January 2021

Pervert who talked about having sex with ‘children’ jailed

A Bristol man thought he was persistently pestering girls aged 12 for sex.

But in reality Adam Pugh, of Seneca Street in St George, was making lewd suggestions to adults, either paedophile hunters or undercover police.

Pugh was also found to have downloaded and shared indecent images of children.

Bristol Crown Court heard that, since his offending emerged, he has given himself a self-imposed ban from the internet.

The 37-year-old pleaded guilty to attempted sexual communication with a child, two charges of arranging or facilitating a child sex offence and attempting to cause a child to watch a sexual act.

Judge Euan Ambrose handed him an eight-year extended sentence comprising of four years’ custody and four years’ extended licence.

He told Pugh: “I am quite satisfied you are dangerous.

“This was persistent offending, undeterred by your arrest.

“You had no way of knowing those you were speaking to were not real children.

“You pose a significant risk of serious harm to children.”

Pugh was ordered to register as a sex offender for life and was given an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order designed to stop his reoffending.

James Haskell, prosecuting, said in June 2019 Pugh chatted online to a girl who told him she was 12, and his conversation became increasingly sexualised.

The ‘child’ was in fact a member of paedophile hunter group Innocent Voices.

Later in the same month Pugh chatted online to another ‘child’ aged 12 who was also an adult hunter, discussed sex with her, talked about meeting up and sent her a photo of his private parts.

The hunter group then confronted Pugh, police arrested him and he was released pending further investigation.

But the court heard that, once released, Pugh was at it again – this time chatting to another ‘child’ aged 12 who turned out to be an undercover police officer.

This time he sent the supposed youngster a video of himself engaging in a sex act.

He also talked about meeting her after lockdown to have sex.

During the course of a police investigation it was discovered Pugh had downloaded and distributed child abuse images, which he admitted and asked the court to take into consideration.

January 2021

Stockwood man, 84, admits child abuse charges

A Stockwood pensioner has admitted child sexual abuse.

The case of 84-year-old Raymond Page, of Dutton Road, was heard at Bristol Magistrates’ Court on January 14.

Two charges allege that, in 2019, he intentionally touched a child aged under 13 and the touching was sexual.

In a third charge it is alleged that between September 5, 2017, and January 11, 2019, he made five Category A indecent photographs of a child.

And in a fourth charge it is alleged that between September 5, 2017 and January 11, 2019, he made two Category B indecent photographs of a child.

Page indicated a guilty plea to all charges. Magistrates committed the case to Bristol Crown Court for sentence on February 24. Page was given unconditional bail.

January 2021

Lawrence Weston man raped and sexually assaulted vulnerable women in Bristol city centre

A man convicted of raping one woman and sexually assaulting another in Bristol city centre has been jailed.

A judge concluded that Ian Ochieng, a paranoid schizophrenic, targeted two women three days apart in June 2019.

He took his first victim to a secluded spot and forced himself on her in an assault lasting some 30 minutes.

And he approached his second, equally vulnerable victim and touched her inappropriately, Bristol Crown Court heard.

Ochieng, 27, of Saltmarsh Drive in Lawrence Weston, denied wrongdoing.

But a jury convicted him of rape and sexual assault by penetration.

Judge William Hart handed him a 16-year extended sentence, comprising of 12 years’ custody and four years’ extended licence.

Ochieng has to serve two-thirds of the custodial term before the parole board considers his fitness for release.

The judge told him: “I regard you as a dangerous, predatory individual and a threat to women.”

Ochieng was barred from working with vulnerable adults and children and ordered to register as a sex offender indefinitely.

A jury heard the first victim left her friends and was in Horsefair when Ochieng took her behind Poundland and raped her.

In interview she said: “All I remember is that it really hurt and then I ended up running off and I was trying to put my clothes back on, but I couldn’t because it was raining.”

As she walked home in a state of partial undress she encountered four friends who came to her aid, the court heard.

They called an ambulance and she ultimately gave an account of being sexually assaulted.

An examination at the Bridge noted injuries and DNA matched the profile of Ochieng.

Three days later Ochieng approached a second woman who either passed out or fell asleep outside a Bristol nightclub.

The jury heard he put his hand in her underwear and groped her.

Sarah Regan, prosecuting, read an impact statement from the first complainant, who outlined the serious anxiety and relationship difficulties she suffered as a result of her ordeal and asked: “I’d like to know what right this person thought he had to take me off the street and rape me?”

The second complainant pondered: “I ask myself if he was attracted by drunken women; I did not lead him on at all.”

Miss Regan said other woman had reported sexual assaults by Ochieng – but he was either acquitted of wrongdoing or matters were not pursued.

January 2021

Jail for Somerset man who discussed child abuse fantasies with Canadian paedophile

Canadian police helped to track down a Somerset man who discussed his child abuse fantasies with a paedophile on the other side of the Atlantic.

Stephen Tomaszewski, 52, used the photo sharing website Flickr to communicate with a man who had come to the attention of investigators in Canada. The pair sent more than 900 messages to one another.

When police in the UK searched Tomaszewski’s home computer they found more than 300 images of child sexual abuse.

The defendant appeared at Taunton Crown Court after admitting possessing indecent images of children. He also pleaded guilty to possessing extreme pornographic images involving animals.

Tomaszewski had a previous conviction for for distributing indecent images dating back to 1998.

The judge said the defendant, of Haylard Drive, Wembdon, Bridgwater, showed a clear sexual interest in young girls.

He said: “You weren’t simply looking at images you were communicating with a paedophile on the internet and talking about your shared intimate thoughts.”

Judge Paul Cook jailed Tomaszewski for nine months.

Prosecutor Harry Ahuja said: “Police in the UK were informed by police in Canada that a suspect they were looking into in Canada using the photo application Flickr had been speaking to this suspect via the app.

“There were various conversations between the two which caused concern. The theme was a sexual attraction towards young girls.”

Police in the UK visited Tomaszewski’s home on January 2020 and he gave consent for his computer equipment to be seized.

Examination revealed 15 extreme pornographic movie clips showing bestiality. The computer tower had a cache of child abuse images. The images could not be viewed but there was evidence they had been in the past.

In total there were 65 images in the most serious category (A) of abuse, 52 of category B and 233 of category C. Ages of the children involved ranged from five to 11.

A police investigator said there was a lot of material highly indicative of child abuse opened and viewed since September 2017.

There was also evidence Tomaszewski had communicated with a second paedophile on the internet.

Judge Cook said the offences were more serious because Tomaszewski had not acted in isolation.

He said: “You are motivated by a sexual interest in children. It is a long-term historic interest.

“The nature and the seriousness of the offences can only be met with immediate imprisonment. You knew full well what was going on over the two years. These were images of young children and you were communicating with others.”

February 2020

Granddad had sickening child images and ‘depraved’ chats online

A man who was found with “sickening” child abuse images including ones which involved the rape of a baby has been jailed.

Christopher Bate was married with children and grandchildren, Bristol Crown Court heard on February 12.

But the court was told after separating from his wife he strayed into the dark side of the Internet and obtained and shared images which a judge described as “horrifying”.

He was brought to book when Avon and Somerset police called on him due to intelligence they received.

Bate, 67, of St John’s Road in Frome, pleaded guilty to distributing a Category A image between September 2013 and November 2018.

He also admitted possessing Category A, B and C images as well as an extreme porn image.

In total he had 2,976 images and 879 movies in the most serious Category A.

Nicholas Fridd, prosecuting, said Bate accessed uploads of child abuse movies and police made an appointment to see him.

Mr Fridd said officers found child abuse images across the category range on his computer tower and a further image on his phone.

When police identified websites Bate visited they found he had said he liked “fit men and boys” and indicated he would like to sexually abuse a five-year-old boy.

His collection of vile images included babies and young boys being raped, the court was told.

Judge Paul Cook jailed him for 28 months.

He told Bate: “The images were sickening and horrifying and demonstrate a focus on the most extreme abuse of very young children.

“They involved the rape of a baby.

“You have been communicating with other paedophiles and sharing movies and images.

“The conversations you had can only be described as depraved.”

Bate was told to register as a sex offender and was handed a Sexual Harm Prevention Order, both for ten years. His computer devices were forfeited.