September 2020

Jailed — Phillip Brookes sentenced following paedophile hunter sting

A serial sex offender has been jailed for four years at the Isle of Wight Crown Court 

Phillips Brookes was recently seen on video smirking as a team of paedophile hunters challenged him about his behaviour with what he thought was an 11-year-old girl, and it was broadcast live on Facebook and shared widely.

The footage showed how the paedophile hunters became increasingly agitated as the man, confronted in a sting operation on the Island, fired back sarcastic comments when they questioned him over sexual communications with a child.

He later claimed he had wanted to be caught.

At the end of the film, a police officer arrives to arrest him.

Phillip Brookes, of Clarence Road, East Cowes, was already a serial sex offender, having once uploaded a video of himself abusing a 12-year-old girl to the internet for money, Winchester Crown Court heard in July.

In that instance, he was jailed for a year.

Soon after his release, Brookes had started to send sickening messages to a ‘girl’ who told him she was 11 years old. Brookes told the child to perform sexual acts, among a series of depraved topics.

The 41-year-old arranged to meet the child in East Cowes, but instead found himself confronted outside a supermarket by several adults from the Northwest Hebephile Hunters, who had travelled overnight from the north of England to catch him out.

During a two-day trial at Winchester Crown Court, Brookes was cross-examined by prosecuting lawyer Gemma White, who asked him about his eight previous offences against children since 2012 and the fact that he had been made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order

After just one hour of deliberation, Brookes was convicted by the jury of four counts of attempting to cause a girl to engage in sexual activity and one count of attempted communication with a child.

Judge Susan Evans sentenced Brookes

July 2020

Isle of Wight paedophile snared by hunters in live sting

The moment a twisted pervert from the Isle of Wight smirked, as a team of paedophile hunters challenged him about his behaviour with what he thought was an 11-year-old girl, was broadcast live on Facebook.

The footage shows how the paedophile hunters became increasingly agitated as the man, confronted in sting operation on the Island, fired back sarcastic comments when they questioned him over sexual communications with a child.

The man later claimed that he had wanted to be caught.

In video footage shown at Winchester Crown Court, one of the group calls him a “nonce”, while the others jeer at him for being a “little rat”.

At the end of the film, a police officer arrives to arrest him.

Phillip Brookes, of Clarence Road, East Cowes, has been convicted of child sex offences and will be sentenced in August.

He was already a serial sex offender, having once uploaded a video of himself abusing a 12-year-old girl to the internet for money, a court heard.

In that instance, he was jailed for a year.

Soon after his release, Brookes had started to send sickening messages to a ‘girl’ who told him she was 11 years old. Brookes told the child to perform sexual acts, among a series of depraved topics.

The court heard how one of the female paedophile hunters had whispered to make her voice sound like that of a little girl and sent a recording to Brookes.

The 41-year-old had arranged to meet the child in East Cowes, but instead found himself confronted outside a supermarket by several adults from the Northwest Hebephile Hunters, who had travelled overnight from the north of England to catch him out.

Video footage, which was live-streamed to Facebook, receiving over 200,000 views in just 24 hours.

It showed Brookes smirking, as the paedophile hunters read out records of his lewd chats and demanded that he explain his actions.

At one point, Brookes smacked the recording mobile phone out of the hands of one of the paedophile hunters and is then seen being pinned against a wall.

He claimed in the footage that he had been punched in the ribs.

Hampshire Police had received copies of the chat logs from the paedophile hunters, which was used as the basis of the case against Brookes.

In the video footage of the meeting, which was disclosed to the court by journalist Charlie Moloney, the paedophile hunters could be heard telling Brookes they would use reasonable force to restrain him if he tried to escape.

After being arrested by Hampshire Constabulary, Brookes claimed he had known he was speaking to adult paedophile hunters all along.

He told a jury at Winchester Crown Court: “I already knew it was an adult from the start because of the way they were writing the texts. Kids would not know all those long words they were using. They even sent me a voice message that sounded like a six-year-old. I just wanted to wind them up.

“I just wanted the paedophile hunters to come find and hurt me.

“I know that they are trying to do a good job for those other kids and I am like scum to them. It was not about the fact of getting beaten up, I wanted to be getting caught by them.

“I have been to prison. I do not think I have been properly reprimanded. The punishment I received was nothing.”

The defendant, who denied the charges against him, argued he had wanted to be murdered by the paedophile hunters because he was depressed and struggling to care for an elderly friend.

Brookes’ home address had been shared online and an unknown vandal had written the word “nonce” on his property, the jury was told.

Brookes said: “I did not want to kill myself because I did not want the person I was caring for to come and find me. I was just afraid it would alter his life in some way and he was the only friend I had.”

During a two-day trial at Winchester Crown Court, Brookes was cross-examined by prosecuting lawyer Gemma White, who asked him about his eight previous offences against children since 2012 and the fact that he had been made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Ms White asked Brookes about his claim he was not sexually attracted to children, quoting parts of his police interview where he appeared to admit looking at indecent images.

When asked if he was lying, Brookes had said: “It is not a lie, just a bending of the truth.”

After just one hour of deliberation, Brookes was convicted by the jury of four counts of attempting to cause a girl to engage in sexual activity and one count of attempted communication with a child.

Judge Susan Evans QC told the defendant he would be sentenced on August 20. He was remanded in custody.

October 2015

Man who admitted being part of sex ring sentenced to three year community order

Phillip Brookes, 36 of Clarence road, East Cowes, who admitted he was part of a paedophile sex ring and hid evidence from police, has been sentenced to a three-year community order.

According to a report, back in November 2013 the man was convicted for sexual assault on a girl under the age of 13 and possessing, making and distributing indecent images of children and jailed for two years.

At the Isle of Wight Crown Court on Monday, it was revealed that at the time of original arrest he had hidden a hard drive from police.

The discovery was made in December 2013 when – whilst drunk and abusive – he’d told police and paramedics that he was part of a paedophile ring.

A thorough search of his home resulted in the hard drive, which he confessed contained images of children on it, being found in a secret drawer.

As well as the three year community order, the Crown Court recorder said Brookes must attend a sex offender course.

He was placed under supervision for three years and ordered to pay a fine of £60 to the victim fund.

July 2020

Paramedic struck off

A former Isle of Wight paramedic has been struck off the medical register after being convicted of making indecent photographs of children and possessing an extreme pornographic image.

The Health & Care Professions Tribunal Service (HCPTS) this week took the decision to strike Timothy J Ross off the medical register as they deemed his fitness to practise is impaired by his conviction on the grounds of public protection.

In August last year, at Bournemouth Crown Court, the paramedic was convicted of 3 counts of making an indecent photograph/pseudo-photograph of a child and 1 count of possessing extreme pornographic images – act of intercourse/oral sex with a dead/alive animal.

He was sentenced in September to a 2-year community order with 25 days rehabilitation activity and was made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for a period of 5 years and required to sign as a sex offender for 5 years.

The tribunal hearing, which was held virtually via video conference on Tuesday this week, heard how Police had received information that the paramedic was showing a keen interest in young boys.

As a result, his home address was visited and computer equipment seized. Mr Ross gave a no comment interview to Police after indecent images were found on his devices but stated he did not know where the images – of boys aged 6 to 10 – had come from and that he had not seen them before.

On 14th February 2019, the day after his interview, a referral was made to the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) by Hampshire Constabulary to alert them to the situation.

On 25th April, the HCPC was told by Mr Ross that he was to retire on 7th May with no intention of working as a paramedic again.

It was on 14th June 2019 that he was charged with the offences and later appeared in court, on 8th August, where he pleaded guilty.

Tim served with the Isle of Wight Ambulance Service from 1997 before becoming a flying paramedic with the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance for 4 years.

He then went on to work for South Central Ambulance Service. The paramedic also spent time in Queensland, Australia.

Tim was well known for his work with the Isle of Wight Ambulance Service as he was an avid fundraiser.

He also had connections with a local sailing training company and a local lifeboat station. He also worked at Solent Middle School, Cowes.

August 2019

Isle of Wight woman convicted of historic child sex offences and barred from working with children

A Lake woman has been placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register for five years and barred from working with children.

Georgina Woodburn, 42, of Denness Road, was sentenced for historic sex offences against a boy aged under 14 at the Isle of Wight Crown Court on August 13.

She was convicted of five counts of indecency with a boy aged under 14 between March 1988 and March 1994.

Three of the counts were for gross indecency and two of indecent assault.

The offences date back to when she was between the ages of 11 and 17.

She was given a community order concurrent on all offences for 12 months.

July 2019

Chale sex offender jailed again after sending photos of himself to young girl

A sex offender convicted of sexual activity with a child was given additional prison time after breaching the terms of an order by posting pictures of himself online.

Jordan Larcombe, 23, of Chale Green, was caught out when police officers found an Instagram account he had started, including communications with a young female, and references to a Snapchat account, Rose Burns, prosecuting, told the IW Crown Court.

A court order prohibits Larcombe from having an internet enabled device without notifying police, which he did not do.

Ms Burns told the court that Larcombe had breached his sexual harm prevention order on a previous occasion and had been sent back to prison.

He then breached the order again, having acquired a mobile phone and posted on social media.

He was released in April and went to live with his mother. It wasn’t until May 29 that police found the account.

Larcombe admitted the breach and said that he had felt lonely in prison and his friends had ditched him.

Ms Burns said: “He is a persistent breacher of this order. It presents a serious risk.

“He is messaging young girls with the intention of meeting up with them.”

For Larcombe, Oscar Vincent said his client had been living an isolated existence since his release from prison, with no prospect of employment and no social interaction.

Mr Vincent said that Larcombe’s communications from the phone were mostly one-way, with only one person responding, who was a 20-year-old ex-girlfriend of his.

Mr Vincent said the breach did not represent sophisticated activity and was very easily detected, with no attempt made to hide his identity.

“Mr Larcombe is 23 years of age, but does have have a low IQ. He has learning difficulties and if he were school age, he would be classed as special needs,” Mr Vincent said.

Sentencing, Judge Timothy Mousley said: “This was a deliberate breach and constituted a very high risk of causing harm.

“This is not the first time you have breached the order and you have a history of failing to comply with other court orders.”

Larcombe was sentenced to 16 months in prison.