized, Barnes told police: "I've been silly, I've been at it again." The devices were found to have more than 500 indecent photographs of children on them: 27 photographs of the most serious category A, 19 of category B and 500 of category C. Another phone was seized in August 2018, and he was also found to have made 20 indecent images of children and to have distributed three.

His internet search history contained phrases such as: "teen 12-18" and "hot boy 14".

He was sentenced to eight months imprisonment suspended for two years in October 2016 for previous offences involving making indecent images of children. At the time, he was ordered to undertake a rehabilitation programme for internet sexual offenders.

It took the probation service until November 2017 to make his first appointment, by which time he had already reoffended.

His defence solicitor Brian Fitzherbert argued that this delay was reason enough for Barnes' sentence to be reduced.

He said: "The reason for imposing the internet sex offenders programme is this: For Mr Barnes it had become something of an addiction. He was a man badly in need of the very effective assistance that programme can provide.

"At that stage he had not had a single appointment. It's something that hadn't happened. The first letter for the programme went out in 2017."

He went on to say: "Mr Barnes is now doing much better. He tells me that the programme was extremely useful, that it's helped him to understand the reason why this insidious material became such a large part of his life."

Mr Fitzherbert also mentioned that Barnes had been accessing help from sex offender charity Circles, and asked for credit for his client's early guilty plea.

Sentencing him at Truro Crown Court today, judge Robert Linford said: "On the 21st of October 2016 you were made the subject of a suspended sentence in respect of the making of a number of indecent images of children.

"That order had coupled with it the requirement to attend a sexual internet offenders programme. It is not acceptable that you were not made an appointment for over a year.

"The judge expects his order to be swiftly complied with, not left for over a year. I expect a written explanation from the probation service.

"While you had the deterrent of a suspended sentence, you did not have access to that programme to help with what your defence has called an addiction.

"A few months after the sentence was made you were downloading images, distributing them. You did not need a court to tell you that what you were doing was wrong, seriously wrong.

"I have seen the descriptions of the videos that you distributed. They are all illegal for you to possess, for you to watch, for you to make, certainly for you to distribute."

Judge Linford went on to say: "You are now taking steps to address what your defence has called an addiction. You have pleaded guilty as early as you could. I propose to activate on some part the suspended sentence."

For three charges relating to the possession, distribution and making of indecent images of children, Barnes pleaded guilty, and judge Linford sentenced him to a total of eighteen months imprisonment, of which he must serve at least half.

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A serial rapist could face a rare whole life sentence after he violently forced himself on a 71-year-old woman in her home. Anthony Murphy, 59, raped and molested the woman just four months after his release from prison. He had served 28 years of a life sentence following a string of violent rapes in the 1980s and 90s . Now, he may become one of the few offenders to receive a whole life jail term. After he was found guilty of rape, Judge Peter Armstrong told him: "In light of the history, there'll only be one sentence. "Obviously a life term, and the only question is whether that has to be a whole life term or a fixed (minimum) period. "From what I can see, whole life tariffs are extremely rare. But it may be that this is that sort of case," he added at Teesside Crown Court. Murphy is a Category A prisoner - the type deemed to pose the greatest threat to the public. According to the judge, it costs 10,000 per day to bring such prisoners to court accompanied by at least five prison officers. Murphy will be sentenced via video link on May 16. Rape exactly mirrored previous sex attacks He raped a 71-year-old woman on the morning of November 9 last year, days after he befriended her and her partner in Middlesbrough. Prosecutor Jo Kidd said he violently raped the woman when she rejected him, exactly mirroring his previous rapes. He came to her home, tried to kiss her, and when she pulled away, he grabbed her around the throat and tried to strangle her. He dragged the terrified woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, upstairs to a bedroom and raped her. She walked into a Middlesbrough restaurant that day holding her stomach saying: "I've been raped." 'She thought she was going to die' A restaurant worker who knew her said in a statement: "She looked like a frail old lady. She could hardly walk. "I put my arms around her and she flopped on to me. "She said it happened in her house and said she thought she was going to die." Murphy, formerly of Middlesbrough Road, South Bank, ran from officers across a field before his arrest. He denied two counts of rape and two sexual assault charges, putting the woman through a trial. 'My dying breath, I didn't do this' He insisted to the jury: "I've know I've done some horrible s***e but I didn't do this. "My dying breath, I didn't do this." Jurors did not believe him and, after almost seven-and-a-half hours' consideration, unanimously convicted him on all four counts. The jury had heard about his disturbing history during the trial. He raped three women in France in 1980 and 1982. He hit, tried to strangle the women, threatening to kill one and putting another in hospital for days. Rapist targeted, preyed on and degraded women He forced a fourth woman into a derelict van in Wales in 1991, grabbing her by the throat, threatening to kill her and forcing himself on her. For the 1991 offence, he was given a life sentence with a 10-year minimum term for rape and another serious sexual offence. According to him, he completed sex offender treatment programmes, courses in anger and alcohol control, relationship skills and attitudes to women, and four years in therapy while in prison. He agreed in court that he targeted and preyed on women decades ago, trying to hurt, punish and degrade them. He confessed he did this because he was angry at the world and at women, because they rejected him and were vulnerable. He served 28 years before his release in July last year, and ended up living in a Teesside hostel. 'Obsessed and fixated' He said he lied to the latest victim by saying he had been inside for murder. "I didn't want them to think badly of me," he told the court. He claimed the sexual encounter was consensual and even said the victim professed love for him and "fancied the hell out of me". He denied being obsessed or fixated on the woman. He denied grabbing her arms or throat causing bruises, dragging her, verbally abusing her or threatening to kill her. Murphy had told police: "I thought she was in love with me... It just didn't happen. It's a stitch-up." 'I know everything looks bad' In the witness box, he said: "I know it sounds exactly like what I've done in the past. "I know everything looks bad. But I didn't do this." After jurors rejected his account, Murphy remarked from the dock: "Can I just thank the jury, sir? Thank you." The jury could not reach a verdict on a fifth charge of attempted rape, which will be left to lie on the court file. Detective Sergeant Denise Knox from Cleveland Police said: Justice has been served today and Anthony Murphy has been found guilty of his crimes. This has been a horrendous ordeal for the victim, and I would like to commend her for her bravery for reporting this to police and for her courage throughout the trial. I hope the victim can now start to make steps to moving forward with her life. Cleveland Police always encourage victims of sexual assault and rape to report these incidents to police, no matter how much time may have passed. They will be thoroughly investigated and all support available will be provided.

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A "disgusting" paedophile with a "foot fetish" filmed himself sexually assaulting a young girl. Marco Assogna, 44, also took pictures of an intimate part of his body "on her feet" and created a dedicated file on his computer to store them in. The pervert also allowed indecent images on his computer to be accessed by other paedophiles. He now faces deportation to his native Italy after being jailed for nine years for child sex offences. Nicola Quinney, prosecuting, told Hull Crown Court police raided Assogna's home last year after his IP address featured in an investigation of users of "peer to peer platform sharing of indecent images". Assogna had not physically distributed the material, but had software which allowed the files to be accessed, the court heard, and some were. He cried into a handkerchief as he sat in the dock listening to Miss Quinney describe how had repeatedly sexually assaulted the girl. In total, across Assogna's laptop and three mobile phones that were seized, police found a total of 235 indecent pictures or films at category A - the most extreme - 52 at category B, and 147 at category C. 'Aroused by feet' Miss Quinney said when he was arrested and interviewed, Assogna "admitted he had what he described as a foot fetish, and was sexually aroused by feet". There were 24 images of the victim's feet, which also included Assogna kissing and licking them. In a harrowing victim statement, the girl's mother said Assogna's "monstrous actions" had devastated hers and her daughter's life to the point where she questioned "if we'll ever recover". She said Assogna's manipulative behaviour "makes him even more dangerous". The girl was "frightened what will happen when he comes out of prison", and had "talked of wanting to kill herself". 'We'll battle through this' The victim will need "a lot of help over the years from professionals", her mother said. She said the abuse had "turned my world upside down", but said: "With my love and the wonderful people we know we will battle through this." She also said: "I will be forever grateful to the police." Assogna, of HMP Hull, admitted five sexual assaults of a child under 13, five offences of making indecent photographs, and 27 of either possessing, making, or distributing indecent photographs. 'Deport him' "The UK Borders Act applies to him, doesn't it?" Judge Mark Bury said. "He's an Italian national. Automatic deportation provisions apply. "If the Home Office have got anything about them they will use them, and I'd like that passed on to the appropriate authorities." Richard Thompson, mitigating, said Assogna had written a letter to the court and there was also a pre-sentence report. He said: "The defendant accepts that there has to be a significant custodial sentence for these offences. He has discussed them with the author of the pre-sentence report. "That has not been a straight-forward process for him. He has perhaps expressed himself better in the letter he's written. 'He wants to be a baker' "He has a job in the prison kitchen as a baker, and says that is potentially a future career for him." Assogna would not challenge deportation, Mr Thompson said, and planned to return to his family in Italy. Jailing Assogna for nine years, Judge Bury told him: "It's clear you obtained sexual gratification from this tawdry behaviour. You are , in my view, a disgusting individual. I would approve of a Home Office decision to deport you at the end of this sentence."

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An ex-British Army officer is facing jail after he spent thousands of pounds watching children being sexually abused live on the internet.

Andrew Whiddett, of Portsmouth, Hampshire, also discussed flying out to the Philippines - where the sickening videos were filmed - to commit abuse himself, the National Crime Agency (NCA) said.

The 70-year-old ex-lieutenant colonel, who was awarded an MBE for service in Northern Ireland, pleaded guilty to six charges relating to the sexual abuse of children at Croydon Crown Court on Wednesday.

The NCA said his crimes were committed in the UK after he left the Army and finished private contractor work as head of security at the British Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq.

Following his guilty pleas, the NCA said Whiddett had directed the live-streamed abuse over Skype with "known Filipino child sex abuse facilitators".

Whiddett had conversations with a woman between September and October 2016, in which he made clear he "wanted to sexually abuse a child when he visited the Philippines that October", the NCA said.

Investigators were able to prove that he made 49 payments to the woman totalling £8,584 between January 2015 and July 2017.

On November 21, 2015, Whiddett paid £31.41 to watch a nine-year-old girl abused, the NCA said.

Travel records show Whiddett flew to the Philippines capital Manila on October 21, 2016, and other messages between Whiddett and abuse facilitators were also discovered by officers.

The NCA said it had passed intelligence to Filipino counterparts who made one arrest and safeguarded six children aged between three and 14.

After Whiddett was arrested in October 2017 at Heathrow Airport he admitted in interview to sending 158 payments to the Philippines but said these were for live adult sex shows.

He declined to answer questions in another interview in March 2018.

In court on Wednesday he admitted one charge of attempting to cause or incite a girl under the age of 13 to engage in sexual activity in November 2015.

Whiddett also pleaded guilty to a charge of intentionally causing or inciting a girl under 16 to engage in sexual activity in September 2016.

Under a further charge he admitted that in September 2016 he intentionally arranged or facilitated the commission of a child sex offence.

He will also be sentenced over guilty pleas to three charges of making indecent photographs of a child, involving a total of eight category C and three category B images.

Following the guilty pleas Judge Nicholas Ainley warned Whiddett: "You should prepare yourself for a period of imprisonment."

Judge Ainley had issued a temporary order banning the publication of photos of the defendant because his lawyers claimed it would place him in "particular peril".

But legal representations from the press made in court on Thursday saw this restriction lifted by the judge, who admitted the order was made "in error".

Whiddett, who has no previous convictions and is on bail, will be sentenced at Croydon Crown Court on May 22.

NCA senior investigating officer Gary Fennelly said: "Andrew Whiddett was directly responsible for the soul-destroying abuse of children thousands of miles away from him.

"He thought he could get away with abusing Filipino children from the comfort of his own home.

"Anyone like him should realise the NCA and UK police will never give up our pursuit of offenders who commit these horrific crimes.

"The NCA does important work with international law enforcement partners in the Philippines to combat these sorts of crimes."

An NSPCC spokesman said: "Whiddett's actions have helped to fuel a sickening industry where children are horrifically abused to order.

The effects of sexual abuse can last a lifetime and we hope that the children involved are receiving support and safeguarding to get their lives back on track.

"The internet is used as a gateway to child abuse far too frequently. The NSPCC is campaigning for providers to take greater responsibility for what's shared on their platforms and cut off this vile material at source."

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Update:South Wales Police confirmed Ian Campbell was arrested in Brighton on Wednesday night and is in police custody Police are hunting a sex offender who has been on the run for two years. Ian Campbell, 40, from Rhondda Cynon Taf , was jailed in 2016 for possessing indecent images. He was released from prison in 2017 but failed to comply with his licence conditions. He is now wanted by police for breaching his licence. Officers believe he was once in the Brighton area and might still be there. Sergeant Ben Rowe said: He has failed to comply with strict licence conditions and is a wanted man. It is concerning that somebody with his offending history is not currently being managed in the community - somebody somewhere will know where he is. Our investigations indicate that at some point he visited the Brighton area since he went on the run. He could be living and working under an alias, so, our appeal is to anybody in Brighton, and indeed the rest of the UK, to get in touch if they have seen him or if they know where he is.

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A RESPECTED solicitor who defended paedophiles in court has been jailed for more than eight years for sexual assaults on young girls and boys from a church youth group three decades ago. Evil Mike Pulsford sexually assaulted three boys and three young girls, forcing them to kiss him, touching them inappropriately and even telling one victim it happened because the then 12-year-old boy was pretty. As a solicitor, Pulsford spent decades representing a series of sex offenders in the Swindon courts, despite knowing he had abused children starting when he was just 23 years old. The 67-year-old, formerly of Corsham but who gave the courts an address in Streatham, south London, admitted 16 counts of indecent assault which happened between 1974 and 1989. Pulsford, who had worked for Chippenham law firm Jeary and Lewis before his victims came forward, was a youth club leader and volunteer with the Corsham-based church group Urban Saints for around 30 years. He was working as a clerk to the justices when he was admitted as a solicitor in 1980, becoming a deputy clerk to the North Wiltshire Magistrates a year later. The solicitor was one of the first in the country to receive rights of power to be heard in a crown court, despite not actually being a barrister. He has since defended clients including a number of convicted sex offenders and, at the time, Britains youngest drink driver. The solicitor also represented aristocrat the Earl of Cardigan when he was cleared of assaulting a man in a row over family paintings which were being sold. One victim bravely stood and faced his abuse, questioning whether Pulsford joined the Crusaders just to get to children and telling him that describing him as a man or even an animal would be a travesty. Another told the court Pulsford, who sat emotionless as his victims faced him, would even read a specific chapter from the bible, titled Love to her while they were alone together. The solicitor carried out the sick sexual assaults on youngsters while volunteering for church group the Crusaders, now known as the Urban Saints. Judge Peter Henry told Pulsford he had pretended to live by Christian values he was teaching people, but the whole time he took advantage of his position to abuse young children. The judge said: You were a sexual predator. Whilst it might be said in the 1970s and 80s the public were less atuned to the serious impact of sexual abuse on children, you would be acutely aware as a solicitor. Prosecutor Simon Wilshere told Southampton Crown Court, Hants, Pulsford had been a senior group leader with the Crusaders, where he met all his victims. The court heard Pulsford forced his victims to kiss him and even showed one youngster a horror film so he was scared enough to join the solicitor in his bed at his home in Gastard, Wiltshire, where he then sexually assaulted him. The court heard the attacks happened at Crusaders camps on the Isle of Wight, as well as some at his home in Gastard. Reading a statement to the court, one male victim, now in his 50s, said: I wonder if he was only in the Crusaders to gain potentially unlimited access to children. My childhood innocence was taken away by this evil individual. I was manipulated by an evil individual. Describing him as a person or even an animal would be a travesty. The court also heard from one of his female victims, who he groomed over a number of years, starting by driving her to a layby in his car where they would chat and ending after they had sex when she turned 16. However, when she came forward to report him in 2011 Pulsford denied it and continued his work as a solicitor, finally admitting to the offences last October. As Judge Henry jailed Pulsford for eight and eight months, he told him he will be banned from working with children for the rest of his life. Mitigating, Michael Phillips told the court Pulsford had accepted the title of paedophile but had now changed his ways. The senior investigating officer for Hampshire Police, Detective Inspector Toby Elcock, gave his reaction to the sentence. He said: Michael Pulsford was trusted as a youth group leader to protect the children in his charge, but instead abused this trust over and over again by indecently assaulting them. This was a complex investigation carried out by the Operation Marmion team, and we are pleased that the victims have now finally found justice having suffered the effects of this terrible abuse for decades. The bravery and courage they have shown during the course of this investigation is remarkable. I want to appeal to anyone who has been affected by this type of abuse to come forward and talk to us, and be reassured that you dont have to suffer in silence.