Latest Offenders

Description

A couple who subjected two children to an "abhorrent campaign of abuse" have been jailed for 22 years.

Rachel Burrows, 30, and Kevin Prewitt, 37, were sentenced at Ipswich Crown Court for their "inhuman and sadistic" acts over more than a year involving the two children, both under the age of 10.

Police were called to Prewitt's Myrtle Road home in Lowestoft in April 2020 when a 10-second indecent film and messages on his phone were discovered.

The pair were in a relationship and prosecutor Joanne Eley told the court police attended both homes and seized mobile phones and tablets and other items used in the images and videos.

Officers also found a Skype conversation between the pair from January 2020 until the beginning of the coronavirus lockdown discussing their plans, while examination of the videos found the victims "sobbing and whimpering."

A psychological report found the victims were both likely to develop complex PTSD.

The duo had previously admitted serious charges of sexual abuse of a child, including rape, while Prewitt also admitted three offences of making indecent images of children, and two offences of inciting or causing child exploitation.

Burrows, of Harris Avenue, Lowestoft, also admitted multiple serious sex abuse of a child charges, three offences of taking indecent images of children and an offence of inciting or causing a child to engage in sexual activity.

Burrows, of Harris Avenue, Lowestoft, also admitted multiple serious sex abuse of a child charges, three offences of taking indecent images of children and an offence of inciting or causing a child to engage in sexual activity.

Representing Prewitt, Laura Kenyon told the court he was engaging with services since being in custody, while Justin Rivett, for Burrows, said his client had a low IQ and she was "besotted" with Prewitt, but was "remorseful" for her actions.

Sentencing the pair to 22 years in custody, judge Rupert Overbury said: "What the pair of you did was beyond depraved and despicable. It was inhuman and sadistic.

"If your families have any sense they will disown you both because neither of you deserve a place in society until you have paid a high price for your actions."

Description

A married man who raped two boys as a teenager collapsed in the dock when jailed today.

John Merritt, 60, of Leathers Lane, Halewood, denied sexually abusing the children more than four decades ago.

But at the age of 14 or 15, when going by the name Walter Merritt, he raped his victims in Belle Vale and Netherley.

Merritt offered chocolate to Boy A, before inviting him into his house and raping him in a bathroom and a nearby field.

He also raped Boy B in the bathroom, pouncing after his mum invited the disadvantaged little boy in for tea and cake.

Boy B described how the abuse "destroyed" his life and even landed him in jail, after he stole to buy drugs to block out the horror.

Liverpool Crown Court heard the now dad-of-four carried out the attacks in the 1970s.

Stephen McNally, prosecuting, said they came to light when Boy A made a formal complaint to the police in 2016.

He previously told his sister about the abuse 30 years earlier and also mentioned it in a letter to police in 2014, but hadn't taken it further at that stage.

When interviewed, Boy A told police he believed it happened to others and mentioned Boy B, who was traced by officers and interviewed in 2018.

Mr McNally said Boy B wasn't told who provided his name, but both men "independently provided accounts which bore a number of similarities".

Boy A said Merritt passed him in the street, offered him chocolate and invited him into his home, before raping him in the bathroom. He said Merritt also raped him at another location and in a field in Netherley.

Boy B said he went to Merritt's home because Merritt's mum was nice to him and fed him, when times were hard in his family and he was "largely left to fend for himself".

Mr McNally said: "He said that Mrs Merritt offered him tea, biscuits and cake, which he didn't get at home."

The court heard Merritt followed him into the bathroom, locked the door and raped him on two occasions.

Merritt was convicted of three counts of a sexual offence which would now be classed as rape after a trial in March.

In a victim statement, Boy A - who attended the sentencing - said the abuse "destroyed his life".

Mr McNally said: "He describes how he turned to drugs because he 'needed not to remember'."

Boy A didn't wish to make a victim statement, but in evidence described how the abuse affected his "personal relationships" and he also turned to drugs.

The trial heard Merritt was convicted of wounding aged 15 in 1976, when he threw a bike cog at a girl's face, leading to him being put in care. His family later moved to Speke.

Mr McNally said in 1980 he was convicted of possessing a weapon, "a stick with a chain" when "part of a Teddy Boy outfit".

Merritt was most recently convicted of a racially aggravated public order offence in 2015.

The court heard he had character references from his wife, adult son and two adult daughters.

Louise McCloskey, defending, said her client "acknowledged" the jury's verdict, but maintained his innocence.

She said Merritt was "only a child" at the time and expert evidence, including an intermediary's report, detailed his "educational difficulties and learning difficulties, as well as significant physical difficulties".

The judge, Recorder Ian Harris, accepted there had to be a significant reduction in the sentence, because of Merritt's age at the time and his "characteristics".

Ms McCloskey said Merritt was assessed as being "a low risk of re-offending" and hadn't committed any crimes since.

She said: "The man before the court, 60 years of age, is a very different one from the teenager that committed these offences."

Ms McCloskey said the Probation Service recommended a community-based sentence, so Merritt could undergo work to rehabilitate him.

She said his family thought "very highly of him" and he was a "great support" to his wife and 12-year-old son, who has health difficulties.

Ms McCloskey said: "The defendant was convicted of these offences - not his family. Since this case was first publicised, his family have been subject to the most despicable abuse and general intimidation."

She added: "His family are guilty of nothing and should not be treated as such.

"They themselves perhaps your honour could be considered victims of the offences."

Recorder Harris said Merritt, when 14 or 15, raped Boy A up to five times, when the child was nine or 10, and raped Boy B twice, when the victim was eight or nine.

He said Merritt "befriended" then groomed and isolated the boys, which involved "significant planning".

Referring to Boy A, Recorder Harris said: "It's quite clear there has been a lifelong impact upon him."

The judge said Boy B, who screamed and shouted out during the rapes, was left with "lifelong psychological harm".

He said Boy B told the court: "I needed not to remember what this man did to me as a kid, so I took drugs, which made me not think about what had been done to me by him.

"He ruined my whole life. All my relationships failed with me being insecure with what happened to me. I stole to fund my drug habit, which put me in jail... one big, vicious cycle."

Recorder Harris said a pre-sentence report referred to Merritt's "dysfunctional sexual interests" as a teen and how the rapes allowed him to "exert power and control over the victims".

The judge noted his learning difficulties and said Merritt suffered from physical problems, including abnormally short arms, as a result of his mum receiving thalidomide treatment when pregnant, which Merritt said led to him and his family being "marginalised and verbally abused" when living in Netherley.

He said the report suggested "optimistically and unrealistically" that he could be spared jail, but if Merritt had been an adult at the time of the abuse, he would have faced more than 16 years in prison.

Recorder Harris jailed him for eight years, at which point Merritt collapsed, hitting a wooden rail as he fell.

When helped up by a dock officer, he claimed "I just fainted a bit", then muttered: "It's my back as well."

He will serve at least six years in prison, before he is released on licence.

Merritt, who must sign the Sex Offenders Register for life, waved to his crying wife and adult son as he was sent down.

Speaking after the case, Detective Constable Julia Jennings said: "The actions of Merritt have clearly had a long lasting and devastating impact on his victims, who have been forced to relive their ordeals through his trial.

"I would like to pay tribute to their courage and strength in coming forward to speak up against Merritt and I hope that today's sentencing will finally give them the closure they have waited so long for.

"Time is never a barrier to investigating a crime and bringing someone to justice and I would encourage anyone who has been a victim of sexual abuse to come forward. We have specially trained officers who can support you through the investigation process."

Description

Previously Lee Lewitt, now goes by Jago Lee

Update July 2022

A PAEDOPHILE paramedic and ex-RAF serviceman caught with nearly 10,000 child abuse images hid his dark past from his new girlfriend.

Jago Lee, 38, was caught out by Gwent Police after he failed to tell them he was staying overnight at his partners address.

He was ordered to register as a sex offender for 10 years following his conviction for making indecent images of children and possession of extreme pornography.

The defendant had been handed an 18-month suspended prison sentence at Truro Crown Court for these offences in March 2021.

Lee had left his home in Cornwall and settled in the Gwent area.

A paramedic and ex-RAF serviceman has avoided prison despite being caught with nearly 10,000 sick child abuse images. Lee Lewitt, 37, had material showing the rape of infants as young as 12 months old and humans having sex with animals.

Lewitt, of Summercourt, appeared at Truro Crown Court where he admitted three charges of possession indecent images of children and possession 10 extreme pornographic images.

Prosecuting the case, Michael Brown described how intelligence was gained regarding Lewitts use of a cloud storage device to store indecent images.

Police searched Lewitts home and seized a number of devices. An interrogation of an iPhone showed a huge number of indecent images, both still and moving, some of the images showing children as young as 12 months old being abused. They were amassed between November 2018 and May 2020.

In total Lewitt was found to have 2,721 Category A images, 1,456 Category B, 3,529 Category C and 10 extreme pornographic images showing humans having sex with animals.

In his first interview Lewitt said he was addicted to adult pornography and must have accessed the indecent images by mistake. However, in his second interview he made full admissions.

Representing Lewitt, Chris Spencer told the court how he works as a paramedic and was formerly in the RAF, completing three tours of Iraq. Mr Spencer added Lewitts experiences left him receiving treatment for post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and that he accepts his career is now finished.

Sentencing dad-of-three Lewitt, Judge Simon Carr said he had downloaded a significant number of child abuse images.

Judge Carr said: I appreciate you are an intelligent man so you should be able to appreciate the enormity of what youve done.

Let me spell it out for you. Every day tens of thousands of children are raped for the enjoyment of people like you. The people raping the children dont do it because of a sexual interest, they do it because its a business.

Many hold people like you just as responsible, I certainly do.

Judge Carr went on to state that Lewitts good character, the fact hes showed remorse and sought treatment since his offending and realistic chance of rehabilitation meant he could suspend what would otherwise be an immediate custodial sentence.

Lewitt was given an 18-month sentence suspended for two years. He must also complete relevant treatment programme and 100 hours of unpaid work. Lewitt was made subject of a sexual harm prevention order.

Description

A paedophile football coach catfished a girl on Snapchat by pretending to be a 17-year-old boy.

Ian Kaufman, 48, sent the 16-year-old pictures he had taken from the internet so he could groom her.

The vile pervert would then use software to save videos and pictures she sent him on Snapchat.

When police raided his home they discovered Kaufman kept other sick images of child sex abuse and cartoons of children being raped.

Liverpool Crown Court today heard one of the disgusting images involved a girl as young as two-year-old.

Ken Grant, prosecuting, explained police raided Kaufman's home after receiving "information about the uploading of an indecent image of a child to the internet using the Kik Messenger service."

As officers searched Kaufman told them he had a concealed mobile phone in his bedroom, which was seized along with various other items.

In an interview, Mr Grant explained, Kaufman "stated he set up the Kik account and that the name was JJDingle1".

Kaufman denied uploading any indecent images of children but admitted to speaking to a 16-year-old from Scotland on Snapchat, claiming he didn't know it was an offence.

Mr Grant said: "He admitted he had told her he was 17 and admitted he had sent her images taken from the internet of a male penis."

The 16-year-old girl from Scotland had sent Kaufman a video of herself "using a sex toy" and "fondling her breasts".

He said: "All these images were recorded by the defendant from Snapchat using an application called Mobizen."

The court heard that the software allows the user to keep videos from the social media platform even after they are deleted from Snapchat.

Mr Grant said: "He believed the Scottish girl sent them to him around February 2020 and didn't ask her for them but was in an online relationship and it was in the context of that relationship in which she sent him those videos."

He said: "He had sent her money on two occasions and also sent her a necklace.

"He did this because he felt sorry for her and she had needed help financially."

Mr Grant explained that while searching his devices officers discovered Kaufman had kept other indecent images of children and had an image of bestiality.

In a second interview Kaufman denied using Twitter to access indecent images of children, Mr Grant explained.

Among the images were eight category A videos, two category B pictures and 37 category C images.

Kaufman has no previous convictions.

Des Lennon, defending, explained that despite a difficult upbringing Kaufman went on to work as a "football coach in the community", adding there were "no complaints about his conduct" and it was "quite startling these matters have come to light in recent times".

Mr Lennon said there had been "issues within his marriage" and he was "searching for sexual gratification online".

He said: "This is a complete aberration as far as he is concerned."

Mr Lennon said Kaufman accepted the behaviour was "unacceptable" and "inexcusable".

He said: "The defendant is utterly sorry and ashamed for what he has done and is genuinely remorseful."

Mr Lennon said Kaufman had made efforts "of his own volition" such as reaching out to the Lucy Faithful Foundation and completing 12 modules.

He said Kaufman suffers from cerebral palsy and epilepsy and had been the victim of "unspeakable acts" as a child.

Mr Lennon explained Kaufman volunteered information about the girl to police, which is why they were able to trace her.

He added Kaufman suffers from mental health difficulties and had tried to take his life four times since April last year.

He said: "Once this issue came into the public domain he was vilified by members of his local community and as a consequence had to move out."

Mr Lennon explained that he had since been "living in his car outside the city" and suggested he would be "terribly vulnerable" if he was sent to prison.

Kaufman, formerly of East Dam Wood Road, Speke, admitted possession of category A, B and C images, possessing an image of extreme pornography, attempting to take indecent photographs of a child and making indecent images of a child.

Judge David Swinnerton, sentencing, explained Kaufman had sent the girl 50, a necklace and photographs of a boy who he pretended was him.

The judge said Kaufman claimed he hadn't asked for the videos, but admitted using screen capturing software to save them.

Judge Swinnerton said that whether he had asked or not "she still sent them because of your deceit and your lies, which I regard as grooming".

The judge said there were 10 videos of the girl, some of which were eight minutes long, adding it was unclear if the girl was aware he was saving the videos.

Judge Swinnerton said he was in "no doubt" Kaufman "kept them for your sexual pleasure".

The judge ruled that capturing the videos and keeping them was "clearly production".

Judge Swinnerton said: "You encouraged her while she was filming herself with highly sexualised comments."

The judge ruled that his grooming was an aggravating feature but also took into account Kaufman's disabilities, his early admissions and difficult childhood.

Kaufman was jailed for two years and eight months.

He must sign the Sex Offenders Register for life and adhere to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for the same period.

Description

A FORMER scoutmaster jailed for abusing young boys is back behind bars after attempting to hide computer equipment from police. In March 2016 Ian Beeby, formerly of Edditch Grove, Bolton, was jailed for five years after admitting abusing four boys in the 1980s, including one occasion on a Lake District camping trip. Beeby, who admitted sexually assaulting the cub scouts and downloading indecent images of children, told one child: Its the sort of thing that scouts do. In 2017 he had an extra two years and eight months added to his sentence after another victim, who he groomed and befriended as he walked past his home on the way to school, read about the previous conviction in the Bolton News and came forward. Beeby had abused him, from the age of 10, up to three times a week, for two years. Beeby was released on licence from prison and in March last year came back to the Bolton area, living in a flat in Black Horse Street, Blackrod. Victoria Lewis, prosecuting, told Bolton Crown Court how Beeby, was allocated an offender manager and, under the terms of a sexual harm prevention order, had to register any device capable of accessing the internet and make it available for inspection when required. On April 3 last year he presented the officer with a Google phone which he claimed was in only device and in June he revealed he also had a laptop. These then had eSafe software added to monitor his access to the internet. But on September 22 the software identified a Scandisk USB being connected to the phone. It was found to contain 10 indecent images which Beeby claimed had been on a laptop he had stored prior to his prison sentence and had deleted them as soon as he saw them. On October 21 a check on the internet router at Beebys home revealed a Raspberry Pi mini computer, which the defendant had not declared, had been connected to it. When handing it over Beeby slipped an SD card out of the device, secreted it in his pocket and disposed of it. In relation to the Pi device the defendant stated that he knew he shouldnt have had the device and that he had been stupid to have purchased it, said Miss Lewis. Beeby was also found to have accessed Facebook in breach of his SHPO although he denied creating asocial media account for himself. Appearing via a video link from Whatton prison in Nottinghamshire, Beeby pleaded guilty to five counts of breaching his sexual harm prevention order. Joshua Bowker, defending, said Beeby, a former electronic engineer, had not been open with his offender manager due to a combination of complacency and fear of being recalled to prison. If he had his time again he would have been much more open, he added. But, sentencing Beeby to 21 months in prison, Judge John Edwards told him: I am afraid I take the view that you have an entrenched and unhealthy interest for pre-pubescent boys and, as a computer programmer, you knew exactly what you were doing here. In committing these breaches you are seriously culpable and you display, in my judgement, flagrant contempt for the court order made five years ago. It is not only contemptuous of the court but it risks harm to the particular section of the public who the order was intended to protect.

Description

Matthew Millen caught a train to Southampton so he could have sex with a young girl called Grace.

The 44-year-old had even planned to make a video recording.

However, Grace was in fact an undercover police officer and Millen was arrested at McDonald's in Westquay Shopping Centre.

Millen of Hall Park Avenue, Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex was convicted of attempting to pay for the sexual services of a child following a trial at Southampton Crown Court.

In December he was jailed for just three years.

But earlier this year, the former Bank of England cyber-security expert had his case referred to the Attorney General under the Unduly Lenient Scheme.

Upon review, the Court of Appeal has now increased his sentence to seven years imprisonment.

After a joint hearing at the Court of Appeal concerning three other paedophiles as well as Millen, the new Attorney General, Rt Hon Michael Ellis QC MP, said: I was shocked and appalled by the wicked intentions of these men and it was only thanks to the vigilance of the police and others that their criminality did not extend further. I welcome the decisions of the Court of Appeal in what is a landmark case for the court."

A jury had found him unanimously guilty after being presented with "compelling evidence".

He had argued he was a paedophile hunter and had been trying to catch Grace's father.

Millen will be subject to an indefinite sexual harm prevention order and will have to register as a sex offender for life.

Description

A child rapist spent his life on Liverpool's streets having committed horrific acts of sexual abuse against a young girl.

David Whiteside raped the child nine times and committed five other sexually abusive acts against her in Kirkby.

The 36-year-old then denied his crimes in court, forcing the woman, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, to relive his monstrous actions in a trial.

His victim said she couldn't even go into Liverpool city centre, where she knew he begged on the streets, out of fears of bumping into him.

Paul Becker, prosecuting at Liverpool Crown Court, read two victim person statements from Whiteside's victim to the court.

The woman said it was only when she learnt about sex education at school that she "realised what David had been doing".

She said: "I hope he suffers like he has made me suffer.

"I wake up in the night with terrors, crying, remembering what he did."

The woman said disgusting Whiteside would tell her "You know you want it" as he raped her.

She said she was a shy child but Whiteside's horrific abuse "made me withdraw into myself even more" adding "I didn't have an ounce of confidence at all".

She said: "I won't even go into Liverpool city centre where David lives on the streets and begs for a living because I'm scared of bumping into him."

After his trial she she was "angry David did all those things" and that he "forced" her to "go through the ordeal again"

Whiteside, of Prescot Road, Old Swan, was found guilty after a trial of nine counts of rape of a child, four counts of sexually assaulting a girl with no penetration and one count of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child.

Carmel Wilde, defending, said: "Although the defendant hasn't particularly led a good life since, his previous convictions are relatively low level."

She explained Whiteside had "difficulties in his home life" which led to his "misuse of drugs and alcohol".

Ms Wilde said: "Clearly the defendant was found guilty after a trial. Your honour will see he maintains his innocence although he accepts the jury's decision."

She said Whiteside was "keen to engage with probation" and confirmed he had already signed up for a number of programmes while in custody.

Judge Garrett Byrne, sentencing, said here had been a "devastating and long lasting effect" on Whiteside's victim.

The judge noted that Whiteside "singled her out" and also "threatened her".

Judge Byrne said Whiteside had "no relevant previous convictions" adding "on the other hand you have not led an unblemished life".

The judge said Whiteside was an offender of "particular concern" and jailed him for 13 years and nine months with an extended one year on licence.

This type of sentence means he will spend at least half of the custodial term - around six years and 10 months - behind bars.

Whiteside will then only be released before the end of his sentence if a parole board considers he is no longer a risk.

A restraining order preventing Whiteside from contacting his victim was imposed for life.

He must also sign the Sex Offenders Register for life and adhere to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for the same amount of time.

Description

A Staffordshire man who was convicted of multiple sex offences has been jailed for 29 years. Leon Justin Pegg, 47, of Tamworth was found guilty of 24 sexual offences. His sentence included an 11-year jail term for one count of rape and eight years each for two counts of attempted rape. Pegg, who was also found guilty of making and distributing indecent photographs of a child, was sentenced at Stafford Crown Court on Friday. The 47-year-old was also placed on the sex offenders register for life. The defendant was convicted following an investigation by Staffordshire Police after allegations were made in 2018.

Description

A paedophile couple who sexually abused an eight-year-old girl on a video call and fantasised about kidnapping another child have been jailed.

Robert Stanley, 36, and his girlfriend Danielle Schofield, 34, were caught following an investigation from the National Crime Agency (NCA).

In August 2019, the couple had a video call in which Schofield sexually abused an eight-year-old girl.

Stanley took screenshots of the abuse for his gratification after he encouraged and incited Schofield.

The pair admitted arranging or facilitating the commission of a child sex offence, sexual assault of a child under the age of 13, taking indecent images of children and distributing indecent images of children.

Stanley, of Tilbury, Essex, was jailed for four-and-a-half years and Schofield, of Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, for three years and four months at Bradford Crown Court on Friday.

NCA detectives began an investigation last April after receiving intelligence Stanley had accessed three Category A - the most serious - child abuse videos.

Officers arrested unemployed Stanley at Schofields home in Dewsbury, on 23 April last year.

He was released on conditional bail while the investigation continued.

Forensic examination of Stanleys mobile phone showed he had sent Schofield a Category B indecent image of a child on 6 May, 2019.

She was subsequently arrested on 20 May 2020. Schofield was also released on conditional bail while the NCAs investigation continued.

Officers uncovered disturbing chats between the pair in which they talked about child abuse, discussed alleged previous abuse of the girl and plotted future abuse.

There was evidence that Stanley had four Category B images on his phone including two screenshots he took of the video call where Schofield abused the eight-year-old girl.

Officers identified and safeguarded the youngster, the NCA said.

On 30 September, 2020, NCA officers arrested Stanley and Schofield for serious child sexual offences.

Jacque Beer, NCA regional head of investigations said: These were sickening crimes where Stanley and Schofield had disturbing conversations about their fantasies.

The couple were also ordered to sign the Sex Offenders' Register for life and were made subject to sexual harm prevention orders.

Description

A Good Samaritan was subjected to a terrifying sex attack after offering to put her attacker up for the night when he got locked out.

Andrew Kerr repaid the woman's kindness in offering him shelter after he lost his key by trying to rape her in her own home.

The victim said her traumatic ordeal changed her from a "happy person" to someone who is constantly on edge and has flashbacks about what happened to her.

Bravely reading her impact statement to Newcastle Crown Court herself, the woman said: "I suffer recurring nightmares.

"I still sometimes wake up and feel he's in bed, which can be terrifying.

"It's hard to get the image out of my head.

"I've become untrusting about people around me.

"I am worried people have ulterior motives for befriending me."

Kerr, 26, of Wallace Gardens, Gateshead, denied attempted rape, assault by penetration and sexual assault during a trial in which the victim gave evidence against him, but was found guilty of all charges

Jailing him for seven years, Judge Tim Gittins said the victim was "acting as a Good Samaritan" when she took him in and had made it clear she was offering shelter but nothing else.

Judge Gittins said Kerr made a "determined attempt" to rape the woman and added: "She was distressed and understandably fearful of causing you to lose your temper."

The court heard Kerr claimed he had "misread signals" and claimed the woman had consented to what happened.

But the judge told him: "What you did that night was so wrong and so against her wishes from the very outset."

Annelise Haugstad, defending, said Kerr's behaviour was "impulsive" and added: "He makes an apology in the clearest terms for making her feel the way that she felt.

"He will never find himself before the courts again."

Detective Constable Sean Leavey led the investigation for Northumbria Police and praised the bravery of the victim following the sentence.

He said: "The victim's strength has been unwavering throughout and despite the further trauma of a trial, she has stood strong and today she is able to walk away with justice on her side.

"Kerr clearly didn't see anything wrong with his actions but the courts have sent a clear message today that everything he did that night was wrong and now he is behind bars where he belongs.

"Sadly, we do hear of victims being assaulted in this way but so many don't come forward and report it. No one should suffer in silence and I'd urge anyone who has felt this way or has experienced this behaviour to please come forward and report it to police."

Description

Ian Wraith, 71, is said to have an 'entrenched and enduring addiction' to looking at the images of youngsters - some of whom were prepubescent.

Such is his obsession that he stored his 1.5m paedophile images in categorised folders across two hard drives and a laptop so he can find his choice more easily, a court heard.

Former timber merchant worker Wraith was jailed in October 2015 after spending up to 16 hours a day running a paedophile website based in India.

When he was arrested with millions of images he told police he had 'every single indecent image possibly in existence'. He had more than a national police database.

Today Portsmouth Crown Court heard he was released early from a four-year term in December 2017 but then recalled in March 2018 and jailed again for 16 extra weeks for having more images.

But when he was released from jail in February last year he went straight back to sharing images from the home in Portchester he shares with his 63-year-old wife.

He 'couldn't resist looking' at the images, prosecutor Jeffrey Lamb said.

Sitting at home just weeks before lockdown he started accessing two hard drives filled with images not previously seized by police.

Police found a laptop and the hard drives under his bed, along with printed perverted images in an A4 folder pre-dating his first jail sentence in 2015.

When arrested and asked what he felt about the victims of abuse he said: 'Nothing.'

Wraith was arrested in December last year when police were tipped off he was using peer-to-peer sharing software, downloading and distributing images direct from and to other perverts' computers.

Mr Lamb added: 'He believes everybody should have access to those types of images.

'He went on to say it's a free world and this type of material should not be blocked because of somebody else's thought patterns.'

He added: 'There are 288,878 confirmed illegal images but only 18 per cent of the files had been viewed (by police).

'Those investigating him estimate there could be in excess of 1.5m images of children on all of the exhibits seized from Mr Wraith.'

A psychiatric report found he was fit to plead in court.

In 2015 Wraith had 1.2m confirmed indecent images while running the India-based website where users paid around $40 to access pictures.

Appearing for Wraith at an earlier hearing, barrister Rose Burns said: 'It's quite apparent from the papers and the man's previous convictions and continued behaviour he has an entrenched and enduring addiction to child abuse images.'

Judge David Melville QC jailed Wraith, of Birdwood Grove, for three years and said he had an 'extraordinary' number of images in the 'appalling' and 'very serious' case.

Wraith told police he alone was responsible for the images at home.

He admitted seven charges - breaching a sexual harm prevention order, three charges of distribution and three of making indecent images - at all categories of severity.

Tim Compton, mitigating, said: 'He got out of prison in February, a matter of three or four weeks before the country went into lockdown.

'He was therefore stuck at home with items that the police, and I'm not blaming the police, had not seized previously and the devil makes work for idle hands.'

Charges reveal he shared 293 images on peer-to-peer software.

He must comply with a sexual harm prevention order and sign the sex offenders' register for life.

Description

A sports teacher who had a long-term sexual relationship with an underage student at a 6,000-a-year public school wept in court as he was jailed for 16 months.

Sean Bettinson, 49, befriended the victims parents and manipulated the girl from the age of 12.

What began with kissing moved through various sexual activities, Isleworth Crown Court heard.

Sitting behind a screen, the victim described the fear and shame she felt at the time which grew into anger and hate in her adult years.

Bettinson, of New Malden, south west London, sobbed with his head hung as his barrister asked him to be given a suspended sentence.

The former teacher admitted three counts of indecent assault and two counts of abuse of a position of trust.

To save his victim the distress of a trial, two further counts of indecent assault and two counts of abuse of trust will not be proceeded with.

The student, who is now an adult, reported him to the police in October 2016 after confronting him about the relationship and secretly recording the conversation.

I was an outgoing, friendly, happy child with a big smile, she said. I was happy and carefree, I was 12 when he first appeared.

I was just a child when my life involved relentless bombardment. When he was not with me he would text me, he befriended my parents.

I feel so ashamed of what happened to me and that people would find out. It was all consuming, I had trouble facing him.

At the time I didnt realise the seriousness of what was happening and how wrong it was.

As the years went on I was finding it harder and harder, there was so much hurt, hate and anger deep inside.

The victim has experienced several break downs and felt the past eating away at her, the court heard.

The long-lasting specific impact that child trauma was having on me, it takes over everything. Its quite possible that I might not be here at all.

I wonder if I will ever become free from feeling such negative emotions, I wonder if I will ever be able to put this behind me.

I try to understand how he felt at liberty to do this to me.

He knew exactly what he was doing and exactly what impact it would have on me for the rest of my life.

He continued to manipulate me and my family for many years, in order to control me.

He was my teacher, he was supposed to keep me from harm, instead he abused his power.

I will never forget and never forgive him for what he did.

Judge Simon Davis told Bettinson: You took advantage of her, and you abused her physically and sexually, by physically I mean sexually.

You did that over a period of some years as she moved through her GCSE and into her later exams and you formed a relationship with her.

It was a consensual relationship in the general sense of the word.

But its clear to me within that context, from a good deal of what she has told me in her own words and I have read from her statement, that she only came really to understand the greater and wider import and consequences of what she was involved in by you involving her in it as time passed.

Because she has had her mind opened through therapy, as a trigger really better to understand what you did to her.

She doesnt understand why you did it, it gnaws away at her, you, from your reaction in the dock, it seems to me, accept and acknowledge that.

When those feelings developed for a physically attractive 12, 13, 14-year-old, you should have put them aside, as you no doubt did if you felt them for other female pupils.

But you felt them for her. You chose her, you didnt choose in the way that some do, but theres an aspect of that Mr Bettinson, I suspect that you have come to look at that.

I accept that high likelihood is that this will not happen again, I suspect that this will be a wake-up call.

Michael Shaw, prosecuting, said: He accompanied her prior to the relationship on a number of school trips abroad. It was apparent to others that he was giving her additional attention.

The relationship began at GCSE then on to A-level. While she was studying for her A-levels they developed a long term sexual relationship.

This relationship was consensual, no force was used, but of course under 16s cannot consent to a sexual act.

The pair remained in contact and the complainant confronted Bettinson after struggling with the after effects of the relationship.

Bettinson first appeared at Westminster Magistrates Court in November 2020 and entered guilty pleas at crown court on 30 March after a trial date had been fixed for 2022.

According to his online profiles Bettinson was a maths and sports teacher, then head of department at a secondary school before becoming manager of the England 7s Rugby team.

Bettinson, of New Malden, admitted three counts of indecent assault and two counts of abuse of position of trust.

Two counts of indecent assault and one count of abuse of trust were left to lie on file.

Description

A serial child rapist forced girls to pose for semi naked pictures during his catalogue of abuse against them.

Sick Stephen Rafferty committed abhorrent acts against three children who were all under 14.

When one girl bit the vile paedophile he punched her and called her "Satan's child", swearing her to silence.

The now 27-year-old was convicted by a jury of 13 sexual offences against the children, including nine counts of rape.

He had previously admitted six counts of sexual assault against the victims.

Judge David Swinnerton, sentencing Rafferty today at Liverpool Crown Court, said with his first victim he began "massaging her" before he touched her inappropriately and began to rape her repeatedly.

He said: "She first felt scared and threatened and didn't say anything."

The judge explained Rafferty had been tried and found not guilty of sexual offences when he was a child.

Judge Swinnerton said: "I mention it because as a result you knew it was very wrong to commit sexual offences."

In a statement his first victim said that she struggled with "feeling ashamed of myself for allowing it to happen and not fighting back".

She said: "I live with it every day. It continued to stay with me long after the abuse stopped.

"He has taken away my sense of self, my sense of security. I feel so violated."

The victim said she had since self harmed and suffered with an eating disorder .

Judge Swinnerton said: "A substantial part of the effect on her and the difficulties she has had was due to you.

"The impact on her life has been devastating."

The judge ruled that Rafferty's monstrous actions had caused "serious psychological harm" to all of his victims.

With his other two victims the court heard he used "grooming behaviour" and "would play games" which then became sexual abuse and rape.

Judge Swinnerton, referring to his second victim, said: "You started touching her and told her she couldn't tell anyone."

Sick Rafferty told the girl it was "all your fault" and would regularly abuse her.

She said: "Sometimes I asked him to stop at first but he wouldn't and there was no use."

As well as raping the child he would force her to perform sex acts on him sometimes three or four times a week and would take his phone out and "take pictures of her body" while she wore a top and no bottoms.

Judge Swinnerton said when his third victim was interviewed by police she was "unable to speak" but wrote down "Stephen forced me to have sex with him".

As Rafferty raped the third girl she bit his penis and he "punched her, telling her she was Satan's child" and told her to "never tell anybody else", claiming it was "natural".

The vile paedophile told the girl "the world would be better without me" and said she was to blame for his sick crimes.

As a child the girl was diagnosed with anxiety and depression and said: "I struggled to copy and used to self harm."

Rafferty's third victim, in a personal statement, also said she had tried to take her own life on two separate occasions and has been diagnosed with PTSD.

She said: "It felt like my world was crashing around me."

The victim said: "It is so scary to know people have the audacity to try and ruin people's lives for their own joy."

The judge said he accepted Rafferty, of Russell Road, Mossley Hill, has mental health difficulties including Autism Spectrum Disorder, OCD and "possibly Asperger's" and had a "very tough time as a child".

Judge Swinnerton said: "You have accepted limited responsibility."

The judge explained that when asked in a probation interview if he was a risk to children Rafferty replied: "In an ideal world I would want to say no but I can't say that."

The court heard his grandparents described him as having "qualities of generosity" and having "shown a work ethic".

As he sentenced Rafferty, Judge Swinnerton said: "You have committed extremely serious offences which have had a devastating effect on three young women."

Martine Snowdon prosecuted the case on the behalf of the Crown Prosecution Service.

Jenny Tallentire, defending, said there was "hope" Rafferty "could be rehabilitated" having "made some extremely frank admissions to the probation officer".

She explained he had experienced a "difficult upbringing", adding "it is not an excuse, there are many others who have had a difficult upbringing".

Rafferty admitted six counts sexual assault against a child and was convicted following a trial on January 11 of two counts of assault by penetration of a child, nine counts of rape of a child and two counts of taking indecent photographs of a child.

Judge Swinnerton said Rafferty was a "dangerous" offender and jailed him for 20 years, with an extended five years on licence.

This type of sentence means he will spend at least two thirds of the custodial term behind bars.

Rafferty will then only be released before the end of his sentence if a parole board considers he is no longer a risk.

He was also subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for life and must sign the Sex Offenders Register indefinitely.

Description

A man who sexually assaulted a woman in woodland in Slough has been jailed.

Sorin Anitei attacked his victim, a woman in her forties, in woodland near to Slough Road on January 9.

She suffered serious bruising and a broken nose in the assault.

Anitei was arrested on 12 January and charged the following day.

The 46-year-old, of no fixed abode, admitted one count each of sexual assault by touching and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

He was sentenced at Reading Crown Court on Wednesday to one year and nine months in prison.

Anitei was also placed on the Sex Offenders Register for 10 years.

Thames Valley Police investigating officer, Detective Constable Thomas Harman, based at Slough police station, said: "Sorin Anitei sexually assaulted and badly injured a vulnerable woman in a secluded location.

"I believe the serious nature of this offence is reflected in the sentence, which will also help prevent him from further offending.

"I would also like to thank the members of public that stopped to help the victim."

Description

A NHS computer expert downloaded sick indecent images of children a second time during "extraordinary" delays in his case when police lost evidence.

Ross Morton was arrested as long ago as 2014 for having the illegal material but his case went off into the long grass when "exhibits went missing".

The evidence was later found by Northumbria Police but by that time Morton had gone on to offend again in the same way.

Now, after a further three year delay - and seven years after his initial arrest - he has finally been brought to justice.

However a judge hit out at the "extraordinary amount of time" it had taken the authorities to prosecute him.

Newcastle Crown Court heard it was in December 2014 that police went to his then-home in Sunderland and found hundreds of indecent photographs and movies on his mobile phone, featuring children as young as four.

He had also used search terms indicating he was seeking out such material.

He was released under investigation and then interviewed again in 2016 and asked about disturbing chats police found on the Kik platform, including reference to film of a six-year-old engaged in sexual activity.

Andrew Findlay, prosecuting, said Morton told police it was just role-playing and he faces no charges in relation to that activity.

He was released under investigation again and nothing happened until police went to his home in Longbenton, North Tyneside, in July 2018.

His equipment was seized and hundreds more indecent images were found, including some of the most serious kind and featuring children as young as four and five.

Mr Findlay said: "He was interviewed again and admitted accessing indecent images through the dark web as a result of the previous police investigation.

"He said he had not known the dark web existed until that point and said he was searching out of curiosity.

"He said he wanted to be more informed about what he was being investigated for and said it made him physically sick and not aroused."

Morton, 28, of Station Road, Gosforth, Newcastle, pleaded guilty to six counts of making indecent images of children and possessing an extreme pornographic image and was sentenced to 18 months suspended for two years with 150 hours unpaid work. He must also do a sex offenders treatment course and will be subject to sex offender registration and a sexual harm prevention order for 10 years.

Recorder Jamie Hill QC told him: "The fact is children who are photographed or filmed are essentially being abused.

"The creation of those images is fuelled by the market of people who want to view them."

The judge added: "I'm struggling to understand how this has taken so long to get to court. You have been waiting for this day of sentence for seven years. That's an extraordinary length of time.

"I'm told the explanation is at some stage the police had lost the exhibits then re-found them.

"That seven year delay is tempered somewhat by the fact that three years ago the police found some more images which does you no credit, of course.

"Again there has been a three year delay since that point which is an extraordinary amount of time."

Recorder Hill said he would suspend the sentence as probation assessed him as a low risk of reoffending and capable of living a constructive life.

Stuart Graham, defending, said: "Through his actions, he has thrown everything away.

"He had a good job. That was suspended and he is in no doubt he will be sacked. He was an IT support expert for the NHS.

"If the police had done things right in 2014 he probably would not have offended again.

"It's seven years he has had this hanging over him. It all went quiet for two years from 2014 to 2016. He contacted the police several times trying to get hold of particular officers with no reply coming back. I don't know if it was embarrassment on the police's behalf for losing the exhibits.

"Then it was not for another two or three years that everything was back before the court again."

Mr Graham said Morton was "appalled" and felt "revulsion" at the images and he had been "exceedingly tearful", especially at the prospect of having to tell his family what he had done.

He added that Morton had been doing charity work and trying to make up for what he had done "including staying in the NHS in these difficult times".

A spokesperson for Northumbria Police said: “We are committed to bringing cases to court in a timely manner and working with our criminal justice partners to help ensure this happens.

“We recognise that on this occasion there has been a delay. We are, however, pleased that justice has been carried out.

“We will ensure any learning points from this case are taken forward.”