May 2021

Pervert jailed for Hartlepool attack makes horse show plea to judge

A remorseless pervert may be allowed to attend horse shows that are popular with children when he is released from a five-year jail term for sex assaulting a teen

Darren Inkpen, who poses a “high risk of serious harm” to children, has been ordered to sign the sex offenders’ register for life following the Hartlepool offences and will have to abide by an indefinite sexual harm prevention order to restrict his access to potential victims.

During his sentencing hearing at Newcastle Crown Court, the 50-year-old, who appeared via video link from prison, complained that the restrictions could prevent his attendance at miniature horse shows.

The sexual harm prevention order would forbid contact with children without express approval from the authorities.

Inkpen told the court: “I work with miniature horses in the summer, miniature horse shows.

“There’s always children around, how’s that going to work?”

Judge Robert Adams initially told him he may be allowed to attend the shows, saying: “I think that would be allowed, you are perfectly entitled to conduct your lawful daily life but mustn’t have any contact with any children under 18 unless inadvertent.

“That shouldn’t be a difficulty, unless of course it’s a horse show put on specifically for children.”

Judge Adams said if the event was specifically “laid on for children” then Inkpen must not attend.

Inkpen added: “I help an adult out, help out with them but there’s always kids there. The kids show their horses as well.”

Judge Adams said the exact terms will be finalised at a hearing next month and added: “I don’t want to get drawn into a discussion about horse shows.”

Inkpen, of Woodview Road, Beeston, Leeds, had admitted three sexual assault offences in relation to an attack he carried out in the Hartlepool area.

The court heard the victim was left “shaking” after her shocking ordeal.

Inkpen has since denied the offences to probation officials, despite his guilty pleas, and has been assessed to pose a “high risk of causing serious harm to children and vulnerable women”.

May 2021

‘Kids love my paedo ****’ sick child abuser boasted

A 30-year-old pervert has been jailed after he downloaded hundreds of child abuse images and videos and shared some of the sick photos with other paedophiles online.

Christian Hawkes, of Hilltop Avenue, Ainley Top, West Yorkshire was arrested by police back in June 2019 after he sent an image to woman which contained the caption: ”Kids love my paedo ****.”

Bradford Crown Court heard today (Thurs) that officers went to Hawkes’ home the next day and seized various devices which were later analysed for indecent material.

In total officers found nearly 1,000 indecent images of children along with 38 videos as well as evidence that Hawkes had been sharing four images with other members of an online chat group.

Prosecutor Conor Quinn explained that new members in the group had to post indecent images of children.

“This was something the defendant had encouraged and involved himself in by sharing indecent images,” said Mr Quinn.

Hawkes admitted possession of indecent images and videos of children and two further charges relating to his distribution of images.

Mr Quinn revealed that the children ranged in age from just 18 months to about 15 years old and some of the victims showed visible signs of distress.

Judge Jonathan Rose was told that Hawkes was extremely remorseful, but he rejected a submission that any prison sentence could be suspended.

Jailing Hawkes for 12 months the judge explained that by law he was obliged to follow the sentencing guidelines in such cases and said he also had to reduce the defendant’s 16-month jail term by 25 per cent because of his guilty pleas.

“What you and others like you must understand is that every single image of child pornography requires the desecration of a child,” the judge told Hawkes

“It is a torment and for all those children it is a torment that cannot be absolved by your declarations of remorse.”

The judge described the imagery as “despicable” and said Hawkes’ willingness to share them with like-minded paedophiles meant it had to be an immediate prison sentence.

Hawkes will have to register as a sex offender with the police for the next 10 years and must also comply with a sexual harm prevention order for the same period of time.

May 2021

Paedophile groped teen’s breasts and claimed to be looking for ‘lumps’

A paedophile that groped and molested a schoolgirl’s breasts and claimed to be looking for cancerous lumps has been jailed.

Thomas McCarthy also sexually assaulted the 14-year-old girl on a second occasion but she objected then gave evidence against him in a trial.

Sentencing, Judge Mushtaq Khokhar said: “I have no doubt in my mind that had she not been brave enough to call out, it would have continued.”

Leeds Crown Court heard how the child was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following the two assaults in December 2018.

The 54-year-old, of The Crescent, Tingley, Wakefield, was jailed for two years and eight months today (Wednesday) after being convicted last month of two counts of sexual assault.

Prosecutor Richard Walters described McCarthy’s behaviour as opportunistic rather than grooming.

On the first occasion, McCarthy undid the girl’s bra then touched her breasts, using the excuse that he was looking for lumps.

He later told her a story about a man who was wrongly jailed after a 16-year-old had sex with him then claimed to be underage when it happened.

On the second occasion, he undid her bra, looked into the victim’s eyes and kissed her. He was about to kiss her for a second time when she objected.

McCarthy stopped and became apologetic before texting her promising not to do it again.

In a statement, the victim described suffering with sleep problems, such as nightmares and being afraid to sleep, and having arguments with people due to ‘always being emotional, snappy and feeling angry with life’.

She said she found it hard to find a reason to get out of bed, broke down randomly in classes and did not want to meet new people.

The teenager said she has attended counselling and was diagnosed with PTSD.

The defendant’s last conviction was in the 1980s for a dissimilar offence so the judge treated the defendant as a person of previous good character.

May 2021

Bradford rapist jailed for 19 years for ‘dreadful offences’ against girls

A Bradford man has been jailed for 19 years after being found guilty of a string of sexual offences against children.

Khalil Ayub, 39, was sentenced at Bradford Crown Court after being found guilty of 12 sexual offences against three female child victims in the Bradford area.

He was found guilty of offences including rape and sexual assault in a unanimous verdict by a jury following a trial.

The offending took place between 2013 and 2019.

Ayub will have to serve two-thirds of the sentence before he can be considered for release and sign the sex offender’s register.

May 2021

Brave girl, 15, disarmed sex offender after being forced into bushes at knifepoint

A brave 15-year-old schoolgirl disarmed a dangerous sex offender then took his photo after being forced into bushes at knifepoint, a court heard.

Nathan Rawson, 25, was brought to justice with the help of the pictures taken by his victim, who said she feared she would be ‘killed or sexually hurt’ before she fought him off.

The courageous teen took snaps of Rawson as he confronted her moments after she managed to take a knife from him in the attempted attack in Leeds, West Yorks.

The images of him standing in a field on a cold winter morning were circulated by West Yorkshire Police as part of an appeal and ultimately led to his arrest.

Rawson was given an extended prison sentence of 13 years and eight months at Leeds Crown Court on Monday.

He pleaded guilty to kidnapping, unlawful wounding, committing an offence with intent to commit a sexual offence, possession of an offensive weapon and two counts of burglary.

The court heard how the girl showed “outstanding courage” to disarm the attacker when he grabbed her and forced her to go into bushes with him at knifepoint.

The teen fought back, grabbed the knife and managed to take photos of him using her mobile phone as she fled to safety.

The images led to his arrest after they were used in a police appeal to catch the attacker.

The victim, now aged 17, described the damaging impact the incident had on her life since the incident in February 2019.

In a victim statement, read to the court on her behalf by prosecutor Julian Jones, she said: “It has been more than two years since this terrifying incident happened to me and I still remember it like it was yesterday.

“It will be something that will always be with me. I lost my confidence and it still hasn’t returned.

“I did not want to leave my house or talk to anyone and I felt like a part of me was dead.

“I would wake up in the middle of the night shaking or sweating. The incident was playing over and over in my head for six months.

“I isolated myself from the outset. I just wanted to be able to step outside and walk down the street without the dread that someone might hurt me.

“I have bottled things up around my family and friends. It is hard for them to understand what I was going through.

“As a result I have lost lots of friends and I have lost myself. I literally fought for my life that day.

“I still believe this man was either going to kill me or really hurt me sexually.

“It sends a shiver down my spine thinking about what could have happened to me if I had not fought back.”

Five years ago, in February 2016, Rawson stalked a young woman through the streets before grabbing hold of her as she screamed for help. He was sentenced to 21 months