Latest Offenders

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A private dance teacher who repeatedly took advantage of a girl has been jailed for three-and-a-half years for sexual abuse.

Robert Louw, 27, of Rookery Road, Tilston, Malpas, in Cheshire, must also register as a sex offender indefinitely and is banned from working with children or vulnerable adults on his release from prison.

He pleaded guilty to four counts of sexual activity with a child. Mold crown court heard Louw had been messaging the victim on Snapchat.

Judge Rhys Rowlands said the sordid and repeated abuse had a “profound” effect on the youngster and she considered suicide at one point. “You were taking advantage of a young girl many years younger than yourself,” he said.

“It’s been a bad effect upon her,” Judge Rowlands told Louw, who taught in the Wrexham area.

A sexual harm prevention order will last indefinitely. Andrew Green, defending, said he had taken responsibility for his behaviour.

Prosecuting barrister Simon Rogers said the abuse came to light when the victim’s mother confronted her daughter about a note.

Louw accepted a kiss but denied other sexual activity when quizzed.

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A Shetland school teacher has been sentenced after being found guilty of engaging in sexual activity with two pupils. Kieran Malcolmson was convicted of two charges following a trial at Aberdeen Sheriff Court last month. He has been jailed for 15 months. A remote jury found the 36-year-old guilty by majority of being in a position of trust as a schoolteacher and engaging in sexual activity other than sexual intercourse with or directed towards a pupil in 2009. He kissed and engaged in sexual activity with the girl while he was employed as a teacher at a school in Shetland. Malcolmson was also found guilty by majority of a similar offence of engaging in sexual activity with or directed towards another pupil at a school in 2018. He kissed the girl on the mouth and repeatedly asked her to accompany him to a dark and secluded area. Following the outcome of the trial, sentence was deferred on Malcolmson, of Sandwick, Shetland, for reports. On Friday, 18th June he appeared back in the dock at Aberdeen Sheriff Court to learn his fate. Defence agent John Keenan invited the sheriff to impose a community order rather than jail. He said the convictions had had real consequences for him, adding: Since the events in the most recent charge came to light, he was immediately suspended from work and was suspended for about two-and-a-half years before matters concluded following the trial. At the beginning of this month he was dismissed from his employment and will not be able to resume work in that field. Regarding the offences themselves, Mr Keenan went on: These are not situations where there is an element of grooming in the build-up to the offences. On the contrary, these appear to have been matters that occurred really fairly randomly on an impulsive basis. Mr Keenan said Malcolmson, who continues to deny the offences, had been an active member of the community, coaching a football team and also sitting on a community council. He added: Aside from these offences, otherwise hes led a useful and productive life which has really, in some ways, been ruined by his actions. Sheriff Philip Mann told the court: This case involves a serious breach of trust. Despite your good character and the high price you have paid, I have come to the conclusion only a custodial sentence is appropriate. Malcolmson was jailed for 15 months and made subject to the notification requirements of the Sexual Offences Act for a decade.

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A man who raped a young girl in the woods when he was a teenager was sentenced for his crimes today.

Steven Booker was 15 when he raped the 13-year-old in Rhyl in the summer of 1990.

The horrific offence only came to light after the victim became a grown woman and reported the incident.

Today Steven Booker, now 46, of Rhydwen Drive, Rhyl, was jailed at Mold Crown Court for two years and six months for the rape.

His co-accused Nicholas Roberts, also 46, of Cheltenham Avenue, Rhyl, was also jailed for six months for indecently assaulting the girl.

Their victim has lifelong anonymity to protect her identity.

The judge His Honour Judge David Hale, told the defendants in the dock: “I’m going to sentence you for something that you did many years ago, something you hoped would never ever see the light of day, and certainly something you hoped you would never see as a conviction.”

The judge added: "You must have remembered it. You must have been ashamed for what you did to that girl then, when she was 13 and a half.

"You, Mr Booker, would have been 15 and a quarter. You, Mr Roberts, 15 and a half, playing in the woods on a summer's day."

The judge said Booker "took it upon yourself to have a sexual experience with her".

The judge said an aggravating feature was what he said to Roberts, which the court heard was "Wanna go, Nick?"

Jailing Booker for the rape, he also gave him two concurrent sentences of six months each for two indecent assaults.

As for Nicholas Roberts, the judge said the rape and indecent assaults happened "in front of him"

But Roberts was cleared of raping the 13-year-old girl.

Mold Crown Court also heard that about a year after the incident in the woods, Roberts raped a different girl in a house in Rhyl.

"It was a deliberate act on your part", said the judge.

One victim said the crimes have affected her ability to trust people and to be intimate. The convictions by the jury were a "great weight off her shoulders".

The other victim said she suffers flashbacks and feels unsafe in Rhyl.

Simon Rogers, defending Booker, said his client's offences stemmed from a "single incident of sexual experimentation".

And Simon Killeen, defending, urged the judge to be lenient and said Roberts has learning difficulties. His mother, who has severe arthritis, relies on him to drive.

Overall, he jailed Booker for two and a half years for the rape in the woods, plus two six-month terms for indecent assaults, both to run concurrently.

Roberts was jailed for two and a half years for the rape in the house, plus six months for the indecent assault and six months for sexual assault of a child aged under 13, making a total of three and a half years' imprisonment.

He was further given six months in jail for inciting a girl under 13 to engage in sexual activity, to run concurrently.

Both men also received lifelong restraining orders not to contact their victims.

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A twisted pervert who tried to rape one elderly woman in her home and sexually targeted another has been jailed for 20 years.

Damian Lasota was described by a judge as the "stuff of nightmares" after preying on the two lone females in the Twerton area of Bath.

His campaign of terror was halted after police installed CCTV at the women's homes and he was caught in action and arrested.

Lasota, 27, of Parry Close in Southdown, Bath, pleaded guilty to attempted rape, two charges of trespass with intent to commit a sex offence and two charges of exposure.

He appeared in the dock at Bristol Crown Court with a grey jumper draped over his head.

Judge Julian Lambert handed him a 20-year sentence, comprising of a 13-and-a-half year jail term and six-and-a-half years extended licence.

Lasota will have to serve at least two-thirds of the custodial term before the parole board considers him eligible for release.

The judge told him: "You are a predatory sex offender who is the stuff of nightmares.

"You were a masked prowler, stalking women at dead of night.

"You are proved to have attacked an older lady who was highly vulnerable.

"You then continued looking for opportunities to offend further.

"Your intention was to subdue and then rape women in their own homes at night.

"To say you have a deeply disturbed sexual psychology is an understatement."

Lasota was barred from working with children and vulnerable adults and ordered to register as a sex offender indefinitely.

James Haskell, prosecuting, told the court that last year police received some 40 reports of a man exposing himself to women in the Twerton area.

He said that, after Lasota's arrest, there have been no further reports.

Mr Haskell told the court in May last year Lasota entered the home of a vulnerable 73-year-old woman and followed her to her bedroom.

Having pulled down his trousers and pants, he said he was not going to hurt her before trying to engage her in a sex act - which she declined.

The intruder told her "I like older women" as he exposed himself to her before leaving, the court heard.

After the incident was reported the woman's home had a security upgrade complete with surveillance cameras.

Lasota was captured on camera as he returned to the woman's home around 1am on several occasions and prowled in the back garden.

The court heard Lasota targeted a second woman, aged 65, by visiting her home in the early hours and exposing himself - which was also captured on CCTV.

Mr Haskell said: "Plain clothed police officers were in the area, near the address.

"They saw a male who appeared to be acting suspiciously.

"The defendant appeared to be shining a light towards her property.

"The defendant realised he had been disturbed and ran off.

"He was pursued by police and he was arrested."

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A highly dangerous sex offender has been jailed for 160 days after he formed a secret, banned relationship with an unsuspecting woman.

The 23-year-old woman was charmed by a plumber's mate who attended her flat to carry out work, but was unaware of Kieran Dorian's sinister background.

She had no idea Dorian was on the sex offenders register for life and is a serial stalker who has plagued at least six women over a number of years.

Dorian returned to a neighbour's flat for work after the initial meeting with the woman and repeatedly engaged her in innocent conversation as she sat in the sunshine outside.

Today at Dundee Sheriff Court he admitted breaching strict terms of a Sexual Offences Prevention Order in March this year. He admitted ignoring a ban on him forming any relationship with a woman without advising his supervising officer.

Fiscal depute Gavin Letford told the court: "She is 23, resides alone and contacted her letting agent due to an issue with her taps. A plumber attended with the accused.

"The accused occasionally put his head in and asked about her work and engaged in general chit chat. On March 17 she met him a second time when she was sitting in a chair outside the flat.

"He was carrying out work in another flat. He noticed her and engaged her in conversation again. He stated that one day he would pop down and have a beer with her.

"He gave her his number and said his name was Kieran. They texted back and forwards on a range of subjects. On March 19 he asked if she wanted to do something and she agreed.

"On March 27 she contacted police to report an alleged offence which had taken place when he was at her home. He was subject to investigation by police and his phone was seized."

Screenshots of their conversations were sent to police and despite initial denials, Dorian finally conceded he had met the woman in Dundee without getting prior approval.

Solicitor Jim Laverty, defending, said the initial meetings had been innocent and Dorian's criminal offence was failing to alert his supervising officer in time.

He said Dorian had been talking to the woman as he carried gear in and out of the property and had later been exchanging texts about the genre of music they liked.

"He should have advised his supervising officer he was communicating with her," Mr Laverty said. "He has been in custody since March 29 and this has been a salutary experience for him."

Sheriff Gregor Murray said: "Your list of previous convictions confirms that since 2016 you have been subject to a number of orders from the court.

"You were very well aware from five years ago that you were under review. The SOPO was granted four years ago and that was very strict in its terms.

"That recognises that you are a person who is dangerous and any relationship you have has to be openly explained - most importantly to the lady involved so she is aware of your background."

In 2019, Dorian was jailed for three years for bombarding the social worker tasked with monitoring his behaviour with filthy phone calls and texts.

He also admitted stalking another woman for more than three-and-a-half years after becoming obsessed with her and harassing her online and in person.

Those two victims were the fifth and sixth women he had admitted stalking over a seven year period.

Dorian dodged jail in 2017 after he admitted stalking four separate women - with a community payback order imposed placing him under supervision.

Jailing Dorian in 2019, Sheriff Alastair Brown said: "Your behaviour was entirely self-centred. You can't continue to think the whole world revolves around you."

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He also wanted to rape the man's nine-year-old autistic daughter A paedophile asked a dad if he could rape his two-year-old daughter in a series of sickening messages. Matthew Parr said he also wanted to rape the man's nine-year-old daughter after being told she was autistic. The 46-year-old didn't realise he was actually speaking to an undercover police officer when he requested a description of the children and asked "would it be like a foursome?". Parr even sent the police officer a disgusting child rape video of a toddler, aged between two and three. Charlotte Atherton, prosecuting today at Liverpool Crown Court, said on March 12 last year Parr contacted the officer, who was using the name 'MancDad', on Grindr. Between March 12 2020 and June 16 2020 Parr messaged the officer, who called himself 'Lee', and said he was a dad of two, to which the paedophile replied "that sounded amazing". They exchanged details for Wickr, an online communication platform, and Parr messaged the officer under the name 'DirtyBiLabourer' and made various sexual suggestions related to the children. Ms Atherton said: "The officer said he was happy to meet like-minded individuals for what he called 'play time'." The next day Parr asked if he could perform sex acts on the children and said "do you know any others that play" before he "asked for a description of the children". Parr also asked the officer if he was "free that weekend" and "would it be like a foursome?" On April 8 Parr again asked "when he would next have his children" to which the officer replied it was "tricky" due to coronavirus restrictions. Parr continued to ask when he could see the children and said "he'd been having lots of horny talk and 'I'd love to meet'". Two days later Parr gave the officer his email address and emailed him to say he would "love to get to know the three of them". He told the officer: "Initially he just wanted to meet up and see how he goes because he didn't want to scare the children and would 'like to let them lead'". When the officer said he would "watch" Parr asked "if the officer was a cop or undercover because he was scared". Ms Atherton said he then sent the officer a video of a toddler, aged between two and three, being raped. After the officer said the children were "great about it in particular because his eldest was autistic" Parr continued to confirm he "remained interested". Ms Atherton said there was less communication between May 1 and June 16 and Parr "didn't follow up on the date given by the officer". Parr was arrested on June 23 and he admitted deleting sickening images of children, chats and mobile numbers. He claimed he had spoken with others who had "admitted to abusing their own children". Officers discovered 29 images of child rape, 70 other indecent images of children and two images of extreme pornography. Parr has two previous convictions and in 1994 was fined for soliciting for immoral purposes. James Heyworth, defending, said it was "unlikely to have materialised in a face-to-face meeting". He said while Parr didn't admit his offending in the first police interview he did admit it in a subsequent interview. Mr Heyworth said: "So many people in this sort of offending often deny any sexual interest in children. "He is clearly a man who is unwilling to admit he does, when the facts clearly demonstrate he does." Speaking about a pre-sentence report Mr Heyworth said Parr appears to be in a "type of denial about why he did this and what the underlying motivations were". In the report Parr also "continues to talk about having online sexual communication" which Parr claimed was in relation to adult sexual activity. Mr Heyworth stressed Parr didn't have "any recent relevant convictions" and "did make some attempt to contact 'Stop it Now'" but Mr Heyworth added "I accept on his behalf there is a long way to go to fully appreciate what he was doing". Parr, of Old Wargrave Road, Newton-Le-Willows, admitted; three counts of making indecent images of children, possession of indecent images of children, possession of extreme pornographic images, three counts of distributing indecent images of children and two counts of arranging the commision of a child sex offence in relation to the two fictional children. Judge Andrew Menary, QC, said the nature of the conversations will "appall and outrage all decent minded people" adding it was "truly outrageous behaviour". The judge said: "You were planning and largely hoping such a meeting could be arranged and for a time you pushed for such a meeting." Judge Menary said if a meeting had happened "I have no doubt your expectation was penetrative activity with very young children would occur". The judge said: "It seems likely you had become suspicious of 'Lee', at one point in fact asked if he was a police officer." Referring to Parr ceasing contact with the officer Judge Menary said: "I am sure at that point, not because you lost your desire to do what you earlier proposed but because you were fearful because the conversation in the end might not have been real." Parr was jailed for five years and must sign the Sex Offenders Register for life. He must also adhere to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for the same period.

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A Biggin Hill paedophile who planned to sexually abuse a 10-year-old girl after contacting a woman posing as her mother has been jailed. Maurice Clayton, of Oaklands Lane, was arrested in the car park of a supermarket last year, having travelled 30 miles to meet a woman he believed would allow him access to her daughter. Clayton, aged 60, initially contacted a user on a pornographic website during September 2020, believing her to be the mother of a 10-year-old girl. He continued to have conversations with the woman on a separate social media site, where he made repeated comments about his intentions to commit serious sexual offences against the child. He also shared several indecent images. On October 27, Clayton travelled from his home to a car park in Knight Road, Strood. He planned to meet the mother of the child at the car park and then move onto an address to commit the abuse. Unbeknown to him, the mother and child did not exist. Instead, Clayton was met at the car park by Kent Police officers and arrested. He was charged and later appeared at Maidstone Crown Court, where he pleaded guilty to attempting to arrange the commission of a child sex offence. Clayton also admitted two counts of distributing indecent images of a child and a further count of possessing indecent images. On Wednesday June 16, Clayton was sentenced to two years imprisonment. He was also made subject of a sexual harm prevention order. Detective Constable Darran Bassett, of the Paedophile Online Investigation Team, said: There can be no doubt that Clayton poses a real danger to children. He has displayed a clear desire and determination to sexually abuse a child in the most abhorrent ways and the graphic detail he included in his online messages was hugely concerning. Protecting children from sexual abuse and harm is a priority for Kent Police and as this case shows we will continue to do everything in our power to identify and take robust action against people like Clayton.

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A man who travelled to a town intent on raping a toddler has been jailed for eight years. Shahmaan Ahmed, 29, from London, was caught in Reading by police who invented two fictitious children to lure him into a sting in August. When they arrested him police officers found Ahmed had brought sweets to give to his intended victims. Passing sentence Judge Kirsty Real said she had no doubt he would have abused the children if they had been real. The court heard Ahmed had been talking with an undercover officer to arrange sex with two fictitious children, aged eight and three. Thames Valley Police said when they seized his mobile phone they found evidence of highly-sexualised chat logs involving other children. A jury found him guilty of four counts of the arrangement of child sex offences in February. Ahmed, of Roman Road, Newham, London, pleaded not guilty to the offences. In mitigation, the court was told he felt "a real sense of revulsion over what he wrote" in the messages. Judge Real, who described the messages as "extensive and abhorrent" also made him subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order. Online paedophile investigator Det Con Nick Hook said: "Despite the deterrent sentences like this provide, sadly there will always be people out there willing to take the risk. "We're watching them. You can't be on the internet committing this kind of crime and not expect the police to be involved, and we'll do what we can to prevent this thing happening." There were 176 arrests relating to online grooming and sexual communication with children across Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire last year.

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A man who was involved in a "clandestine" sexual relationship with a teenager has been jailed.

Ashley Bingley was 24 when he became involved with a girl, who was then only 14.

They initially contacted through text messages but over time the relationship escalated into "clandestine sexual trysts" in the Dereham area.

Bingley went on trial in December accused of meeting a child through grooming, five counts of sexual activity with a child and one count of causing a child to engage in sexual activity between March and August 2016.

Bingley, now 29, of Wellington Road, Dereham, had denied all seven offences against the victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, but was convicted by a jury.

He appeared in court on Tuesday, June 15, to be sentenced.

John Farmer, prosecuting, said there was no victim impact statement in the case, although the victim was listening into the hearing over a link.

Sentencing Bingley to a total of six years, Judge Anthony Bate said a significant term of imprisonment was "inevitable given the gravity of your offending".

Judge Bate said there was a "significant disparity" between his age and the age of the victim in the case.

He said Bingley's offending escalated over time from messages into "clandestine sexual trysts" firstly at his home in Dereham and then in his car at locations around the Dereham area.

Benedict Peers, for Bingley, said the defendant had a difficult childhood with his father spending time in prison.

He said Bingley continues to deny the offences although accepts he was found guilty.

Mr Peers said the offences happened after the breakdown of a previous relationship at a time when Bingley fell into depression.

Bingley was medicated but it was "then that this chain of events started".

Mr Peers said he was now in a new relationship and had "started again".

He had asked the judge to make any sentence as short as possible.

Bingley was also made the subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) indefinitely and put on the sex offenders register for life.

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A TEENAGER carried on having sex with his underage girlfriend despite a police warning.

But Jordon Brook was spared an immediate prison sentence at Oxford Crown Court as a judge said jail time would not address his behaviour.

The Oxfordshire man now 23 - was 19 when he struck up the relationship with the girl, who was in her mid-teens.

Prosecutor Charles Ward-Jackson said the teenagers began talking to each other over Snapchat. Their relationship quickly became sexual, with the couple meeting at Brooks fathers home. He told his father the girl was over-16.

In May 2018, a few months after they began seeing each other, the police served Brook with a Child Abduction Warning Notice. The order came after the girls mother found out about the relationship. The girl said that her boyfriend had begun to hit her and had started seeing another girl.

The police warned Brook to stay away from the girl. Mr Ward-Jackson said: It appears he ignored that warning and carried on seeing her. They exchanged sexualised messages.

By the following year, the girl was increasingly upset and told her mother the relationship had continued. Brook was arrested and, when interviewed, admitted to the police that hed kept on seeing his victim.

The court heard Brook had received two other Child Abduction Warning Notices in 2017 and 2019 relating to underage girls.

Mitigating, Kellie Enever said the case could not be likened to that of a man in his 20s or 30s grooming underage girls on social media.

In this young mans mind this was a relationship. He loved her and it was a relationship which of course he acknowledges he should not have carried on with, she said.

Brook had intellectual difficulties of his own, although Ms Enever said those mental health issues were not put forward as an excuse for his behaviour.

Judge Nigel Daly said he was not going to send Brook to prison as he did not think it would affect his behaviour.

Sentencing him to two years imprisonment suspended for two years, the judge ordered he complete a sex offender treatment programme and 180 hours of unpaid work.

The judge said: If you breach the suspended sentence, if you breach the requirements, you will be brought to this court and you will be in front of me and I know exactly what Ive said to you today and I tell you now I will send you to prison. Clear?

He noted that there had been a significant disparity in the ages of Brook and his victim. He said: Girls need protection not only from men but from themselves... at [that age] they are going through a very difficult period in their lives and they need protection.

Brook, of Cholsey, near Wallingford, pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to two counts of sexual activity with a child.

He must register as a sex offender for 10 years. A sexual harm prevention order limits his access to digital devices for the same period of time.

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Victims of a vile double rapist who terrorised schoolgirls have spoken out after he was finally brought to justice.

Oliver Barrie was just 14 when he began subjecting girlfriends to horrific sexual and physical abuse more than seven years ago.

Now 22, he has been convicted of raping two of his exes, who were just 13 and 15 at the time, and punching them both on the body when they feared they might be pregnant.

Both victims told how evil Barrie, from Ayr, destroyed their lives and left them suffering long-term trauma.

They spoke out in the hope they can help other victims of abuse to find the courage to come forward.

One of the women, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said: He took away my childhood. Im not the person I used to be and I still struggle every day because of what hes done to me.

Barrie was convicted after a trial at the High Court in Glasgow last week and is now in custody awaiting sentence.

A jury convicted him of raping his first victim, a 13-year-old girl, between October 2013 and April 2014, when he was aged between 14 and 15.

He was also convicted of assaulting the schoolgirl at an Ayr property and in a car park on various occasions between April 2013 and July 2015, repeatedly punching her on the body when he believed she might be expecting a baby.

Now 21, she said: I met him when I was in first year and he was in third year.

Hes got a way with words and can talk his way into getting what he wants. He knows exactly what to say to make you feel guilty.

He became quite abusive very early on, saying, If you just hurry up and do it Ill stop nagging you. One minute he made you feel like such a special person then he would just turn.

He did all of this horrendous stuff to me when I was just a child.

The victim buried the abuse she suffered and began to struggle with her mental health because of it.

She said: I ended up going to therapy and that really helped me realise he was really dangerous. The victim only opened up about her experience after police arrived at her door following a report from Barries second victim.

She said: I decided I needed to speak out because hes a danger to every young woman. He really terrifies me.

Barries second victim was 15 when she was assaulted by him between June and December 2014, also fearing she was pregnant and being punched by him.

She was raped by him when she was 16 in June 2015.

Now 22, she said: He was very manipulative and cheated on me with 26 different people I know of. He secluded me from everyone and controlled every aspect of my life.

He would force me to stay on FaceTime all the time and abuse me saying, Do this and Ill stop asking. He would make me fall asleep on FaceTime so he knew I wasnt talking to anyone else.

It was a constant cycle and there was no relief. I felt trapped and didnt know what to do.

The victim said she confided in Barrie when she feared she was pregnant and was punched with full force in the stomach, leaving her on the floor in tears.

She didnt tell her parents what she had suffered for several years and only reported the abuse to police in 2018, with the support of Rape Crisis.

She said: I wanted to save other girls from going through what weve experienced.

Ive been diagnosed with PTSD, severe depression and Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder, all as a result of what hes done.

Barrie will face sentence next month.

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A PERVERTED pensioner, who sexually abused girls over three decades, is starting a 21-year prison sentence, and will not be released until he is into his 80s. Brian ONeil, 66, who often filmed his activities, was branded a danger to underage girls and was made subject of an extended determinate sentence at Durham Crown Court. It means he must serve at least 14 years in prison before being eligible for parole, but he may have to spend the entire 21 years behind bars. On release he will also be subject to five-years extended licence supervision and will remain on the sex offenders register, indefinitely. He was sentenced at the court yesterday, when the hearing heard of the traumatic effect his offending has had on his victims, in one case self-harming and making a number of suicide attempts. ONeil, formerly of Wharton Street, Coundon, admitted rape, plus 20 other mainly sexual offences, and voyeurism, at hearings in November and December, last year. But he denied ten further counts, of which he was convicted following unanimous jury verdicts after a three-day trial in late April. Passing sentence, Judge Ray Singh told ONeil, who appeared via video link from Durham Prison: There can be no criticism and no doubt you are a dangerous offender. There is a significant risk to members of the public of the commission of further specified offences. In your pre-sentence report you did accept the majority of your offending. Your offending pattern, transcended over three decades, reflects a long-standing sexual interest in young children that needs to be addressed in future. Speaking after the hearing, Detective Constable Donna Hicks, of Durham Police, who led the investigation, said: ONeil carried out these horrendous crimes for more than three decades and had a massive detrimental impact on his victims, who have suffered significantly. Putting his own sexual gratification first, he has destroyed the lives of not just his victims but also their families and continued to show a total lack of remorse throughout the investigation and trial. All the victims have shown enormous courage in coming forward and I hope this sentence means they can finally gain some closure and start to rebuild their lives.

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A warped University of Derby lecturer manipulated and fantasised over pictures of students and staff he had downloaded from their social media accounts.

Pervert Thomas Dodsley superimposed images of genitalia over their photos and created text boxes accompanied with captions featuring obscene messages.

One of the lewd images included wording that read: "look into my eyes, Mr Dodsley".

Over a six-year period, the married 34-year-old also downloaded just short of 3,000 sick child abuse images, including infants being raped.

And police found vile footage on his laptops, including humans engaged in sexual acts with animals.

Jailing him for a year at Derby Crown Court, Judge Shaun Smith QC said: "At the time you were caught you were a lecturer in criminology at the University of Derby.

"You had been there for three years and previously to that you were involved in youth work.

"You have, it is true, some significant personal mitigation in what you have done since you were caught.

"But I emphasise 'since you were caught' as the author of your (pre-sentence) report is of the opinion you would have carried on if you had not been caught."

Eunice Opare-Addo, prosecuting, said police executed a warrant at Dodsley's address in Grosvenor Avenue, Breaston, at 6.50am on September 1 last year.

She said his wife answered the door and the defendant appeared a short while later.

Miss Opare-Addo said laptops and other electronic devices were seized and analysed.

She said on them were 62 category A movies or images which is the most serious category, 70 category B, 2,842 category C, five prohibited images and 16 extreme pornographic images.

Miss Opare-Addo said: "On a USB stick were photos of past and present Derby University students and staff which appeared to have been obtained from social media.

"Some of them had genitalia and text superimposed over them with one saying 'look into my eyes, Mr Dodsley'."

The defendant pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images of children, possession of prohibited images and possession of extreme pornography between March 24, 2014 and September 1, 2020.

His barrister, also called Sean Smith, said: "He has already been addressing his offending by completing an accredited programme which included behavioural therapy."

In a statement, a spokesperson for the University of Derby said: The University was unaware of any allegations or concerns in relation to this individual until he appeared in court to enter his plea.

"He is no longer employed by us, having left his role in March this year.

As well as the jail sentence, Judge Smith made Dodsley sign on the sex offender register for 10 years and handed him a 10-year sexual harm prevention order.

He also banned him from working with children for the same amount of time.

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A rapist who tried to evade justice by fleeing to the US has been jailed for 15 years. Kim Avis was found guilty of raping three of his victims and sexually assaulting a fourth following a trial at the High Court in Glasgow last month, the Crown Office said. The 57-year-old was convicted of 14 charges in total, with the offences taking place mostly in Inverness between 2006 and 2017, including a charge of failing to attend a previous trial date after he fled to America. Avis, who was extradited from the US to face the charges, was jailed when he appeared at the High Court in Edinburgh on Friday. Avis, from Inverness, was detained by the US Marshals Service in Colorado Springs in July 2019. He had been reported missing in February of that year after going for a swim at Monastery Beach in Carmel, California. Investigators later discovered he was on bail for offences in Scotland. Fraser Gibson, procurator fiscal for High Court sexual offences, said: This has been a difficult and complex investigation for all those involved. I would like to commend the victims for their bravery in coming forward. Kim Avis went to great lengths to evade justice for his crimes. Thanks to the efforts of police and prosecutors, working together with US law enforcement, he has been brought to justice and sentenced today. As this case shows, we prosecute sexual crime effectively and fairly. I would urge anyone who has been the victim of such offending to report it to police and seek support. Avis was jailed for 12 years for the sexual offences including some against children and a rape and three years for the failure to appear charge. The trial date had been fixed for March 11 2019, but the court was told after a near-death experience in California that Avis believed he would not receive a fair hearing and decided not to return to Scotland. It was heard he then went on the run for several months before US marshals, who did not believe he was dead, tracked him down in Colorado and he was extradited to the UK. Avis, who continues to deny all the sexually related charges against him, was a street trader for many years in Inverness and had received a good citizen award. He was found guilty of 13 charges of sexual offences between 2006 and 2016. Avis pled guilty to the other offence and received a reduced jail term of three years for that part of the sentence. Detective Inspector Caine McIntyre, of Police Scotlands domestic abuse task force, said: I welcome the conviction of Kim Avis, otherwise known as Kim Gordon. I would like to take this opportunity to commend the victims/survivors in this case for the courage, strength and dignity they have shown throughout this investigation and subsequent court case. I would also like to take this opportunity to reach out to anyone who is experiencing or has experienced domestic or sexual abuse it is never too late to report to the police or seek support and advice from one of our partner agencies such as Womens Aid or Rape Crisis Scotland.

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A girl said she "didn't want to be here anymore" after being sexually abused by a predatory taxi driver.

Steven Halton molested two victims - both young teenage girls - in sickening attacks around 25 years apart.

His first victim, Girl A, came forward after his second victim, Girl B, went to the police and exposed the pervert's abuse against her.

The 58-year-old denied any wrongdoing, which forced both of his victims to relive their ordeals by giving evidence in a harrowing trial.

But he was found guilty of 10 counts of indecent assault against Girl A and four counts of sexual activity with a child against Girl B.

Halton, of Merlewood Avenue, Southport, today told Liverpool Crown Court that he still maintains his "innocence".

Judge Brian Cummings, QC, said the factual basis upon which he would sentence Halton was "one of which I am myself sure, having heard the evidence".

The judge said Halton abused Girl A on multiple occasions, touching her breasts, bottom and genitalia over clothing, forcibly kissed her, and on multiple occasions committed sexual offences involving penetration.

He said Halton "made her life a misery" in the 1990s.

Judge Cummings said Halton then abused Girl B in the last decade, when he groomed her and kissed her "insistently and in a manner that the jury rightly found was sexual".

He said this happened on four occasions, the second of which when he also tried to undo her bra and unzip her jeans, and on the third time when he gave her a lift in his taxi, put his hand under her skirt and touched her upper leg and groin area over clothing.

Girl B's dad made a victim statement to the court in which he said finding out what his daughter had been through was "devastating".

Frank Dillon, prosecuting, said the father referred to their lives being "turned upside down" and how the ordeal affected his family.

Mr Dillon said: "He feels bad that he perhaps misread his daughter's moods and had not understood them."

Judge Cummings interjected and said: "Well, parents always feel bad but for what it's worth, from my point of view he really shouldn't."

Mr Dillon summarised how Girl B explained Halton took "advantage of her" and left her suffering from "sleepless nights, bad dreams and trauma that is indescribable".

He said: "She went to counselling because she went through a stage of not wanting to be here anymore, when as she put it, she saw no purpose and was really down."

Mr Dillon said: "She was given money to keep her quiet, She says these memories will not fade, they will stick with her forever."

He said the abuse made Girl B feel "worthless and weak".

Mr Dillon said: "She still lies there sobbing into her pillow questioning why these events have impacted her life forever."

Girl A said she had struggled to live with what happened to her, which led to low self-esteem and a lack of confidence, and feared she wouldn't be believed..

The now adult woman said she also felt "guilty" that she hadn't reported the abuse sooner, because that may have prevented Girl B from being molested.

However, Mr Dillon said the blame didn't lie with Girl A and Judge Cummings said he repeated the observation he made earlier about Girl B's dad's views.

Girl A said she has problems sleeping, described being put through a trial as "unbearable", how she felt angry, and had to have counselling to rebuild her life.

The court heard Halton had a small number of previous convictions for dishonesty dating back to the period from 1985 to 1990.

Charlotte Kenny, defending, said: "Your honour will of course have noted the defendant's position. He maintains his innocence. That ultimately will be a matter for him and his reflection and hopefully there will come a point in time when there is at least an appreciation of the position and consequence.

"There is very little - and the defendant knows I'm about to say this - there is very little I can say on his behalf, he having entered into a trial."

Judge Cummings said Girl A had been "particularly vulnerable" and told Halton: "It's a serious aggravating feature of your case that there were multiple offences committed against the victim and there have been very significant lifelong ill effects on her, dealt with in the victim personal statement and dealt with also and movingly during her evidence at trial."

He jailed Halton for 15 years and told him to sign on the Sex Offenders Register for life.

Halton must also comply with a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and a restraining order indefinitely.

Speaking after the case, Detective Inspector Paula Furlong said: "Halton continued to deny his offending meaning his victims were forced to endure a trial. I am pleased that he will now spend a considerable amount of time behind bars for his actions.

"I would like to take this opportunity to praise both of his victims for their courage and dignity throughout the whole of this investigation and hope that by seeing him sent to prison will give them some sort of closure and allow them to move on with their lives knowing he cannot harm anyone else.

"We are committed to protecting victims of sexual offences, and anyone who reports an incident to us will be safeguarded and supported throughout the investigation.

"Anyone that has been a victim of a similar sexual offence, is concerned for the safety of someone they know or suspects someone to be engaging in this criminal activity, should come forward and speak to us. We have a team of dedicated staff who will expertly and compassionately deal with your reports and we will do everything we can to bring offenders to justice."