May 2021

Sex offender tried to destroy phone in tub of paint

A pervert was in online communication with what he believed to be four different underage girls within a two-month period, a court has heard.

Sven Hendriksen, 45, was, in reality, exchanging messages at roughly the same time with decoy profiles posted by four different paedophile-hunting groups.

May 2021

Paedophile found with over 25,000 vile abuse images after girlfriend saw pictures on his phone

A paedophile was found with a hoard of over 25,000 sickening abuse images after his girlfriend saw “explicit content” on his mobile phone.

Francis Michael Black of Cameron Road, Hartlepool was arrested after his girlfriend at the time saw concerning images when using his phone.

Black, who had previous convictions for possessing indecent images, was then found to have thousands of child abuse images stored on his computer.

The 61-year-old appeared at Teesside Crown Court on Tuesday to be sentenced for possessing indecent images.

Emma Hughes, prosecuting, said Black’s crimes came to light on April 20, last year, when his then-girlfriend was using his mobile.

“Police received a phone call from the defendant’s girlfriend saying they were at home when she came across explicit content”, she said.

“Aware of the defendant’s previous convictions she alerted the police.”

Black was soon arrested and his electronic devices were seized and his home searched.

Ms Hughes said that a total of 58 category A images were found, alongside 68 category B and a massive 25,067 in category C.

Many of the images showed children in “pain or distress” and some depicted were as young a five-years-old, the court heard.

The court was told that Black had three previous convictions for 23 offences.

One relevant conviction dated back to 2013 when he was given a four year community order for possessing indecent images.

He was put on the sex offender register and made subject to a sexual harm prevention order, both for five years.

They had expired by the time he committed the April offences.

Last year, he’d received an 18 month community order for battery, and so was in breach of that order.

Robert Foster preyed on the young victims over a period of ten years, beginning when they were primary school-aged children.

His offending came to light when one of the children bravely told a trusted adult about what had happened to them, who reported it to police who launched an investigation.

The 55-year-old was charged with one count of rape, five counts of sexual assault and eight counts of sexual activity with a child.

Foster denied all knowledge of the offences, instead insisting that all three children were lying, and put them through the ordeal of a four-day trial at Teesside Crown Court.

Thankfully, the jury saw through his lies and returned unanimous guilty verdicts on all 14 charges.

May 2021

Hartlepool paedophile jailed for downloading indecent images of children even after he was arrested

A paedophile wrote sick fantasies he shared with other perverts and continued to download hundreds of child abuse images even after being arrested.

Sean Anderson, 37, was charged by police after they discovered more than 6,000 indecent images of children on three mobile phones and two laptop computers in June and September 2019.

His sexual interest in children first came to light after he reported a tablet stolen from a guest house in Darlington where he was then living.

After being charged and pleading guilty in court, Anderson was bailed and moved to Hartlepool.

But he continued to view sick material online and failed to tell police where he was living which he was required to do.

Victoria Lamballe, prosecuting, described how Anderson had added text to some of the images of children and also messaged other perverts by email and a messenger app.

In examining his seized devices, police also found two graphic lengthy stories he had written featuring a character named after himself.

Anderson pleaded guilty to three counts of possessing indecent images in June last year but failed to give his address at a police station within three days.

Police turned up at his door in February when another 916 images viewed between October 2020 and February 21 this year were found on a laptop.

Anderson, of Queen Street, Seaton Carew, was jailed for 21 months at Teesside Crown Court after he admitted three additional counts of making indecent images and failure to comply with notification requirements.

Rob Mochrie, mitigating, said the probation service had identified Anderson as suitable for a sex offender treatment programme, available only if he was allowed to keep his freedom.

He said of Anderson’s repeated offending: “It may point to a man who has an inveterate interest in children who essentially couldn’t help himself.”

But the judge, Recorder Nicholas Lumley, said the sheer quantity of images, length over which he viewed them and encouragement he gave to others he was in contact with meant he had to be jailed.

Recorder Lumley told Anderson: “Your behaviour encourages others to carry out those vile acts against children.

“You give them a market and therefore you play a part in abusing children in the way depicted.”

May 2021

Twisted paedophile locked up for string of sex offences against boy and taking indecent photos

A paedophile has been jailed for more than six years after committing a string of sex offences against a child.

Stephen McNally has been locked up after being charged with five counts of sexually assaulting a boy.

The 34-year-old was also accused of three counts of taking indecent photographs of a child.

He also faced a further offence of distributing an indecent photograph.

McNally, of Wansford Close, Billingham, pleaded guilty to all of nine charges.

On April 30, he was sentenced for the crimes at Teesside Crown Court in Middlesbrough.

A judge put him behind bars for a total of 76 months.