Russell Kellar – Southport/Macclesfield

29 Tuesday Jul 2014

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December 2016: Now living in the Birkenhead area

June 2005

Jailed boss wins cut in sex attack sentence

Kellar jailed for sexually abusing young children

A BUSINESSMAN jailed for a range of sex offences against young girls has had his sentence cut on appeal.

Russell Kellar, 49, of Church Street, Southport, was jailed for four years at Chester crown court last March after allegations that he had subjected two girls to a campaign of abuse.

Kellar, who was well known in the town for his charity work, had admitted nine counts of indecent assault on a female, four of gross indecency with a child, and one of sexual assault on a girl under 13.

March 2005

Kellar jailed for sexually abusing young children

MACCLESFIELD businessman Russell Kellar has been jailed for four years after admitting a range of sexual offences against young girls.

Kellar, 49, was sentenced to four years behind bars and four years of rehabilitation when he appeared at Chester Crown Court yesterday (Tuesday).

He must also sign on to the Sex Offenders’ Register for life and is not allowed to work with children.

Judge Roger Dutton said Kellar was well-known in the town for his charity and community work, and this showed he had positive attributes.

But, he told the defendant: “The sad fact remains that there is hidden in part of your character the desire and need to act inappropriately with young children.”

The father-of-four, who runs a menswear shop on Chestergate, pleaded guilty to abusing two young girls. The offending began in the late Seventies. The first girl was just eight years old when 19-year-old Kellar started to grope her. He continued abusing her until the early Eighties.

There was then a break of more than two decades before Kellar began abusing the other girl in 2001, when she was also eight-years-old. The abuse took place in several locations, including his caravan in Abersoch, and he told her that she would be sent to jail if she told anyone.

Kellar, who wore a pin-stripe suit and red tie in the dock and whose family were in court, was charged with 16 offences in all. He pleaded not guilty to two charges of gross indecency with one girl under the age of ten, but admitted two offences of gross indecency with her while she was under the age of 16.

He also pleaded guilty to another two offences of gross indecency with the second girl, while she was under the age of ten.

He also admitted nine offences of indecent assault on both girls and one count of sexual assault on the second girl while she was under 13.

Sean Brogan, counsel for the defence, said this was a case of a good man who had done bad things.

“Perhaps this is one of these unusual cases for the court, given his, well, frankly startling admissions, given his guilty pleas, there is another way forward other than custody.”

He said Kellar had already been punished immeasurably by the shame and embarrassment of having to tell his family and the family itself had been punished by the publicity surrounding the case. He said they would now all have to leave the town.

But Judge Roger Dutton said he had used the girls for his own sexual gratification and the case demanded a sentence of immediate custody.

Kellar’s Chestergate store is due to close within the next two weeks and his £600,000 Park Lane home is on the market.

Peter Sweetmore – Cardiff

22 Tuesday Jul 2014

Posted by Author in Company Director/Owner, Glamorgan

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January 2003

Churchman jailed for child abuse

A LEADING member of a church was jailed for 18 months yesterday for sex assaults on a teenage boy which took place nearly 30 years ago.

Retired company director Peter Sweetmore, 69, of St Mellons, Cardiff, admitted four charges of indecent assault against a boy in his mid teens over a two-year period in the mid to late 1970s.

Newport Crown Court heard that Sweetmore had been a respected member of the Church of God in Cardiff and met the boy through church activities.

But married Sweetmore was arrested only in the autumn of last year after the victim, who is also married, felt able to complain about the abuse.

Sweetmore was also ordered to register as a sex offender for 10 years.

Prosecutor David Wooller told the court that after the defendant began to abuse the complainant he would “lean over him and become physically intrusive”.

Mr Wooller told the court that at the time the victim felt unable to complain about Sweetmore who had a “position as a senior respected member of the church”. But when he was 16, the victim’s feelings of “guilt and disgust” meant he found the courage to tell Sweetmore that what was going on had to stop, Mr Wooller said.

The court heard that the abuse had a detrimental effect on the victim’s life, with him achieving lower exam grades than was expected and he later attempted suicide. The prosecutor said the victim only felt able to disclose matters in Christmas 2000, and Sweetmore was later arrested.

Hilary Roberts, defending, told the court: “At the time of these offences he was an active and leading member of the Church of God.

“It gave him a position of authority and a position of trust which he abused.” Mr Roberts said Sweetmore had been excommunicated from the church for six months when the offences came to light but had since been welcomed back. Mr Roberts said: `

`The process of healing and forgiveness was sought. “He has been punished in a way the church thought was appropriate.”

Martin Whitworth – Blackburn

14 Monday Jul 2014

Posted by Author in Company Director/Owner, Lancashire

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July 2014

Serial child abuser jailed for 18 years

A SERIAL child abuser has been jailed for 18 years after he was found guilty of a string of historic sex offences.

Among the abuse carried out by Martin Edward Whitworth, 59, was the rape of a five-year-old boy in the grounds of a church, police said.

In total, Whitworth, of Lynwood Road, Blackburn, was found guilty of 19 charges dating back to a six year period between 1968 and 1976, when he would have been aged between 13 and 19.

His former employers, Hobkirk Sewing Machines, said they were ‘gobsmacked’ to discover Whitworth’s sick past.

Whitworth admitted three counts of indecent assault on a male, another three of committing gross indecency with a child, and a separate indictment relating to the possession of indecent photographs.

During a week-long trial at Preston Crown Court, a jury also found Whitworth guilty of a further three counts of indecent assault on a male, and nine counts of buggery.

Whitworth, described by police as a ‘regular churchgoer’, worked his way up to the position of shop manager at well-known Blackburn town centre business Hobkirk Sewing Machines during more than 40 years with the company.

Mark Hobkirk, managing director of the Darwen Street firm, said: “Mr Whitworth’s charges came as a complete shock to us. We were totally unaware of such activities in his personal life.”

The judge in the trial instructed the jury to find Whitworth not guilty of four other counts. He was sentenced to 18 years in prison last month.

Mr Hobkirk, who sat in the public gallery during Whitworth’s trial, added: “Martin has been a loyal friend and an employee of ours for more than 40 years and was a very good salesman.

“All of this was a complete and utter shock to us. Obviously we knew he was a homosexual, and we had no problem with that, but the fact he did all this years ago was a shock.

“As soon as he was found guilty we sacked him. We want people to appreciate we were totally unaware of what he did.

“I would stress that Hobkirk Sewing Machines was unaware of what was going on and it came as a shock to us. Even if he hadn’t gone to prison, under no circumstances would he have continued to work for us. We are gobsmacked.”

Whitworth had joined the company as a weekend assistant back in 1972 when he was still at school, and went on to become well-respected in the industry.

Police said he was arrested and charged last November.

Detective Chief Inspector Claire McEnery, from Lancashire police’s public prosecution unit, said Whitworth’s conviction was proof that the force took historic allegations of abuse seriously.

She said: “The abuse took place both in the church and in other places.

“Lancashire Constabulary will continually strive to investigate offences of child abuse despite the passage of time.

“This instance proves there is no hiding place for such offenders from this police force.”

James Milner – Malton

10 Thursday Jul 2014

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July 2014

Businessman jailed a second time for child sex offences

A BUSINESSMAN who led a double life is now serving his second prison sentence for sex offences involving children.

Graeme Gaston, prosecuting, told York Crown Court, that police were handed a child’s memory stick containing recordings of James Edward Milner performing a sex act while discussing how to sexually abuse a different child with a second man over the internet.

The child was not connected to Milner, who had already served a six-month prison sentence imposed in 2008 for five offences of possessing sexual images of children.

The Recorder of York, Judge Stephen Ashurst, told him: “It might have been thought your arrest, your conviction, your imprisonment and public shame in 2008 would have deterred you from any repetition, but sadly, it did not do so.”

Milner, 51, of Scrayingham, Malton, pleaded guilty to six offences of possessing indecent images of children and two of distributing sexual images of children. The charges involved both the pictures he told North Yorkshire Police about and the recordings on the memory stick.

He was jailed for 21 months, put on the sex offenders’ register for ten years and made subject to a sexual offences prevention order banning him from using the internet without police-monitored controls in place.

Judge Ashurst told him: “You are an intelligent man with a supportive family and with a degree of success in business. You have many of the advantages not open to many of the defendants who appear before these courts, but to an extent it appears you have lived something of a double life.”

For Milner, Taryn Turner said he had a problem or personality difficulty that needed addressing. His wife was standing by him and other family would run the business while he was in jail.

Nicholas McKeown – Plymouth

31 Saturday May 2014

Posted by Author in Company Director/Owner, Devon

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May 2014

Former army major who held MBE who is a convicted paedophile is unmasked as owner of a children’s karting arena

Nicholas McKeown is now living at Royal William Yard, Stonehouse, Plymouth. McKeown owns and works at Plymouth karting and combat gaming.

In 2007, the then, Major Nicholas Charles McKeown MBE was convicted and jailed for possessing and making indecent photographs of children. Some were considered at the most serious level of child abuse images.

They ranged from babies to girls aged up to 10 and children in their early teens. McKeown also admitted in court that he had a fetish for girls in uniform

When our undercover photographer went to Plymouth karting today, it was full of families with young children. Nicholas McKeown was wandering amongst them. Nobody had any idea of his disgusting past, and at one point he even sat at reception welcoming visitors including young children.

Former Major McKeown was appointed the MBE in 1997, however it was revoked in 2008 after his conviction for child abuse images. McKeown evaded from having his picture taken when he was convicted, so we have tracked him down to make sure the public know who and what he is.

McKeown is a well known businessman in Plymouth, sometimes rubbing shoulders with celebrities like Nicholas Hamilton, Half brother of Formula One driver, Lewis Hamilton, took a break from racing touring cars to accept the Mercedes-Benz South West karting challenge against Plymouth Argyle football club and Plymouth Albion Rugby Club. Nick Ponting, the UK Landspeed record holder also dropped in to visit. But it seems he has kept his past buried until today!

December 2007

Army major Jailed Over Child abuse Images

A decorated Army hero who had 4,658 child abuse images on his laptop has been jailed for 18 months

Major Nicholas Charles McKeown MBE, who was in the Army Air Corps, said he was simply exploring his sexual curiosity and fetish for girls in uniform.

But the helicopter pilot and trainer, who was based at RAF Waddington, had downloaded explicit pictures of babies.

More than 50 pictures were considered at the most serious level of child abuse images, Lincoln Crown Court heard.

Major McKeown (48), who had led the Blue Eagles helicopter display team, served in Northern Ireland and Bosnia.

He once ran across a minefield to try and save three servicemen in a crashed and burning Lynx helicopter, the court was told.

McKeown admitted 14 charges of possessing and making indecent photographs of children.

These ranged from babies to girls aged up to 10 and children in their early teens, prosecutor Phil Howes said.

McKeown, based at the station’s Air Warfare Command, kept the computer at his home in Chichester Road, Bracebridge Heath.

Lincolnshire Police searched the house on advice from German police, finding child abuse images alongside McKeown’s adult porn, he said.

Judge Michael Heath said: “You have explained what you did by saying you were exploring your sexuality.

“In doing that, you downloaded images of young children and those young children were grossly abused.”

December 2016: Now living in the Birkenhead area

June 2005

Jailed boss wins cut in sex attack sentence

A BUSINESSMAN jailed for a range of sex offences against young girls has had his sentence cut on appeal.

Russell Kellar, 49, of Church Street, Southport, was jailed for four years at Chester crown court last March after allegations that he had subjected two girls to a campaign of abuse.

Kellar, who was well known in the town for his charity work, had admitted nine counts of indecent assault on a female, four of gross indecency with a child, and one of sexual assault on a girl under 13.

March 2005

Kellar jailed for sexually abusing young children

MACCLESFIELD businessman Russell Kellar has been jailed for four years after admitting a range of sexual offences against young girls.

Kellar, 49, was sentenced to four years behind bars and four years of rehabilitation when he appeared at Chester Crown Court yesterday (Tuesday).

He must also sign on to the Sex Offenders’ Register for life and is not allowed to work with children.

Judge Roger Dutton said Kellar was well-known in the town for his charity and community work, and this showed he had positive attributes.

But, he told the defendant: “The sad fact remains that there is hidden in part of your character the desire and need to act inappropriately with young children.”

The father-of-four, who runs a menswear shop on Chestergate, pleaded guilty to abusing two young girls. The offending began in the late Seventies. The first girl was just eight years old when 19-year-old Kellar started to grope her. He continued abusing her until the early Eighties.

There was then a break of more than two decades before Kellar began abusing the other girl in 2001, when she was also eight-years-old. The abuse took place in several locations, including his caravan in Abersoch, and he told her that she would be sent to jail if she told anyone.

He also pleaded guilty to another two offences of gross indecency with the second girl, while she was under the age of ten.

He also admitted nine offences of indecent assault on both girls and one count of sexual assault on the second girl while she was under 13.

Sean Brogan, counsel for the defence, said this was a case of a good man who had done bad things.

“Perhaps this is one of these unusual cases for the court, given his, well, frankly startling admissions, given his guilty pleas, there is another way forward other than custody.”

He said Kellar had already been punished immeasurably by the shame and embarrassment of having to tell his family and the family itself had been punished by the publicity surrounding the case. He said they would now all have to leave the town.

But Judge Roger Dutton said he had used the girls for his own sexual gratification and the case demanded a sentence of immediate custody.

Kellar’s Chestergate store is due to close within the next two weeks and his £600,000 Park Lane home is on the market.

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January 2003

Churchman jailed for child abuse

A LEADING member of a church was jailed for 18 months yesterday for sex assaults on a teenage boy which took place nearly 30 years ago.

Retired company director Peter Sweetmore, 69, of St Mellons, Cardiff, admitted four charges of indecent assault against a boy in his mid teens over a two-year period in the mid to late 1970s.

Newport Crown Court heard that Sweetmore had been a respected member of the Church of God in Cardiff and met the boy through church activities.

But married Sweetmore was arrested only in the autumn of last year after the victim, who is also married, felt able to complain about the abuse.

Sweetmore was also ordered to register as a sex offender for 10 years.

Prosecutor David Wooller told the court that after the defendant began to abuse the complainant he would “lean over him and become physically intrusive”.

The court heard that the abuse had a detrimental effect on the victim’s life, with him achieving lower exam grades than was expected and he later attempted suicide. The prosecutor said the victim only felt able to disclose matters in Christmas 2000, and Sweetmore was later arrested.

Hilary Roberts, defending, told the court: “At the time of these offences he was an active and leading member of the Church of God.

“It gave him a position of authority and a position of trust which he abused.” Mr Roberts said Sweetmore had been excommunicated from the church for six months when the offences came to light but had since been welcomed back. Mr Roberts said: `

`The process of healing and forgiveness was sought. “He has been punished in a way the church thought was appropriate.”

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July 2014

Serial child abuser jailed for 18 years

A SERIAL child abuser has been jailed for 18 years after he was found guilty of a string of historic sex offences.

Among the abuse carried out by Martin Edward Whitworth, 59, was the rape of a five-year-old boy in the grounds of a church, police said.

In total, Whitworth, of Lynwood Road, Blackburn, was found guilty of 19 charges dating back to a six year period between 1968 and 1976, when he would have been aged between 13 and 19.

His former employers, Hobkirk Sewing Machines, said they were ‘gobsmacked’ to discover Whitworth’s sick past.

Whitworth admitted three counts of indecent assault on a male, another three of committing gross indecency with a child, and a separate indictment relating to the possession of indecent photographs.

During a week-long trial at Preston Crown Court, a jury also found Whitworth guilty of a further three counts of indecent assault on a male, and nine counts of buggery.

Whitworth, described by police as a ‘regular churchgoer’, worked his way up to the position of shop manager at well-known Blackburn town centre business Hobkirk Sewing Machines during more than 40 years with the company.

Mark Hobkirk, managing director of the Darwen Street firm, said: “Mr Whitworth’s charges came as a complete shock to us. We were totally unaware of such activities in his personal life.”

The judge in the trial instructed the jury to find Whitworth not guilty of four other counts. He was sentenced to 18 years in prison last month.

Mr Hobkirk, who sat in the public gallery during Whitworth’s trial, added: “Martin has been a loyal friend and an employee of ours for more than 40 years and was a very good salesman.

“All of this was a complete and utter shock to us. Obviously we knew he was a homosexual, and we had no problem with that, but the fact he did all this years ago was a shock.

“As soon as he was found guilty we sacked him. We want people to appreciate we were totally unaware of what he did.

“I would stress that Hobkirk Sewing Machines was unaware of what was going on and it came as a shock to us. Even if he hadn’t gone to prison, under no circumstances would he have continued to work for us. We are gobsmacked.”

Whitworth had joined the company as a weekend assistant back in 1972 when he was still at school, and went on to become well-respected in the industry.

Police said he was arrested and charged last November.

Detective Chief Inspector Claire McEnery, from Lancashire police’s public prosecution unit, said Whitworth’s conviction was proof that the force took historic allegations of abuse seriously.

She said: “The abuse took place both in the church and in other places.

“Lancashire Constabulary will continually strive to investigate offences of child abuse despite the passage of time.

“This instance proves there is no hiding place for such offenders from this police force.”

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July 2014

Businessman jailed a second time for child sex offences

A BUSINESSMAN who led a double life is now serving his second prison sentence for sex offences involving children.

Graeme Gaston, prosecuting, told York Crown Court, that police were handed a child’s memory stick containing recordings of James Edward Milner performing a sex act while discussing how to sexually abuse a different child with a second man over the internet.

The child was not connected to Milner, who had already served a six-month prison sentence imposed in 2008 for five offences of possessing sexual images of children.

The Recorder of York, Judge Stephen Ashurst, told him: “It might have been thought your arrest, your conviction, your imprisonment and public shame in 2008 would have deterred you from any repetition, but sadly, it did not do so.”

Milner, 51, of Scrayingham, Malton, pleaded guilty to six offences of possessing indecent images of children and two of distributing sexual images of children. The charges involved both the pictures he told North Yorkshire Police about and the recordings on the memory stick.

He was jailed for 21 months, put on the sex offenders’ register for ten years and made subject to a sexual offences prevention order banning him from using the internet without police-monitored controls in place.

Judge Ashurst told him: “You are an intelligent man with a supportive family and with a degree of success in business. You have many of the advantages not open to many of the defendants who appear before these courts, but to an extent it appears you have lived something of a double life.”

For Milner, Taryn Turner said he had a problem or personality difficulty that needed addressing. His wife was standing by him and other family would run the business while he was in jail.

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May 2014

Former army major who held MBE who is a convicted paedophile is unmasked as owner of a children’s karting arena

Nicholas McKeown is now living at Royal William Yard, Stonehouse, Plymouth. McKeown owns and works at Plymouth karting and combat gaming.

In 2007, the then, Major Nicholas Charles McKeown MBE was convicted and jailed for possessing and making indecent photographs of children. Some were considered at the most serious level of child abuse images.

They ranged from babies to girls aged up to 10 and children in their early teens. McKeown also admitted in court that he had a fetish for girls in uniform

When our undercover photographer went to Plymouth karting today, it was full of families with young children. Nicholas McKeown was wandering amongst them. Nobody had any idea of his disgusting past, and at one point he even sat at reception welcoming visitors including young children.

Former Major McKeown was appointed the MBE in 1997, however it was revoked in 2008 after his conviction for child abuse images. McKeown evaded from having his picture taken when he was convicted, so we have tracked him down to make sure the public know who and what he is.