Latest Offenders

Description

A sex offender lunged at a member of police staff as he tried and failed to destroy damning evidence contained on his mobile phone.

Jordan Haskard, aged 28, had initially handed the device over to officers when they executed a warrant at his home in July 2024.

Alarmed by its contents, he changed his mind and lunged towards the digital media officer holding the folding-style device – grabbing it and trying to snap it in half.

The reason for his actions would soon become clear, when the device was found to contain discussions about (and videos of) the most serious sexual abuse of children.

Haskard had first come to the attention of Nottinghamshire Police in June 2022 when officers in another part of the country unearthed social media messages in which he discussed the sexual abuse of children with another man.

He also arranged for the man to send him a video of a toddler being sexually abused – even making specific requests of what things he wanted to see.

That video – which led to the conviction of the perpetrator – was later found on Haskard’s previous mobile phone when he was arrested, along with nearly 600 extreme images.

While still on bail for those offences, Haskard again came to police attention after one of his social media accounts was linked to the distribution of prohibited images.

It was at this point that the phone he tried to destroy was found covered in clothes by the side of his bed.

As well as Category A rated images of child sexual abuse, the device was also found to contain discussions about the abduction and rape of children, as well as extreme images of animals.

Haskard, formerly of Hucknall, later pleaded guilty to two counts of arranging the commission of a child sex offence, four counts of making an indecent image of a child, two counts of distributing indecent images of children, possessing an extreme pornographic image of an animal, and causing unnecessary suffering to an animal.

Appearing at Nottingham Crown Court on Monday, he was given an extended sentence of 24 years and seven months.

The sentence consists of a jail term of 16 years and seven months and an extended licence period of eight years, during which he will immediately be returned to prison if he breaches the terms of his release.

He was also made the subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order that will tightly restrict his online activities and access to children when he is eventually released.

Description

A Huddersfield man has been jailed for sexual offences against a child.      

Szymon Bildziuk, 40, of Barker Court, Birkby, assaulted the victim in the summer of 2024.  

The girl then came forward to report the incident and Bildziuk was arrested and charged in November.  

He appeared at Leeds Crown Court on 20 February 2025 where he pleaded guilty to two counts of assaulting a girl under 13 by touching.  

He has today been sentenced to three years and three months in prison and will also be added to the Sex Offender Register.  The victim was also granted an eight-year restraining order banning Bildziuk from contacting her.  

Description

Pervert Gary Cookson has been jailed after he lied to his girlfriend about his seedy past. The 27-year-old failed to tell his new partner that he had previously been caught with child abuse images and was convicted in 2023.

Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court heard he was left alone with her two-and-a-half-year-old child. And at one point he dried the youngster off and dressed the child who started calling him 'Dada'.

This placed him in breach of a five-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) and the notification requirements of the sex offenders' register. Now Cookson, of Talke Road, Chesterton, has been jailed for two-and-a-half years.

The court heard he failed to comply with the notification requirements between January 1, 2024 and February 12, 2024 when he started a new relationship. The next offending happened on February 15, 2024 and involved him going on apps which he was banned from using. His phone was seized and Snapchat was found on the device. He failed to notify his user name as he was required to do.

Cookson then failed to comply with his notification requirements by not informing the police he was staying in a house with a 17-year-old child for 12 hours or more. He also deleted a TikTok message.

The final spate of offending involved him failing to register a Snapchat user name and breaching the SHPO by deliberately concealing a mobile phone.

Cookson pleaded guilty to two charges of breaching a SHPO and four charges of failing to comply with the notification requirements of the sex offenders' register.

Rashad Mohammed, mitigating, said Cookson 'found himself in a lonely state'. Mr Mohammed said: "He felt he was isolated. He went on to Snapchat. He activated an account. The matters spiralled out of control. He failed to stop to assess the consequences of his behaviour.

"There is no evidence of any actual harm done. His phone was interrogated. There is no suggestion there was any material that would cause the authorities any concern.

"At the time he showed a great deal of immaturity. He failed to properly recognise the seriousness of the court order. He does ask me to express to you his regret and his remorse.

"He has been in custody since October 24, the equivalent of just over 10 months. It has been a real eye-opener for him . It has been a wake-up call for him, the level of violence he has seen in person."

Mr Mohammed added that Cookson has two children and comes from a respectable family. Recorder Robert Smith said: "You knew full well what you were not allowed to do. Your primary sexual interest seems to be with female children. The risk of harm was extremely real and significant when you were drying off a naked two-and-a-half year old.

"You were extremely persistent in the way you flouted the regulations. You manipulated your way into a position of trust in a family home with an infant child.

"You need to learn a lesson. You need to learn to abide by the terms of the order or you will be sent to prison."

The judge made a deprivation order for the devices seized.

Description

A WINSFORD man was cornered by paedophile hunters after trying to lure who he thought was an 11-year-old girl into having sex with him.

Brandon Parton, of Tighe Avenue, had several sexual conversations online with ‘Louise’, who was actually a decoy, between March 30 and April 7, 2023.

He asked her if she wanted to see his penis, if he could kiss her, and touch her breasts and bum.

He also asked her to send naked pictures of herself and actually tried to get her to meet up with him in person for sex.

On Friday, April 7, 2023, police were called to an address is Sandbach where vigilantes were gathering, accusing Parton, who was inside, of being a paedophile. 

The group passed an evidence file to police, which included messages between Parton and so-called Louise.

He was arrested there and then and later charged with attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child, attempting to facilitate the sexual assault of a child, and attempting to incite a female child aged under 13 to engage in sexual activity.

Parton appeared at Crewe Magistrates’ Court on July 12, last year, where he denied the charges.

But on Thursday, January 30, he changed his pleas to guilty, and was ordered to appear before Chester Crown Court for sentencing on Tuesday, April 1.  

His Honour Judge Simon Berkson sentenced Parton to 40 months in prison.

The judge also made a sexual harm protection order (SHPO), which lasts for 15 years, banning him from being alone with any female children under 16, except in specified circumstances. 

He must also sign the sex offender register for the duration of the order, and was banned from using a computer capable of going online unless it was registered with police. 

Description

A MAN has been jailed for nine years after raping a woman in St Helens.

Nadal Mehemed, 36, of South John Street, in St Helens, was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court today (Thursday, April 10), after pleading guilty to rape and robbery.

On Saturday, June 2024, Mehemed assaulted and raped a woman inside a property and forcibly took her mobile phone in an attempt to prevent her from contacting emergency services.

The woman’s call still went through to police call handlers and part of the incident was recorded and used in evidence against Mehemed.

As well as a prison sentence, Mehemed has also been given a life time restraining order against his victim and placed on the Sex Offender Register indefinitely.

Description

A former secondary school teacher who sent vile videos of himself to ex-pupils has been given a community sentence.

Gilles Brown, a former history and modern studies teacher, was earlier convicted after a trial of sending lewd videos to three young women.

Description

A SEX offender branded a "serious risk" to women and children has been jailed after repeatedly trying to drag one young victim into an alleyway to assault her.

Steven McMaster was locked up on an extended sentence after admitting sexual assaults on children under 16, as well as repeated sexual communications to other adult females.

The 42-year-old sexually assaulted one teen at an address in Cumnock, during car journeys at unknown locations and elsewhere, seizing the girl by the waist and pressing and rubbing his body and privates against her body.

McMaster also admitted placing his hand on her thigh on various occasions during the course of car journeys between April 2022 and July 2023.

He admitted sexually assaulting another teenager at a property in the town, as well as in an alleyway, by repeatedly seizing her by the body and dragging her on an occasion between April and July 2023.

He pleaded guilty to a third charge of intentionally sending sexual written communications to an adult female, causing them to look at a sexual image, for the purpose of obtaining sexual gratification, or humiliating, distressing or alarming them.

He admitted sending messages to her and an image of himself naked on various occasions between May and June 2023.

McMaster admitted repeatedly sending sexual communications to another woman without her consent at an address in Cumnock on July 1, 2023.

A sentencing hearing at Ayr Sheriff Court was told last week that one of the young victims was left "crying and visibly distressed" after being sexually assaulted by McMaster.

The court heard that the creep tried to drag one complainer into an alleyway and she managed to get away, however, she was "scared and shaken" after the incident.

Describing further offences, the procurator fiscal depute said a woman received a message from McMaster on SnapChat stating she looked "sexy in her leggings".

On occasions, she saw the accused looking at her in her bedroom and he said she was "sexy" and that he "wanted to kiss and cuddle" her.

Other messages stated she "looked sexy and beautiful" and "loved that her top showed her boobs and nice bottom".

He sent further messages saying "nice bum" and telling her that he wanted "to come to her home and feel her bottom", stating that he was "looking at it when she bent over".

The fiscal depute said: "On a separate occasion, he also sent a nude image of himself.

"She contacted police and showed screenshots of messages from the accused."

McMaster sent another female victim several lewd messages about her privates.

The fiscal depute added: "She told police she did not know why he was sending messages and that this was not welcome.

"The accused was arrested and conveyed to Kilmarnock police station.

"Officers were made aware he was subject to investigation for the sexual assaults."

Defence solicitor Derek Pettigrew said: "He is now 42 years of age. No further matters have come to light.

"He is now distant from the community he lives in, exasperated by the commission of these offences.

"This is very serious offending and he appreciates the gravity."

Sheriff Scott Pattison said: "Your offending is very serious.

"You repeatedly tried to drag [one of the victims] into an alleyway, this is serious sexual offending. It's just fortunate she was able to disentangle herself.

"Given the seriousness of this offending, two charges against children and of a predatory nature, a custodial sentence is inevitable. You are not going to avoid that.

"I'm satisfied that the normal period of licensing would not be enough to protect the public. At the moment, you pose a serious risk of harm to women and children."

He was given a four-and-a-half-year extended sentence, with three years to be spent in custody.

He was also placed on a further 10-year sexual harm prevention order prohibiting contact with children and entering parks.

He was placed on the sex offenders register indefinitely, with non-harassment orders made for all four complainers.

Description

A "misogynistic bully" who threatened to share intimate images of a woman he had raped has been jailed for 15 years.

Jordan Wagstaffe, 26, also beat his victim's dog with a baseball bat and threatened her children until she relented to his demands for sex, Teesside Crown Court heard.

The woman said Wagstaffe, of Richmond Street in Hartlepool, was a "dangerous" man, while Judge Jonathan Carroll said he posed a "high risk" to women.

Wagstaffe admitted threatening to publish sexual images of her and was found guilty of six other offences including multiple rapes.

Judge Carroll said Wagstaffe's actions were a "truly shocking example" of a "bullying male".

'Distorted' sexist

Wagtsaffe used "psychological torture", violence, which included striking her with the baseball bat, and deeply offensive insults to "grind down" her resistance to him, the judge said.

The rapist had shown a misogynistic sense of "absolute sexual entitlement" fuelled by his general attitudes towards women, Judge Carroll added.

In a statement read to the court, the woman said she was "devastated" by the impact Wagstaffe had had on her, adding he deserved imprisonment.

The judge said Wagstaffe was of low intelligence and, until he tackled his issues with alcohol and "distorted" and entrenched sexist beliefs, he would remain a "high risk" to the public and women in particular.

Having been deemed a dangerous offender, Wagstaffe will also have to serve a further three years on extended licence upon his eventual release from prison.

He must also sign the sex offenders register for life and abide by a restraining order, which includes a ban from entering his victim's home town, until he dies.

Description

A teenager downloaded hundreds of photos and videos of child abuse. Most of the indecent images found on Alan Mohammed's computer were in category A – the most serious type.

The 18-year-old, of Maesglas Crescent in Newport, pleaded guilty to the possession of 251 images in Category A, 52 in B, and 16 in C as well as 41 prohibited non-photographic images of children. He also admitted he was hoarding six extreme images showing "a person performing an act of intercourse with a live or dead animal".

Mohammed's offending took place between December 2022 and March 2024. He was sentenced at Newport Crown Court where Judge Celia Hughes sentenced him to 30 weeks in a young offender institution suspended for 12 months. She also imposed 100 hours of unpaid work, 26 rehabilitation activity sessions, £200 in prosecution costs, a £41 victim services surcharge, and five-year sexual harm prevention order.

Mohammed must register as a sex offender for the next seven years. The judge ordered that the desktop computer where he stored the illicit images be destroyed.

Description

A senior doctor at a major Welsh hospital abused his position and power in order to sexually assault female members of staff, a court has heard.

Naleen Thota attacked his victims when they were on duty after he ensured they were alone together and there was no one around who could see what he was doing.

Swansea Crown Court heard statements from the victims in which they detailed the doctor's offending and its impact on them, with one saying how he "wielded his position of power like a weapon to hurt me and silence me". The judge said the two complainants had shown "enormous courage and strength" in reporting the assaults and then in giving evidence against the defendant at trial.

The court heard 55-year-old Thota was a senior doctor in the intensive care unit at Swansea's Morriston Hospital when he cornered and sexually assaulted his two victims, the sex attacks taking place on different days. The court heard the assaults were not reported by the women at the time as they were concerned about his position of power in the hospital and were worried that they would not be believed. The offending was eventually reported but the defendant denied any wrong doing and the matter went to trial.

Naleen Thota, of Keepers Close, Penllergaer, Swansea, had previously been convicted at trial of two counts of sexual assault when he appeared in the dock for sentencing. He has no previous convictions.

In statements read to the court by prosecution barrister Craig Jones, the complainants set out the impact of the assaults on them. One woman described how Thota had "wielded his position of power like a weapon to hurt me and silence me". She said she was afraid she would not be believed if she reported the assault and felt isolated and scared.

She said the "violation" at the hands of Thota took her mental health "to a very dark place" but said the guilty verdicts of the jury had restored her belief that if you speak up, people will believe you. In her statement, the second victim described the defendant's behaviour as "predatory and calculating" and said he had sought out and groomed his victims. She said Thota presented a "friendly façade" to fellow doctors which hid his true nature, and she said she had sought counselling to try to deal with what he did to her.

Hywel Davies, for Thota, said the defendant trained as a doctor in his native India then moved to the UK some 22 years ago and had spent all but one month of that time in Swansea. He said a meeting to determine the defendant's employment locally was due to take place soon, and he said whether Thota would ever practise medicine again was unknown.

The barrister said that whatever the sentence imposed by court, the reality was the family would likely have to sell their house and downsize and, because of the shame the defendant had brought on the family, likely move to another area. He said the defendant was already doing work to address his views about the workplace, and he invited the court to find that the prison sentence that was due for the offending was not one that had to be served immediately.

Judge Catherine Richards said the two complainants had shown "enormous courage and strength" in reporting the assaults and then in giving evidence against the defendant at trial. She told Thota that like sexual offenders before him "these offences were born out of the exercise of power that was used against these women without regard to the impact on them". She noted the defendant's seniority in the hospital and his reputation among colleagues but said it was exactly those factors which made Thota think that he could get away with his behaviour, and she called it a "gross and calculated abuse of power and position". She told Thota he had brought shame and disgrace on his family.

The judge said the offending clearly crossed the custody threshold and the real question for the court was whether immediate custody was the only appropriate punishment. She said the defendant's continued denial of guilt meant there was little prospect of rehabilitation and she noted the doctor's career would, "rightly", be curtailed in the future which would reduce his risk of re-offending.. The judge said she also had in mind the impact of immediate prison on Thota's wife and daughters, and the current prison population.

Thota was sentenced to 21 months in prison suspended for two years and was ordered to do 300 hours of unpaid work and to complete a rehabilitation course. He was also made the subject of 10-year restraining orders. Thota will be a registered sex offender for the next 10 years.

Description

A paedophile oil worker, caught after cybercrime investigators discovered he was using his home wifi at St Cyrus to share sickening content online, has been jailed.

Alan Moir, 43, was given a four-year term by judge Lady Haldane at the High Court in Edinburgh on Tuesday.

Description

A teenager from Crewe "took advantage" of a 14-year-old girl who was heavily intoxicated at a party to engage in sexual activity with her. Owen Zissler, then 19, had been invited to the gathering as he was old enough to purchase alcohol for the underage attendees.

However, when the girl went upstairs, Zissler followed her and committed the offence. At Mold Crown Court, the now 21-year-old defendant admitted to having sexual activity with a child and was sentenced to two and a half years in prison.

Prosecutor Mark Connor revealed that the incident occurred in North West Wales in 2022. The victim, who cannot be named, had gone to a shop in Gwynedd with her friend and Zissler to buy booze, including vodka and a crate of beer.

After returning to the party, she went upstairs to her bedroom to fetch something.

Zissler followed her and began kissing and touching her. The girl said she was okay with that, but she did not want to have sex, yet Zissler forced himself on her, reports North Wales Live.

Mr Connor added: "The defendant purchased alcohol for all of the children and took advantage of the fact that (the girl) was very drunk."

When the girl's father came home and discovered what had happened, he rang the police.

Upon arrival, two officers found the girl looking "visibly upset". She said she couldn't recall what had happened because she was too drunk.

Samples were taken, and Zissler's semen was found on her underwear.

Previous phone text messages revealed that Zissler was aware of the girl's age, 14. When questioned by police, he gave no comment answers during multiple interviews.In a victim statement the girl said she had felt uncomfortable when the two paramedics who arrived were male.

She finds it difficult to trust people, is afraid of bumping into Zissler and felt she would be better off dead.

She went into a downward spiral, mixed with the wrong crowd and took drugs. But she is no longer friends with that group.

Simon Rogers, defending, said Zissler, of Haslington near Crewe, had been immature. He struggled with dyslexia at school and was moved to a school for pupils with additional learning needs, losing contact with his friends.

But he is remorseful and is in a relationship and has a five-month-old child. The judge His Honour Niclas Parry said: "You saw her going upstairs.

"You saw an opportunity and you followed her and began sexual activity immediately."

The effects made her contemplate taking her own life, he added.

But he accepts he is remorseful and it was out of character. Jailing him, he made him subject to sex offender notification requirements and a restraining order both for ten years.

Description

A drama teacher who engaged in sexual activity with three teenage girls while working at a school in South Lanarkshire has been jailed.

Craig Smith, 43, preyed on the girls who were in fifth and sixth year at a secondary school between 2015 and 2016.

On Tuesday, he was jailed for two years and three months.

Smith took advantage of his “position of trust” by messaging them compliments on Facebook.

He sent two girls indecent images of himself.

The ex-principal teacher later became physically involved with both pupils while they were in the school’s drama department.

Smith was suspended after he was caught sending a third girl – aged 14 – a sexualised message, which sparked the investigation into his conduct.

The drama teacher had appeared on TV shows River City, Gary Tank Commander, and Soapstars and had performed at the Edinburgh Fringe.

The first-time offender pled guilty at Glasgow Sheriff Court to engaging in sexual activity with the three girls.

The court heard that one of the girls was prone to panic attacks and received a Facebook message “apparently concerned for her welfare”.

Normal topics were discussed at first, but things escalated with Smith sending more sexualised messages.

He said: “You looked really good today, you looked good in uniform.”

Smith sent a naked image of himself during the conversation.

Smith went on to be physical with the girl in the drama department.

Prosecutor Jenny Reid said: “Smith kissed the girl and touched her… this lasted five minutes.”

He also performed a sex act on the girl.

He committed two more acts on the girl in the department’s drama base and control room.

The girl blocked Smith on social media upon leaving school at 18 years old and did not hear from him again.

Meantime, Smith sent another pupil compliments on Facebook, telling her she looked “hot”.

He sent indecent pictures and videos of himself.

Smith kissed the girl in the drama department and touched her body before having her perform a sex act on him.

Smith’s messages to the girl stopped once she left school.

The third girl was 14 when Smith messaged her on Facebook in 2018.

He asked her inappropriate questions and requested a picture, which made the girl feel “uncomfortable”, and she told him “no”.

The matter was reported to the head teacher and the police were contacted. 

The father-of-two was suspended.

Chris Broadley, defending, told the court: “He tells me that this was a former life and something that happened some time ago and that in 2025 he views things differently.

“He appreciates the serious nature of his conduct.”

Smith was put on the sex offenders register.

Description

A man has been given a 24-year sentence for a series of sexual offences against children in Leeds.  

Karl Davison, 43, of Turnberry Gardens, Tingley, approached all of his victims on an electric scooter last summer, in some cases talking to them about the scooter or letting them ride it before assaulting them.  

Following a trial at Leeds Crown Court in February, Davison was convicted of three counts of sexual touching on a child aged under 13, one count of assault by penetration on a child under 13 and one count of sexual assault on a child under 16.  

The offences relate to five female victims aged as young as 10 and occurred in Thorpe, Middleton and Belle Isle on 6 and 7 August last year.  

Davison was caught after officers on patrol in Lofthouse stopped a man matching the description of the offender in the early hours of 8 August.  

Despite giving false details, Davison was quickly identified and arrested.  

Police then searched his home and found a mobile phone containing a large amount of explicit images. Davison pleaded guilty to a charge of possessing indecent images of children before his trial.  

Today (8th April), Davison was given a 24-year sentence consisting of 17 years in prison and a 7-year extended license period. He was also given an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order which includes a ban on him entering parts of Wakefield and Leeds. He will be on the Sex Offenders Register for life.

Description

A Perth “pimp” who badgered a schoolgirl into creating OnlyFans-style content for his commercial gain has been blasted by a sheriff.

Sleazy Stuart McClure managed the teenager’s account, uploaded degrading photos and videos and pestered her when she was at school with customer requests.