June 2021

Derbyshire paedophile expected to have ‘extremely difficult’ time in prison

A brave child abuse victim has told how a Derbyshire paedophile “groomed and moulded” her into the person he wanted her to be.

The woman, whose identity is protected by law, told a court how paedophile Neil Thompson “saw me as an easy target” and “took pleasure in the power” he had over her.

The now 72-year-old pervert befriended the victim when she was under the age of consent and quickly began sexually assaulting her – beginning in a stable.

And even more than 15 years later he believes the victim was “a willing participant” despite hearing the heartbreaking statement she read to the court.

Jailing him for three years and nine months, Judge Nirmal Shant QC said: “You have blighted the life of the complainant and no sentence I pass today will take that away.

“The law is there to protect young children because that is what she was – a child.

“Your pre-sentence report suggests that you still believe she was a willing participant and that somehow you have no culpability.

“I reiterate, she was a child, you have very little victim empathy.

“You were someone who manipulated her and dominated her and I hope you listened carefully to the victim impact statement she made.”

Kevin Jones, prosecuting, said the offending started at a stable more than 15 years ago.

He said Thompson befriended the victim and very soon started to sexually abuse her.

Mr Jones outlined a number of different occasions where the defendant touched her sexually, first over and then later under clothing.

He said: “He repeatedly told her when she turned 16 he would leave his wife.”

The hearing was told it was only years later the now married woman found the courage to come forward and report the abuse to the police.

A lengthy and moving video of her reading out her own victim impact statement was played to Doncaster Crown Court.

In it she said: “I was on the fragile bridge that spans childhood and adulthood when you sexually abused me.

“Your predatory behaviour resulted in the loss of my autonomy.

“What I did not see was that you saw (me as) an easy target, you groomed and moulded me into a person you wanted me to be.

“You took pleasure in the power you had over me, the gnarly guilt that sits in the pit of my stomach is down to you.”

Thompson, of Birchwood Lane, Somercotes, pleaded guilty to eight counts of sexual activity with a child.

May 2021

Derbyshire man caught with horrific images of young children being abused

A Derbyshire man was caught with horrific images of young children being abused on his mobile phone.

Dozens of indecent images were found on the device by police in March this year after they took possession of a phone belonging to Jamie Woodland.

These included some of the very worst type of child abuse images, including ones showing children thought to be between the ages of three and five being raped.

Derby Crown Court was told on Thursday, May 20, that by possessing the mobile phone and by deleting images on a device, the 29-year-old was in breach of an existing Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).

That order was given to him at Sheffield Crown Court in 2018, when he was jailed after spending months of sending sexualised messages to an undercover police officer who he thought was a schoolgirl.

Sarah Allen, prosecuting, told the court, that the father-of-two had not told police he had bought a new phone in December last year.

“That was handed to the police by his girlfriend after his arrest,” she said.

She said police had found 70 Category A images on the device – the worst type of abuse images.

These included images of girls aged between three and five years old being raped and abused.

The phone also had 17 Category B images showing children between the ages of six and 12, and 83 Category C images.

“He denied he had seen any of the images on the mobile phone, he said he had purchased it and forgotten he had had it,” Ms Allen said.

“In August 2018 he was sentenced for two counts of attempting to cause a child to watch sexual activity. He was made the subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Woodland, of Shuttlewood Road, Bolsover, pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent photograph/pseudo-photograph of a child, and two breaches of a SHPO.

Jailing Woodland for 13 months, he said: “You know there are very real victims in relation to these images. It’s a deliberate breach by you.”

May 2021

Derbyshire pensioner caught with horrific child rape images

A Derbyshire pensioner has avoided a prison sentence after he was caught downloading sick child rape images.

Derby Crown Court heard how police found more than 500 horrific abuse images of children as young as four when they raided Andrew Evans address last year.

Handing him a two-year community order, Judge Smith said: “The victims are not victims face-to-face but they are victims none the less.”

Christopher Jeyes, prosecuting, said police attended Evans’ home on March 24 last year after receiving information his internet address was linked to the downloading of child abuse images.

He said: “He made immediate admissions telling them he had the images on his computer and exactly where the police would discover them.

“Various devices were examined and on them were 195 category A images, 162 category B and 162 category C.

“There were also 402 prohibited items which are essentially animated pictures and 89 extreme pornographic images which typically showed adult females engaged in sexual activity with various animals.

“The child images were of both girls and boys and the age range was four to 16 including images of child rape.

“His internet search history also suggested what the defendant appeared to be looking for.”

Mr Jeyes said in his police interview the defendant made “full and frank admissions” saying he had been downloading the vile material over a period of years including in Cyprus.

Evans, of Haddon Place, Langwith Junction, Shirebrook, pleaded guilty to three counts of possession of indecent images of children, one count of possessing prohibited images and one count of possession of extreme pornographic images

As part of the community order Evans will receive one-to-one work with experts to address his offending.

He must also carry out 200 hours unpaid work, pay £635 costs and attend 40 rehabilitation sessions.

Evans was handed a five-year sexual harm prevention order and will be on the sex offender register, also for five years.