Latest Offenders

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Stefan Scott, 26, raped three victims and committed almost identical offences against all of the women by punching and strangling them. A controlling monster who physically and sexually abused six women during a seven-year campaign of violence has been caged. Stefan Scott, 26, was convicted of brutally strangling and raping three of the women, subjecting one of them to two violent rape ordeals. He committed almost identical offences against all of his victims, threatening them, calling them derogatory names, punching them and often grabbing them by the throat. The women he sexually assaulted who can't be named for legal reasons told a jury at the High Court in Livingston that Scott would not take no for an answer when he wanted sex and quickly became violent. They gave evidence that the Buckfast drinker would hurl insults at them, calling them stupid bitch, slag, slut or whore and punch them repeatedly if they disobeyed his commands. The jury took three hours to return unanimous verdicts finding him guilty of a total of 21 charges including the rapes, assault to injury and danger of life and making violent threats. A further charge of raping one of his victims while asleep was found not proven and he was acquitted by judge Lord Burns. During the five day trial, the rape victims aged 21, 29 and 33 gave remarkably similar accounts of how Scott would restrict their breathing by compressing their throat as he raped them. The 33-year-old said he held her head under water and raped her three different ways during one terrifying incident. Scott claimed in his own defence that all sexual activity with the women had been consensual and he denied their claims that he wouldn't take no for an answer claiming if the women werent up for sex it didn't happen. He admitted there had been frequent arguments while he was with the females and that he had punched one of the women three times during a row. He flatly denied strangling and raping any of them but the jury didnt believe him. Former partners aged, 25, and 26, told how their relationships with Scott started well but quickly descended into controlling violence. Evidence from a 29-year-old, who has since passed away, was also read out by a police officer. The 25-year-old said he pinned her to a bed with his hands round her throat and compressed her neck for several minutes, restricting her breathing to the danger of her life. She said he also threw a pot of water containing pasta at her forcing her to put her hands up to protect her face. On another occasion he delivered a full-blown punch to her eye bursting her eyebrow and told her to tell people shed bumped into a door. Another time he pulled her by the ankles off a bed so that she landed heavily on the floor The 26-year-old said she spent six months with Scott before she discovered he was cheating on her with the 29-year-old, who was her best friend. During that time she said he would repeatedly shout and swear at her and call her abusive names. After he started seeing the friend, she said she noticed her friend had bruises including a distinctive one in the shape of an iron on her leg. The friend gave a statement to police after being admitted to hospital with severe bruising down her back and choke marks on her neck. She revealed that he had threatened to burn down her home, tried to strangle her and pushed her head on the floor and repeatedly punched her to her injury. She also told police she was subject to the same sort of name calling spoken to by the other witnesses. Following the guilty verdicts advocate depute Cath Harper revealed that Scott, of Rannoch Road, Perth, had previous convictions for domestic abuse and had served two 10-month prison terms, the most recent imposed in August last year. Lord Burns called for reports into Scotts background and an assessment of the risk he poses to the public in general and women in particular before passing sentence at Glasgow High Court on 5 April. He remanded Scott in custody until then. He ordered that Scottish Ministers be notified of the rape convictions under laws for the protection of vulnerable groups and told Scott his name would remain on the sex offenders register indefinitely.

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A convicted sex offender in hospital for an operation used another patient's laptop to download "cartoons" of child abuse. David Driver, 47, befriended the 80-year-old man at Castle Hill Hospital and asked to borrow his laptop. But when it was returned, a nurse who knew of Driver's status as a sex offender asked to see its search history, and saw what he had been up to. Neil Coxon, prosecuting in Hull Crown Court, said Driver had twice accessed the internet, at 1.10am and 1.20am on August 1 last year, using paedophile search terms. These included "incest videos", "forbidden" sex, and others making reference to "Lolita". In total, he was caught with six computer-generated prohibited images, most of which would have been in category B if they were photographs, and also category A - the most extreme or serious. "Most related to child sexual activity, and in particular, incest," Mr Coxon said. One was supposedly of a child aged five. The images were accompanied by speech bubbles, which "gave a graphic description of what was happening in the images". Driver, of Great Thornton Street, west Hull, was arrested on September 5 and in police interview "accepted that he had used such search terms," Mr Coxon said. "He accepted he'd seen images of females and thought they were under 18 in states of undress. He said he hadn't downloaded anything, and therefore, in his terms, he hadn't made the images". History of sex offending Driver admitted possessing prohibited images, which has a maximum sentence of three years in jail. He was sentenced to a "significant" prison sentence for sexual contact offences committed in his late 20s and early 30s, and also had convictions for drugs and shop theft. Driver had previously been sent on sex offender treatment programmes, which "appear to have worn off", Judge David Tremberg said. Paul Genney, for Driver, said: "I've never come across this before. These are drawings, these are cartoons. Whether it makes the offences less serious I don't know, I'm in your honour's hands." "I think there's an argument for saying that it does, on the basis that no live children have been exploited," the judge said. Sentencing Driver, Judge Tremberg said he would deserve "every day" of the relatively short prison sentence he faced, but he would come out an "unreconstructed sex offender", and society would be better protected if he were to have more treatment. Driver was sentenced to a two-year community order, which includes 29 group sessions on the Horizon sex offender programme, and up to 15 days rehabilitation. He must register as a sex offender for five years, and was made subject to a sexual harm prevention order indefinitely. Driver had been in hospital to have bones removed from his neck.

Description

A Catholic priest has been jailed for nine years and 11 months after being found guilty of abusing six children in the 1970s.

Francis McDermott, 75, of Westward Ho in Bideford, abused six victims, some as young as 10, in London, Norwich, and High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, between 1971 and 1978, Aylesbury Crown Court heard.

Two of his victims read statements during Thursday's sentencing hearing which recounted the "devastating impact" he had on their lives.

One said: "I hate you. There is no one to blame but you," while another described how her family had all been "married and baptised by a disgusting monster".

Judge Catherine Tulk told McDermott he had "turned down so many opportunities to admit your wrongdoing".

She noted the irony that one of the central tenets of the Catholic Church was confession.

The offences were reported to the church on two separate occasions but were not passed on to police after McDermott denied the allegations, the court heard.

McDermott was found guilty of 18 counts of historic child sex offences following a trial.

Trevor Burke QC, defending McDermott, said the defendant had been a Catholic priest "all his adult life" but said "for a period of seven years where he had completely lost his way".   

A woman who was sexually abused by McDermott when she was aged just 12 thought she was in love and never suspected his actions were wrong.

Eleanor, now in her 50s, was reeling from a family tragedy when Father Francis McDermott came into her life and began abusing her over an 18-month period.

The 74-year-old was convicted of 18 sexual offences against children in the 1970s after a trial at Aylesbury Crown Court.

The first time he kissed her he was lying on a sofa in her family home and asked her for a cuddle, Eleanor recalled, but he soon progressed to touching her intimately under her clothes.

Eleanor, whose name has been changed for legal reasons, said: "I fell in love with him and I thought that he loved me... I would feel a bit upset if he ignored me around other people, because I thought that I was special, that I was with him, he was mine I suppose."

One of six victims, Eleanor "never dreamed" he was doing anything to other children.

She only realised what had happened to her was wrong when, five years later, her then-partner reacted with shock when she told him who she had shared her first kiss with.

She said: "He didn't know what to do with that information. He was angry, he was confused. It was horrendous.

"And I just stood there and I can remember even now just standing there being totally bewildered because as far as I knew it wasn't wrong. I didn't ever suspect that anything that went on between me and Frank was wrong.

"I just didn't know what to do with that person's reaction, I didn't know why it was wrong, I didn't know whether to feel bad about it, it was just like a massive explosion in my head."

Eleanor, who went on to marry her partner, said a "black shadow" had always loomed over their relationship because of the previous abuse.

he said: "You shut your eyes and it was like Frank was there, not my husband, it was just horrible."

Eleanor said she reported the abuse first to her church, and then to police five years later in 2002.

Initially she did not want to take the matter further, but when Thames Valley Police got in touch in 2017 saying they were investigating McDermott she was determined to work with them.

She believes she was the only one of McDermott's victims to testify against her abuser in court without a screen.

Describing her experience, she said: "I decided not to have the screen, it wasn't because that enabled me to look at Frank, but I just wanted to be empowered with that, I wanted to let him know that he didn't have that hold over me, and that I had done nothing wrong.

"I did think about having a screen but for me I wanted to then return to the court...I wanted to be in the area where he was having to deal with the past and what evilness he had done. And I just wanted to be in the place where that was happening."

She added: "At times I felt sick to my stomach because it brought back things about my childhood and that part of me that I'll never have back, I'll never know what might have been for me, if this had not have happened."

Eleanor said McDermott's denial and lack of remorse was upsetting, and hopes he will spend the rest of his life in jail.

She feels that his jail sentence will prompt her to seek further counselling as she believes it will cause feelings of anger to surface.

She said: "At the moment I can't forgive him for what he did to me and the others. It's horrendous the impact that something like this has, not only on yourself but the people around you, your family, your friends."

But, she added: "I won't let him ruin my life, it hasn't ruined my life, it's made me very, very sad and I think I've missed out on things, but I'm not going to let him hold me down."

After the sentencing an NSPCC spokesperson said: “McDermott used his trusted position as a priest to not only groom children but also their families in order to commit sickening abuse.

“He probably thought he had long got away with his vile crimes but the young people he manipulated and abused all those years ago have today helped put him behind bars.

“Their courage shows that it is never too late to report abuse and for victims who may have suffered for years in silence to come forward and get support.”

Detective Constable Catriona Cameron, of the Child Abuse Investigation Department in Aylesbury police station, said after the trial: “Francis McDermott was a priest in the Catholic Church held in high regard and was a trusted member of the community. He used his position to befriend children for his own sexual gratification.

“The six victims in this case bravely came forward to report the abuse they suffered more than 40 years ago. I would like to take this opportunity to thank them for their courage and support of this investigation.

“They have been put through the trauma of a trial adding extra distress to them, and McDermott showed no remorse.

“Thames Valley Police will always take reports of any sexual offence seriously and will investigate reports thoroughly whether these are recent or non-recent.

“I hope this is the start of a healing process for all those involved.”

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Cleaning company manager Micheal Harris from Bitterne Park in Southampton has escaped an immediate prison sentence after sexually communication with a child.

The court heard that the communications took place between the 16th June 2018 until the 4th August 2018

At the hearing at Southampton Crown Court.

Harris was sentenced to 6 months imprisonment suspended for a period of 24 months.

He must also comply with the following requirements to register under S.92 Sexual Offences Act 2003 for a period of 7 years.

Must participate in the HORIZON programme.

He will also have to undertake all rehabilitation activity requirements as described by an authorised provided of probation for 10 days.

Harris was also placed on the Sex offenders register for a period of seven years.

The court ordered Harris to pay a surcharge of 115 to fund the victim services along with 500 prosecution costs .

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Wayne Thompson targeted the young boy :: He later came into contact with children when he met a 16-year-old on social media A sex offender who targeted a very young boy in a sick campaign of abuse has been branded a dangerous offender by a judge. Wayne Thompson's crimes were exposed in December when a jury found him guilty of sexual abusing the boy. He had already admitted breaching a sexual offences protection order (SOPO), imposed some years ago when Thompson was found in possession of child abuse images. Now, the 39-year-old has been locked up for six years - with an extended licence period of four years - for a host of depraved crimes. Branding Thompson a dangerous offender, Judge Stephen Ashurst told him he "posed a significant risk of serious harm". "I have read all the reports about you," said the judge. "The worrying aspect is your continued denial of the offences, your continued denial of your sexual attraction to young boys, and despite being served with an order, you've continued to have contact with children. "Your compliance has been superficial, and the measures taken have not been adequate to stop you offending." The victim's mother told Teesside Crown Court on Monday that since the abuse her son "wasn't the little boy I gave birth to". She said he'd needed medication after suffering nightmares and crippling anxiety, which became worse as December's trial date approached. The boy gave evidence - and Thompson was found guilty on three counts of sexual assault and two of engaging in sexual activity with a child. He was acquitted of a rape charge. But the court heard that as Thompson continued to abuse the boy, he was separately convicted at court of possessing indecent images of children, where he was given a SOPO. This banned him from coming into contact with children without notifying the police. But prosecutor Jo Kidd told the court on Monday that Thompson later met a 16-year-old boy on social media. Thompson visited his home, where other children were living, and even accompanied the teen on family trips to Beamish, Lightwater Valley and soft play centres, with children present, putting him in breach of the order. Thompson admitted those breaches at Teesside Magistrates' Court last July. Mitigating, Stephen Littlewood said Thompson had "suffered from his own difficulties and has had mental health difficulties". "This is no excuse," he said. "But from the letter the court has received from his father, it shows he is capable of kindness. "He has looked after his 93-year-old grandmother and he may never get to see her again, out of custody." Mr Littlewood accepted that Thompson, of Somerset Road, Guisborough, had breached his SOPO a number of times, but said there was no question he abused the other children he came into contact with. Judge Ashurst said Thompson would serve his six year sentence, but then be subject to an extra four years of an 'extended licence' - and also made his SOPO indefinite.

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Rapist Aziz Khan carried out the sex attack at his parents' Stoke-on-Trent home before bragging to his friends Rapist Aziz Khan graphically filmed his brutal sex attack on a 'drunk and incapable' student - before putting the footage online. The 22-year-old 'callous coward' is today starting an 11-year jail sentence after he raped the woman at his parents' Heron Cross home following a night out. Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court heard Khan - described as having sex on his mind and being a bit weird around women - took advantage of the victim after she became separated from her friends in Newcastle. Despite the fact she was unconscious, Staffordshire University student Khan forced himself on her as he used his mobile phone to video the assault before bragging about the sexual 'conquest'. The woman then left the home at 4am and begged the next door neighbour's for help. The court heard her life had been shattered by the rape. Prosecutor Robert Price said the victim and her friends went into Newcastle town centre for a night out. They went to Revolution and then moved on to The Kiln. The victims friend described her as really drunk and she handed her mate her bag which contained her phone. Mr Price said: In the haze of drink the victim and her friends became separated. The victim found herself in the company of the defendant. He was out with his close friend who told police as a general rule Khan had one topic on his mind and that was sex. He described him as a sleaze and a pest and he formed the view Khan was a bit weird with women. Khan was the ultimate opportunist and he took advantage of the victim who was vulnerable and incapable through drink. She was completely intoxicated. She had no idea where she was, who she was with or what she was doing. She was not capable of making decisions or consenting to any form of sexual activity. The defendant raped her and as he did he filmed the act on his mobile phone. It shows a young lady unconscious and immobile through intoxication being raped by a male making grunting noises. The court heard she left the defendants house at 4am and knocked on the neighbouring property. The victim slid down a brick wall on to her bottom and made no sense but the neighbour helped her to her feet and into a taxi. She returned to her friends house. The next day the defendant showed his friend the video of the rape and bragged about having sex with her. And he also made boasts to another lad in Hanley. The court heard the victim had no recollection but later became aware of the video which had been uploaded to Snapchat. The victim told her parents and the police were informed. In a statement the victim said she remains affected by what happened and struggles to get through the day. She was devastated by the violent abuse and feels physically sick on a daily basis. She has experienced profound fatigue, sleep deprivation, and flashbacks. She once overdosed on tablets and says she feels dirty, ashamed and angry. The ordeal also led to her leaving her university course and it has had a detrimental impact on her family. Khan, of Heron Street, Heron Cross, pleaded guilty to rape and disclosing private sexual photos or films with intent to cause distress. Barry White, mitigating, said the defendants offending has had an immense effect on his family. Mr White said: He has found it difficult to admit what he has done. Since this happened he has not drunk alcohol or gone out. He said the defendants pleas prevented the victim from having to give evidence in a trial. Mr White added that the defendant has completed his accountancy course at university and will have a qualification to fall back on when released. Judge David Fletcher made the defendant the subject of an indefinite restraining order which prevents him contacting his victim or her parents. Jailing Khan for 11 years and two months, Judge Fletcher told him: It is quite clear when you got in the taxi you were fully aware of the extreme state of her intoxication. You had only one thing on your mind - sex. You had sexual intercourse with her without her consent, and on the basis of the very disturbing video footage, without her knowledge. She had not got a clue what was happening to her. She was not in a conscious state at all. You filmed it in the most graphic detail. You pushed her out. You did not go in the street with her to make sure the taxi was going to take her safely home. All you could do was shout down from the roof above - the behaviour of a callous coward. You showed your friend the video. Within 24 hours you showed it to another person. The videos existence became general knowledge. This is a serious case. Khan, who will serve half his sentence with the rest on licence, was placed on the sex offenders register for the rest of his life.

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A CONVICTED sex offender who lost everything when his partner discovered his past is now behind bars after an anonymous phone call to the NSPCC revealed a second victim. James Harcourt was given a community rehabilitation order in 2003 for having sex with an underage girl when he was 19. Later, he started a relationship with a different underage girl although no complaint was ever made to the police. But in the summer of 2016, a call was made to the childrens charity expressing concerns about what had happened years earlier, Teesside Crown Court heard. Harcourt, now 35, was said to have been violent and controlling when he was with the girl, who then learned about his earlier conviction. The pair stopped seeing one another when Harcourt got jealous about the teenager being close to somebody else. He moved on and started dating a woman in her 40s, prosecutor Richard Bennett told the court. But when she found out about his past with the teenager, she ended their relationship. Dan Cordey, mitigating, told the court: His new partner was horrified by what she had been told. Because he has been unable to provide a supervisor for the contact, he has not seen his children since then, since 2016. He has lost contact with his children. He has lost his relationship and his home, and although he has managed to keep working for some time, since last December when he went on the sick, he has now lost his job. Against that background, when he came to this court, what Mr Harcourt did was to fully accept what had gone on. He didnt seek to make excuses or prevaricate about his plea. For a man who has effectively lost everything, he could have been tempted to take a chance. He didnt do that. He was honest to the court. James Harcourt now recognises what he did was absolutely wrong. The probation report states he had a romantic view of the relationship. At the time, he was growing up, he recognises now he had problems. He would wish me to stress, as a mature adult, he has lived a blameless life in the sense that he settled down, had relationships with adult women, one of whom has born him children, and for 13 years, he worked, worked hard, and provided for his family. Harcourt, of Chandos Street, Darlington, admitted seven charges of sexual activity with a child, and was jailed for ten-and-a-half years. Judge Sean Morris told him: You were delaying your guilty plea for quite some time, and not accepting your guilt from the start just caused more heartache to your victim. The result of your actions means you have not seen your sons for a considerable amount of time. It is not just your life you have wrecked, it is those children.

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A convicted sex offender travelled 140 miles in the hope of having sex with a 14-year-old girl, only to find out he was being played by a paedophile hunter, a court has heard.

John Armitage travelled from Gainsborough to Newcastle upon Tyne believing he would be meeting a school girl called Ellie who he had been talking to on a dating app.

Armitage, who had previously served a jail sentence for offences against two young girls, had arranged to meet the schoolgirl despite knowing she was underage.

But instead when he arrived at Newcastle railway station he discovered he was the victim of a sting.

He was confronted and then arrested after police were called to the station.

Phil Howes, prosecuting, said Armitage had initially contacting "Ellie" on a dating app for over 18s.

In a series of messages he was told she was only 14 but persisted and said he wanted to meet her for sex telling her he would "be gentle".

Armitage suggested he contact her school pretending to be her father and arrange for her to have a week off so that they could be together.

But the court was told that "Ellie" was actually a member of the Net Justice Group using a fake profile to trap paedophiles.

John Armitage, 40, of Warren Close, Gainsborough, admitted a charge of attempting to meet a child following sexual grooming together with a further offence of attempting to cause or incite a child to engage in sexual activity with a child. Both charges relate to the period between 12 March and 14 April last year.

He also pleaded guilty to three charges of making a total of 958 indecent photographs of a child between September 2015 and April 2018. The images include 164 assessed as being in the most serious category. He further admitted further charges of possession of a prohibited image of a child and possession of cannabis.

The court was told that he had a previous conviction in 2008 when he was given a four year sentence at Leeds Crown Court for sexual assault charges relating to two girls under the age of 13.

He also has two convictions for failing to comply with the sex offender registration notification requirements and a further conviction for outraging public decency.

Judge Hirst told him "Ellie told you she was 14 and her mum was very strict. She said she was from Newcastle and you suggested you meet up for a kiss and a cuddle.

"There was discussion about how you liked having sex and Ellie told you that she didn't know girls of her age did that.

"Over the next days the conversation continued about what sexual things you wanted to do with her.

"This case is aggravated by the persistent nature of the communications including you suggesting that you pretend to be Ellie's father and ring her school. You told her to have a week off school.

"You travelled to Newcastle intent on having sex with a 14 year old girl.

"Plainly your offending is so serious that only immediate custody can be imposed."

Armitage was sentenced to five years and nine months which includes three years and nine months custody plus an extra two years licence during which he will be at risk of being returned to prison.

Judge Simon Hirst imposed an indefinite sexual harm prevention order and placed him on the sex offenders' register for life.

Christopher Dickins, in mitigation, said "He accepts that he wanted a full sexual relationship. He is deeply sorry.

"He instructs me that at the time he was self-medicating for depression and anxiety but he has now got that on an even keel."

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Released from prison on March 7th 2022. Thomas Sanders was found guilty of the following charges: 1 - Sexual Assault Of A Child Under 13, Contrary To Section 7(1) Of The Sexual Offences Act 2003. 2 - Assault Of A Child Under 13 By Penetration, Contrary To Section 6(1) Of The Sexual Offences Act 2003. 3 - Rape Of A Child Under 13, Contrary To Section 5(1) Of The Sexual Offences Act 2003 4 - Rape Of A Child Under 13, Contrary To Section 5(1) Of The Sexual Offences Act 2003 Thomas Sanders was sentenced to 6 years imprisonment. He will be the subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order indefinitely. He will also have to sign on the sex offenders register indefinitely upon release.

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A former headteacher from Devon has been jailed for vile historic sex offences against children.

Robin Mellor, 74, of North Street in Braunton, was convicted of sexually abusing two children during the 1970s and 1980s.

He used to work at several primary schools in Kent and would commit his depraved acts when his pupils would visit his home address in the town of Ditton for private tutoring sessions.

One 11-year-old girl was targeted repeatedly over a year-and-a-half period, where Mellor would show her pornographic images and force her to copy what was shown in those images, reports Kent Live.

He then assaulted a second girl during another tutoring lesson at his house, this time attempting to engage her in sexual activity and committing an indecent act in front of her.

It was not until January of last year that Mellor was arrested and charged with five counts of indecent assault on a child and a charge of inciting a child to commit an act of gross indecency.

Upon arrest, he was also charged with making indecent images of a child after 20 illegal images were discovered when officers seized his computer.

He pleaded not guilty to the charges and put his brave victims through the ordeal of a trial at Maidstone Crown Court. However, on Thursday (March 7), Mellor was convicted of all counts and and was sentenced to six years in prison.

He was also made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order and was put on the sex offenders' register indefinitely.

Detective Sergeant Rob Grieve said: "Robin Mellor grossly abused his position of trust as a teacher and tutor, in order to sexually abuse children

"Today’s sentence will not take away the emotional and physical trauma his victims were made to endure as children, but it will hopefully bring some closure.

"Mellor was a teacher at several primary schools in west Kent, in areas which included Ditton and Larkfield and we can’t discount the possibility he may have committed further offences which may not yet have been reported.

"I would like to thank the two victims in this case for their bravery in coming forward and bringing Mellor to justice.

"I do hope their courage empowers any other victims of sexual abuse to have the confidence to contact police.

"We will always treat victims with dignity and sensitivity and thoroughly investigate any offences."

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A paedophile who thought he was making lurid suggestions to a 12-year-old girl was actually talking online to an undercover police officer. Anthony Press, 37, was already under investigation for doing the same thing to another "decoy" when he took part in the online chats for 15 days from June 13 last year. Stephen Robinson, prosecuting, told Hull Crown Court the officer had created a profile for a fictitious 12-year-old called "Emma", who used the online name "Yorkshirelass123". Press, whose online identity was "Anthony1981", initiated the contact and asked the girl: "Can I get your pants down, honey?" The "girl" stated her age, but Press continued making a variety of other more extreme sexual comments, also suggesting they meet "on Friday or Saturday". Press gave the girl his mobile phone number, which revealed his links to a care centre where he had "sought some assistance", and also showed it had been used close to his home in Trippet Street, city centre. Police duly paid him a visit there on July 9 and arrested him. Mr Robinson said while Press believed he was in conversation with a 12-year-old girl, "in fact it was an undercover police officer". That brought an end to his offending, following his similar encounter with "Chantelle Manchester" in January, who was really a member of the paedophile hunting group Northern Justice posing as a girl aged 13. Mr Robinson said of the group: "They appear to take a fairly serious interest in their hobby." The group followed a practice of creating a decoy profile and ensuring first contact is made by the suspect. They then respond with answers "designed to be as innocent or naive as possible", while regularly stating their age. "Chantelle" was lying in wait for Press on the chat site Nearby, and he first contacted her at 3am on January 18. Press requested a meeting in Manchester, where she purported to be from, and said he "would ring when he arrived". But he failed to turn up, saying he was "unwell". The girl's number was later found on a piece of paper in Press's flat, the court heard. One of his online conversations Mr Robinson gave an example of his conversations with "Chantelle" as: PRESS: What are you wearing baby? CHANTELLE: Clothes. PRESS: Can I have my hand in your knickers baby? CHANTELLE: What do you mean? I'm 13. Press also made explicit comments about what he would like to do to the girl, and also said he would like to watch her urinate. Northern Justice passed Press's information to a similar Hull-based group called Team Hunters. Mr Robinson said the Hull group would normally confront people like Press and stream it live on Facebook, but after learning he had cerebral palsy decided instead to pass his details to police, which the prosecutor said was "a more responsible attitude". Press was arrested for that offence in a taxi close to his home at 1.30pm on January 21. He initially denied any wrongdoing but later admitted two offences of attempted sexual communication with a child. He had no previous convictions. Claire Holmes, mitigating, said society would be better protected if Press attended a sex offenders treatment programme, which was available in the community but not in prison, according with the recommendation of a pre-sentence report. "There is, in my submission, a difference between someone who sends messages of this manner intending they would happen, rather than someone engaging in a fantasy," she said. "This defendant had the opportunity of meeting someone he was messaging and didn't attend." 'Disgraceful' Recorder Simon Eckersley told Press his behaviour was "disgraceful", and sentenced him to 18 months in jail, suspended for two years. He was ordered to attend a sex offenders treatment programme for 90 days and have 15 days of rehabilitation. Press was also made subject to a sexual harm prevention order for ten years and must register as a sex offender for the same period.

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A FORMER teacher has been sentenced to 10 years in prison after being found guilty of child abuse.

Peter Toner, 61, was found guilty at the High Court in Glasgow of sexually abusing five children between 1979 and 1983 when he was a house master at the former St Columba’s College in Largs, Ayrshire.

Officers from Ayrshire’s Divisional Rape Investigation Unit have been conducting enquiries after receiving a complaint in October 2016.

As a result of ongoing enquiries, officers identified other victims.

Detective constable Colin Jones said: “Peter Toner took advantage of his position of authority and committed these despicable crimes.

“It takes considerable courage for people to come forward and speak to the police about such crimes and I would like to pay tribute to the victims for their bravery.

“This sentence may give them some sense of justice, but it won’t undo the harm they have experienced which has been profound and long lasting.

“I would encourage anyone who has been a victim of any sexual predator to come forward as it is never too late to report sexual abuse to us, no matter when it happened and no matter what the circumstances, they can be assured that they will receive every support from Police Scotland.”

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A convicted rapist who subjected his victim to an "incredulous and cruel" 90 minute sex attack in some bushes in Camberley has been jailed. Floris-Adrian Gherghelau, 25, of Park Road, Camberley was a stranger to his teenage victim, whom he had followed and then "grabbed" in a secluded area. He was handed a sentence of up to 16 years imprisonment by Miss Recorder June Venters QC at Guildford Crown Court on Friday (March 8), being described as a "dangerous sexual deviant". A jury found Gherghelau guilty of five charges - including two counts of rape and one of attempted rape - on January 14. The court heard how the victim, 18, had taken an overdose following the attack, described as "terrifying" by Recorder Venters. A victim impact statement read out in court said: "I didn't feel I was getting the support and became so low. "I then took an overdose of painkillers as a way to show that I didn't care for my life at that time and needed more support. Following this I was referred to a psychologist." Prosecutor Ryan Richter said that Gherghelau's victim could now not sleep without "taking a knife to bed" and "doesn't know if she will ever recover from the events". Surrey Police said in a statement that Gherghelau admitted the attack during a police interview, but later denied the charges in court. Recorder Venters said: "Your offence was both incredulous and cruel. As if this young woman had not been through enough, you continued to humiliate her before a jury by suggesting she was a willing participant." While giving evidence, the 25-year-old reportedly claimed that he had kissed his victim, who kissed him back before both walked into the bushes together to have sex. Both defence counsel Lyall Thompson and Recorder Venters agreed that Gherghelau showed "no remorse" for his actions, showing only sorrow for his own situation. However, Mr Thompson did pay reference in mitigation to the fact this was his client's first conviction, suggesting: "Could this be a one-off moment of madness?" The barrister also noted that Gherghelau was of "low intelligence". The 25-year-old's victim even offered to pay him to let her go. "She panicked and struggled, trying everything possible to break away from your grip of her, but which was to no avail," added Recorder Venters. "She was I have no doubt terrified. She had no idea who you were or what you intended on doing to her. "What happened next could only have been an absolutely terrifying, painful, humiliating experience which will live with her for the rest of her life." Gherghelau was handed a 14 year jail term, extended to 16 years with two on licence. The court heard how the 25-year-old, who is a Romanian national, is "almost certain" to be deported from the UK upon his release from prison. He has also been placed on the sex offenders register for life. The Surrey Police investigation Surrey Police has described the investigation that led to the arrest and conviction of Gherghelau for these offences. Following the attack, his victim sought help at a nearby petrol station - staff contacted police and a full description of the offender was given. The attacker's DNA was found on the victim, meaning that a successful match would positively identify. Local knowledge, coupled with the description of the offender, led officers to a local address where elimination samples were taken from all the male occupants. Gherghelau proved a positive DNA match and was subsequently arrested. Speaking outside Guildford Crown Court after the sentencing, Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Sergeant Adam Ramiz commented on the "bravery" of the victim. He said: "The victim in relation to this matter demonstrated extreme bravery in relation to the incident itself - reporting it to police and then supporting the police throughout the investigation. "She has suffered extreme trauma in the matter, but thankfully she is being well supported now. "I really welcome the extended sentence today and I agree with the judge. I believe that Gherghelau is a very serious and dangerous offender."

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A DUDLEY cop who persuaded a teenage girl he met while investigating an incident at a college to send him naked photographs of herself has been jailed for nine months. Pc Paul Davies had earned considerable praise during his near 30 year service with the West Midlands Force for helping youngsters avoid crime and lead law abiding lives. But Davies who worked as a Young Persons Officer with Dudley Police took "leave of his senses" after he started to engage in sexual phone chats with the 17-year-old student. The 57-year-old officer got the girls details while probing reports of a suspicious male on the College campus and after their phone chats he got her to send him five photographs of her posing naked. Davies, a married man with two adult sons, was rumbled after the girl was spoken to by police and she provided them with details of what had gone on, said Alex Warren prosecuting. He told Wolverhampton Crown Court that Davies who was named West Midland Beat Officer of the year in 2009 was arrested and the photographs were recovered from his mobile. Judge James Burbidge QC told Davies it was serious offending because of the disparity in their ages adding, "It was not an abuse of trust but you were in a very trusting position." The judge said Davies who showed no reaction as he was lead away to begin his jail term had clearly worked hard in the past to help young people avoid crime and to lead structured lives. But he said it was clear he had encouraged the creation of the photographs - it was all at his instigation and he had "groomed" the teenager to a degree. Davies, he went on, had attended the college to investigate an incident having been in a position of safeguarding anyone on the premises and he had spoken to the girl and another 17-year old. "You well knew her age because you had taken her personal details," said the judge but he had then clearly decided to take things further. Davies, a former member of the Wrens Nest and Milking Bank Neighbourhood team admitted making the indecent images. between March 12 and April 15 last year. Mr Warren said it was not suggested Davies who left the police force after his arrest had used his position to put pressure on the teenage girl. He said a friend of the girl had also encouraged her to go along with it but she had engaged with Davies in his professional capacity. Simon Hunka, defending, said Davies, of Thoresby Croft, Upper Gornal, had initiated the sexual chat which it was accepted was "thoroughly inappropriate behaviour." He was ashamed of his actions having fallen from grace. "He was a local police officer for the area for many, many years and the uncomfortable reality is that people who looked up to him now find it difficult to meet his eye." Mr Hunka said Davies had quite literally lost everything. His standing in the community had gone and he was finding it difficult to find another job. He said Davies had run programmes at schools and colleges in the Dudley area for young people and he read out references from families where the former police officer had gone beyond the call of duty to assist their children.

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The National Crime Agency (NCA) swooped on Fox after linking him to horrific footage of child sex abuse online. He was arrested on September 5, 2018 as NCA officers seized his laptop which contained a vast amount of abuse images and videos.

Some showed him raping and indecently assaulting a boy. Fox had posted the footage online for other paedophiles to view and other videos showed him abusing a girl.

The 26-year-old, from Ewell, denied posting the videos online but admitted attacking the children. He was jailed at Kingston Crown Court in March after admitting 19 offences, including seven counts of rape.

He also admitted possession of indecent images of children 4,743 category A images or videos (the most severe), 4,263 category B and 3,995 category C.