Latest Offenders

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A pervert who repeatedly raped a young girl more than 20 years ago has been jailed for a decade.

William Rowe, 60, of Queens Road, Dartford, denied three charges of rape, four of indecent assault and one of indecency with a child - but was convicted by a jury at Maidstone Crown Court of all offences except one of indecent assault.

It was the third time Rowe had stood trial for the same offences, which came to light only after his victim was contacted on Facebook by Rowe's brother, Lewis.

During the first trial, a jury failed to reach a verdict and a second trial was aborted due to legal reasons.

Each time, his victim has had to endure giving evidence to the court.

Also in the dock with Rowe, who has a previous conviction for indecent assault in 1984, was his brother.

Lewis Rowe, 49, of Bryant Road, Strood, denied one offence of indecent assault against the same victim and was found not guilty by the same jury.

Jailing William Rowe, Judge Martin Joy said the offences were "brutal" and "a classic example" of the damage caused to child sexual abuse victims.

"What the court could see was a woman who has lived for over 20 years with the fact of having been sexually abused in a very serious way by you.

"it caused her mental health problems, depression, huge distress, loneliness... and an inability to function as a normal and healthy young woman should be able to... judge martin joy"

"It caused her mental health problems, depression, huge distress, loneliness... and an inability to function as a normal and healthy young woman should be able to."

Rowe will serve half his sentence, less a total of 64 days spent on remand, and be subject to a tagged curfew.

Upon his release, he will have to sign the sex offenders' register indefinitely.

During Rowe's trial, the court heard his victim reported the abuse to the police after Lewis Rowe contacted her on Facebook.

She told how she was horrified at receiving a message from Lewis Rowe, telling her: "You are all grown up now. You have turned into a beautiful young lady."

Michael Riley, prosecuting, said the woman told her boyfriend: "They have found me. One of my abusers has found me."

Mr Riley told a jury of 11 men and one woman: "It was that message that acted as a trigger for her. It brought things back for her. Once she read it she became very upset and distressed."

She then claimed William Rowe had raped her and committed other assaults and Lewis Rowe had behaved indecently with her on one occasion.

Mr Riley told a jury of 11 men and one woman: "It was that message that acted as a trigger for her. It brought things back for her. Once she read it she became very upset and distressed."

She then claimed William Rowe had raped her and committed other assaults and Lewis Rowe had behaved indecently with her on one occasion.

Mr Riley said William Rowe started the abuse after his wife Elaine and their two daughters, Sarah and Vicky, were tragically killed in a fire on a houseboat in Hoo Marina on Boxing Day in 1988.

The first offence was committed, he said, when Rowe told the girl to lie on top of him and made her touch his genitals. He then went further and had intercourse with her, it was alleged.

On another occasion, Rowe took the girl into a cellar, laid her on a workbench and had intercourse with her, said the prosecutor.

Rowe raped her on a third occasion and made the girl perform sex acts on him. After one incident in his car, he told her to keep it secret.

"He said no one would believe her and she would get into trouble and so would he," said Mr Riley.

When arrested, both brothers denied the allegations.

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A DISTRAUGHT childs revelation to school staff triggered a major police investigation that has led to a jobless Chandlers Ford man being jailed for ten years. The girl, who became so upset during a lesson she had to be taken out of class by a teaching assistant, disclosed how she had been repeatedly sexually abused. Southampton Crown Court heard that, suspecting his abuse had been discovered, Stuart Bowman took an overdose of tablets and was treated in hospital. Bowman, 38, of Oakmount Road, Chandlers Ford, was convicted of rape and false imprisonment of a woman, which he had denied. He admitted two charges of causing actual bodily harm and committing three sex offences against the girl. The youngster told police his abuse had also led her to self harming and thinking of killing herself. She added: I am happy now he cant harm me anymore. Judge Gary Burrell QC told Bowman he considered him a dangerous offender and a high risk of causing harm to children. He was placed on the sex offenders register for life and under the terms of a sexual offences prevention order, is banned from having unsupervised access to girls under 16. He was also given a three-year extended sentence. The judge said his offending had been committed against a rising use of amphetamine. In mitigation, James Newton-Price said Bowman recognised his abuse of the girl was immoral and repugnant, and he had shown an insight into the impact of his behaviour. Wiping tears from his eyes, Bowman heard the barrister add he had destroyed his relationship with his children. After the case one of his victims described Bowman as an evil monster. Speaking to the Daily Echo said she was pleased to see him jailed as it marked the closure of an horrific episode in her life. I feel I can move on now knowing he is behind bars and get on with my life with my family, said the woman.

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A man who raped a 12-year-old girl from Hampshire after posing online as a teenage girl, has been jailed for 14 years and four months. Gary Cooper, 47, pleaded guilty at Winchester Crown Court to the sexual grooming and rape of the girl. Cooper, of Windsor Drive, Hertford, fabricated a profile in a social network site in which he purported to be a 15-year-old girl called Chantelle. Passing sentence, the judge called Cooper "highly manipulative". The court heard how Cooper had used the online site to meet his victim in July 2011 and then took her to Hertfordshire, via Essex, where he raped her. After being reported missing, the girl was found by Hertfordshire Police the following morning. A police investigation uncovered a series of offences against the 12-year-old and another girl to which Cooper pleaded guilty. Det Insp Dave Storey, of Hampshire Constabulary, said: "This incident highlights the ease with which online paedophiles can use social networking sites to communicate with children and parents should be mindful of who their children are communicating with and any arrangements that are made following contact."

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A TEACHER who performed a sex act in front of a schoolboy on the internet has been spared jail.

Christopher Daniels was sentenced to a two-year community payback order for the offence and for having indecent images of children.

The 29-year-old was working as an IT tutor at Lossiemouth High School in Moray when he exposed himself to the 15-year-old over a webcam.

Last month, Daniels admitted intentionally causing the boy to look at a sexual image by performing a sex act during a video call at his house in Lossiemouth on July 2, last year.

He further admitted having indecent images of children between December 31, 2011, and January 10 this year.

Sentence was deferred until yesterday so that a string of reports, including a psychiatric assessment, could be prepared and he was put on the sex offenders register.

The court previously heard how the young victims mum contacted police after finding a string of messages between her son and Daniels on the familys computer.

The teachers home was searched by Grampian Police officers in January this year.

Solicitor Stephen Carty said Daniels had already been punished by the fact that his career as a teacher had ended.

He said: This has had quite an impact on him.

Sheriff Susan Raeburn said Daniels would be supervised for two years as part of the order and would have to attend a sex offenders programme.

Daniels will remain on the sex offenders register for two years.

A Moray Council spokesman said Daniels left his job at the school before the case had concluded.

He added: He is no longer employed by the council.

He could now face education chiefs at the General Teaching Council.

A spokesman said Daniels was currently banned from working at any school.

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A senior Hertfordshire politician, who held a role overseeing children's services, has been jailed after being found in possession of more than 400,000 indecent images of children. Stephen Holmes, 61, was sentenced to 10 months in custody at St Albans Crown Court today after admitting 23 counts of possessing indecent images and videos including thousands at level five, the most serious abuse. The massive cache of images was accumulated over a period of 12 years by Holmes, who resigned as deputy portfolio holder for childrens services at Hertfordshire county council and as a Dacorum borough councillor following his arrest. Harry Bentley, for Holmes, told the court his client had never sought to abuse his position or gain access to children. He said: "This is a man with a problem, not a persistent sex offender. "A somewhat pathetic individual locking himself in a room on his own." The images were discovered on computer equipment in his Woodhall Farm home in May by police investigating online activity. The politician, who was also a Dacorum Borough Councillor in Hemel Hempstead and the former mayor of the borough. Holmes, of Dickens Court, Hemel Hempstead was also handed an indefinite sex offenders prevention order limiting his internet access by Judge John Plumstead.

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Mark Bridger was told he would die behind bars after being jailed for life for the murder of April Jones.

Bridger was given the sentence in May, 2013, after a jury at Mold Crown Court found him guilty of abducting and murdering five-year-old April before disposing of her remains.

Handing Bridger a whole life tariff, Mr Justice Griffith Williams branded him a "pathological liar" and a "paedophile".

The judge said: There is no doubt in my mind that you are a paedophile, who has for some time harboured sexual and morbid fantasies about young girls.

He added that Bridger had stored on his laptop "not only images of pre-pubescent and pubescent girls but foul pornography of the gross sexual abuse of young children.

Bridger became just the 32nd person in UK history to be handed a whole life tariff after being found guilty of murder.

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A school teaching assistant who had sex with teenage pupils after grooming them on Facebook and sending them indecent text messages has been jailed.

Emma Webb, 42, also performed sex acts on four boys, sometimes in a room at the Berkshire school where she worked.

She admitted 30 offences between 2009 to 2012 involving five boys who were aged between 15 and 17 at the time.

The married mother of two, from Kingfisher Drive, Woodley, was jailed for two years and eight months.

Reading Crown Court heard that Webb worked as a study supervisor at the school, which cannot be named for legal reasons.

On one occasion she performed a sex act on a boy in a room at the school, stopping only when the school bell sounded.

'Befriended victims'

She also invited one of the boys to her home to walk her dog but instead had sex with him on the stairs of her family home.

The court heard that Webb befriended her victims before sending them suggestive texts and indecent mobile phone photos of herself using sex toys.

She had been warned to stop contacting the boys via Facebook by a friend who discovered it but continued, the court was told.

Her conduct was also the subject of jokes by some of her victims to their friends with several of the boys knowing about each other's relationships with her.

Judge John Reddihough said she had risked leaving the boys with a "distorted attitude to females and sex".

"It is also likely to have had an adverse effect on them with feelings of guilt, shame and embarrassment on their part," he said.

He added: "You put your thrill-seeking before their interests."

Webb admitted 16 counts of sexual activity with a child whilst being in a position of trust, six counts of causing a child to engage in sexual activity whilst being in a position of trust and four counts of causing a child to engage in sexual activity.

She also pleaded guilty to three charges of causing a child to watch sexual activity whilst being in a position of trust and one count of sexual activity with a child.

She was banned for life from working with children and ordered to sign the sex offenders' register.

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Darren Mackrell was caught when one of the mothers called police.

A man who drugged and raped three schoolchildren after meeting them at a Hampshire park playground has been given an indeterminate jail sentence.

Darren Mackrell, 45, raped two boys aged eight and 10 and a girl, nine, at his Southampton flat on 21 April.

He had admitted 18 charges of rape, sexual assault, forcing the viewing and engagement in sexual acts and drugging.

The court heard he forced the children to sexually abuse each other while he watched during the six-hour ordeal.

Winchester Crown Court was told that the unemployed drug addict, of Wilton Avenue, gave the children cannabis, amphetamines and Viagra.

He also threatened to hurt them if they tried to leave - showing one boy a large hunting knife.

Judge Gary Burrell QC told Mackrell he would spend at least 10 years in jail and may never be released if he continued to pose a danger to children.

'Depths of depravity'

Sentencing Mackrell, he said: "As a parent, when a child goes missing, you fear the worst, you fear something bad has happened to them.

"Something bad did happen to these three young children on that day.

"Your behaviour towards them plumbed the depths of human depravity.

"There is no room for mercy, Darren Mackrell, in a case as horrific as this. What you did to these children was truly dreadful."

The court heard Mackrell's victims had been traumatised by their ordeal with one boy harming himself and writing suicide notes and the girl unable to speak about it.

Mackrell was caught after one of the children's mothers became concerned about their whereabouts and went to the park to look for them.

She found out that the children, who cannot be named for legal reasons, were at Mackrell's home and called the police when nobody answered.

An officer tried to break the door down after looking through the letterbox and seeing a pornographic video playing on the television.

Mackrell, who pleaded guilty to all the charges on the eve of his trial, was placed on the sex offenders register for life.

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A sex abuse victim has been praised for her "extraordinary fortitude" as her attacker was jailed for 12 years.

The teenager won the admiration of a judge for the way she gave evidence against former bus driver Gordon Burgess.

The 43-year-old, of Thorn Hill Road, Warden, Sheerness, denied two offences of rape and three of sexual activity with a child - but was convicted by a jury of 10 women and one man, the 12th juror having been discharged.

The girl told by TV link from a witness room at Maidstone Crown Court how she tried to blank out what was happening to her.

"I tried not to think about it," she said.

Burgess raped her twice without using any protection.

"He never said not to tell anybody about it," she said. "He never threatened me or gave me any rewards for keeping quiet."

She agreed she could have told somebody or gone to the police. She eventually called Childline and reported the abuse.

"I felt trapped because it was partly my fault for not doing anything," she added.

The girl denied a suggestion by defence lawyer Andrew Baughan that she made up the allegations.

Mr Baughan said after the verdicts that Burgess had been a good citizen up to the point he started offending.

"i felt trapped because it was partly my fault for not doing anything" gordon burgess's victim

"It appears to be confined to a relatively short period," he said. "It coincided with his ill-health. He has lost his good character and reputation."

Judge David Griffith-Jones QC, told Burgess: "The seriousness of the offences is self-evident. You know nothing less than a significant period of imprisonment will follow.

"An aggravating feature is that you used no form of protection. The criminality must fall at the top end of the range."

The mitigation was limited, he said. Burgess was a family man in poor health.

"I draw attention to the traumatic effect your offending is bound to have on your unfortunate victim," added the judge.

"It has to be said she withstood the ordeal to which you subjected her to give evidence with extraordinary fortitude."

An indefinite sexual offences prevention order was imposed. Burgess will be banned from working with children and his name will appear on the sex offenders' register for life.

After sentence, DC Emily Hooper, from Kent Police, said: "Burgess denied all the allegations that were made, but the victim's strength in bravely giving evidence in court has helped us secure a substantial prison sentence.

"It will be a long time before Burgess is released from prison and I hope that will allow the victim to move on in life."

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Gavin Smith was jailed in 2001 for his part in an international paedophile ring.

A convicted paedophile who discussed torturing and sexually abusing children over the internet has been given a three month suspended jail sentence.

Gavin Smith, 41, of Boleyn Way in Swanscombe, Kent, pleaded guilty at Maidstone Crown Court to nine offences of publishing obscene material.

Kent Police said he was charged over the internet chat in 2010, with the case going to court in November 2011.

The case collapsed but police and prosecutors successfully appealed.

Smith was brought back to court in July, leading to his guilty plea.

Det Insp David Shipley, from the public protection unit at Kent Police, said as a result of the case the Obscene Publications Act of 1959 can now be used for online offences where people engage in fantasy chat about the sexual abuse of children.

Smith was jailed for his part in the international "Wonderland" paedophile ring in 2001.

The computer engineer was then called Gavin Seagers, but changed his name.

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Police have issued a plea to find a beer-bellied convicted child sex offender who they say may befriend a family so he can offend has gone missing.

Registered sex offender John Archer Barnett, 62, was jailed for four years after being convicted in 2003 for indecently assaulting an eight-year-old boy.

Kent Police said Barnett, also known as John Owen, was last seen by his landlord on April 14 in Dover and he is now believed to be travelling around the UK.

He left the area after social services intervened following concerns from officers involved in his management that he was becoming too close to a family with children.

A police spokesman said: ''He has failed to notify police of his new address and is now wanted for breach of the notification requirements under the Sexual Offences Act 2003.''

Barnett has visited areas including London, Blackpool, Brighton, Scarborough, Dartford and Bournemouth and police in Hampshire believe he may be spotted travelling through the county.

The police spokesman added: ''Barnett is considered to pose a risk to children and may befriend a family in order to offend.''

Barnett may have shaved his head and his beard off to disguise his appearance. He is described as white, about 5ft 8in tall, with a beer belly and grey, receding hair and a beard.

He has eagle tattoos on both arms and may be wearing a hearing aid. He is a smoker and drinks whiskey. He also has an eczema-type skin condition which is visible on both forearms and hands.

Police also said he suffered a stroke and one side of his face droops slightly.

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A pensioner who repeatedly sexually abused a young girl - telling her it was a "special secret" - has been jailed for six years.

Roy Humphreys, 69, corrupted his victim so badly she thought it was her fault, a court heard.

Humphreys, of Broadway, Gillingham, shook his head in the dock as he was handed six years' jail and an indefinite Sexual Offences Prevention Order at Maidstone Crown Court.

He was also placed on the sex offenders' register for life, banning him from ever working with children.

Humphreys, who previously worked as a steward at Gillingham FC on match days, denied the abuse throughout a trial.

But he was convicted by a 10-2 majority on three charges of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and one of sexual assault. He was acquitted of three other charges.

Judge Philip Statman praised the young victim's bravery in giving harrowing evidence in which she was able to describe Humphreys' private parts.

She said the pensioner would climb on top of her, kiss her and touch her private parts.

"you have not shown one shred of remorse…"

– judge philip statman

The judge told Humphreys the abuse had "a profound effect on her", adding: "Nothing will ever be the same again."

"As you stand before this court today you have not shown one shred of remorse," he added.

"She was a very young girl, not aware of the illegality of your acts towards her.

"Then there was the issue of the 'special secret' you and she had, which she eventually divulged."

Nina Ellin, prosecuting, previously told the trial the victim's behaviour had become sexualised as a result of grooming.

Miss Ellin told the jury: "She said she should have stopped him.

"She said everything was her fault, adding: 'I was supposed to say no.'"

Humphreys followed the hearing closely from the dock, at one point asking the judge to speak louder.

Roy Humprheys has been jailed for six years at Maidstone Crown Court.

Danny Moore, defending, said it would be hard for Humphreys in the three years he is due to remain in prison.

He said: "It is a fact that it's much more difficult for a man of that age in custody."

But he added: "It's not easy to identify mitigation. It was a vulnerable victim and the damage was obvious."

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Two brothers from Telford have been found guilty of a string of sexual offences against young girls.

Ahdel Ali, 24, and Mubarek Ali, 29, both of Regent Street, Wellington, were also convicted of controlling child prostitution and trafficking girls.

Between them, the pair were convicted of 25 out of 26 charges and are due to be sentenced at a later date.

Stafford Crown Court heard the offences took place in the Telford area between March 2008 and December 2009.

The jury heard the brothers had sexually abused, trafficked, prostituted or tried to prostitute four Telford teenagers.

Ahdel Ali was also found guilty of raping a girl as young as 13.

One teenager was sold as a prostitute by Mubarek Ali when she was four months pregnant.

'Systematically groomed'
The court was told one of the other victims was regularly sold for sex to workers at two Telford restaurants and a Wellington fish and chip shop, as well as to associates of the two brothers.

Giving evidence, the 19-year-old said that from age 16 she had been taken to have sex with men up to four times a week.

Det Ch Insp Neil Jamieson, of West Mercia Police, said: "Ahdel Ali and Mubarek Ali targeted these girls because of the vulnerability and then systematically groomed them in such a way that eventually they could exploit them sexually for their own gain and gratification."

Harry Ireland, chief prosecutor with the West Midlands Crown Prosecution Service, thanked the victims for their "courage" in giving evidence during the trial.

"I hope the verdicts provide some comfort for them and their families, and help them rebuild their lives," he added.

Ahdel Ali was found guilty of one charge of rape, 11 charges of sexual activity with a child, three charges of controlling child prostitution, one of inciting child prostitution, an allegation of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and meeting a child after grooming.

He was cleared on one charge of inciting child prostitution.

Mubarek Ali was convicted of four charges of controlling child prostitution, two of trafficking in the UK for sexual exploitation and a charge of causing child prostitution.

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A WIRRAL mum whose teenage daughter was raped has spoken of the nightmare her family are still living through. The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, told of the heart-wrenching moment she was told her little girl had been sexually assaulted by middle-aged David Cookson. Cookson, 48, from Liscard Road, Wallasey, was jailed for 12 years at Liverpool Crown Court on June 26. He had pleaded guilty to five rape offences and 11 of making indecent photographs involving 170 images and videos. The court also heard how Cookson had videoed himself having sex with the young girl who was 12 years old at the time. The offences came to light in March when she confided to a member of staff at her school. The girls mother says she still cannot believe what has happened. She said: I remember social services turning up on my doorstep to tell me and it just felt like a fist going right through my chest and ripping my heart out it didnt seem real. I couldnt get it off my mind and kept asking why? I couldnt understand how someone could do this to a little girl and hurt her in such a way. "I know I am not the victim but as her mother I feel her pain and anger. When interviewed by police, Cookson admitted having sexual intercourse with the girl on eight occasions. The court heard he has previous convictions but not for similar offences. Paul Wood, defending, said Cookson accepted the activity should never have occurred and takes responsibility for it. "He has good victim empathy," he added. But the girls mum said she now fears for her daughters future and worries about how she will come to terms with her ordeal. She said: I do worry all the time about how this is going to affect her later in life and how she will form a loving relationship and be able to trust anyone? "She wont sleep with the bedroom light off and neither will I its like were still living this horrible nightmare. Now the woman is hoping to look into setting up a support group for other parents of sexually abused children. She added: There is nothing out there where parents can go and share their stories and get advice from others in a similar situation. I need to be strong for my daughter but it is very hard. I am so proud of her for having the courage to come forward and tell someone what had happened she has effectively saved other children from going through the same thing. Other relatives outside the court last Tuesday expressed disappointment with Cooksons sentence calling it "totally inadequate".

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HE WAS given a community award for his work with young people but now disgraced former youth club leader John Wiltshire is facing a prison sentence after he admitted a series of sex crimes against a young girl.

Last week, 64-year-old Wiltshire was warned he faces a substantial custodial sentence after he pleaded guilty to 10 offences, including sexual activity with a child under 16-years-old The sexual activity took place over a two-and-a-half year period. Wiltshire has also admitted making more than 6,000 indecent images of children.

Appearing at Winchester Crown Court on June 25, Wiltshire admitted five charges of sexual activity with a child, one count of taking indecent photographs of children, and four counts of making indecent images of children.

Wiltshire confessed to making more than 6,000 indecent images of children, which were found on a computer, laptop and USB memory stick.

Wiltshire was a founder member of the Whitchurch Youth Project, set up in September 2005 for young people in the town.

In 2008, he was given a community award for his work with the youth initiative and the Chill 2 This club that he ran, which is for 10 to 14-year-olds.

In the past, the club has had around 60 to 100 members attending each week.

Wiltshire, of Evingar Road, Whitchurch, was presented with his community award by the then Mayor of Whitchurch, Councillor Steve Robbins.

Wiltshire resigned from his position of leading the youth club on April 5 this year, and since then a new leader has been appointed.

In April, Keith Watts, Whitchurch borough councillor and chairman of the Whitchurch Youth Project, told The Gazette that parents of children at Chill 2 This had been sent a letter informing them of Wiltshires resignation and telling them the club would still function as normal under new leadership.

In court, Wiltshire also denied one charge of sexual assault and two counts of sexual activity with a child pleas that were accepted by the prosecution.

Wiltshires sentencing has been adjourned until Friday, July 13, while pre-sentence reports are prepared.

He has been remanded in custody until his next appearance.

Referring to what would happen to Wiltshire, Judge Jane Miller told the court: Clearly, it is going to be a substantial custodial sentence. The question is how long.