April 2021

Paedophile from Chatham avoids jail despite admitting attack on boy, 5

A paedophile who sexually abused a five-year-old has avoided a prison sentence

Paul Goodey attacked the boy, biting him in the process, and incited him to perform a sex act. He then told his victim not to tell anyone.

The incident in 2018 came to light when the victim revealed to his mother what the 32-year-old had done.

Goodey, of Coppice Road, Chatham, has now received a three-year community order after admitting two sex offences.

Prosecutor Peter Forbes told Maidstone Crown Court: “This defendant sexually assaulted a five-year-old boy leaving his victim with a mark from a bite. This happened when the child was visiting a friend in Gillingham.”

On the way home the victim told his mother what had happened and that Goodey had instructed him not to reveal the sordid act.

The child said Goodey should go to jail for what he did and doctors later discovered a mark on the child which corroborated his account.

Mr Forbes said there had been an “unacceptable” delay in the Crown Prosecution Service bringing the case to trial.

It had been reported to police in January 2018 but charges weren’t authorised until March 2020

Now the judge, Recorder Sarah Elliott QC, has said Goodey could have faced a jail term of up to nine years but, partially because of delays in bringing the case to court, he would keep his freedom.

She said Goodey has learning difficulties and she had to decide whether “you should go to prison or receive highly specialised” treatment, involving 50 days rehabilitation, mental health treatment and supervision.

Goodey was also made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and a five-year restraining order.

April 2021

Sex offender from Northfleet facing jail after abusing child in Tilbury, Essex

A man who sexually abused a child is facing jail after a landmark case where new measures were used to help convict him and better support his young victim.

Jason Beadle, 34, of Northfleet sexually abused a child in Tilbury between 2017 and 2018.

He was arrested in October 2018 after the offences came to light and was charged in September 2019 with four counts of sexual assault of a child and two counts of assault by penetration.

His case was the first where Essex Police used new regulations which allow the evidence of vulnerable victims or witnesses to be pre-recorded at an early stage, before a trial.

This means their recollection of what happened is fresher and they don’t then have to go through the ordeal of giving evidence at an actual trial.

Beadle, of Dover Road, had denied the charges, but was found guilty after a trial at Basildon Crown Court on Monday April 12.

He is due to be sentenced at the same court on Wednesday, May 12.

April 2021

Serial rapist jailed for 24 years after being found guilty of 11 counts of rape against two victims

A serial rapist found guilty of multiple rapes on two young victims has been jailed for 24 years.

Stephen Dowle, from Folkestone, was sentenced at Canterbury Crown Court this week for 11 counts of rape against two females over the course of a decade.

Both victims suffered nightmares and panic attacks as the 42-year-old, of Trinity Crescent, continued to lie about his “campaign of rape”.

Judge Simon James told Dowle he showed “no remorse or insight” following the attacks on his victims, a woman now in her 20s and a girl who had been aged seven at the time.

Judge Simon James, after hearing the severe psychological impact he had caused, told Dowle his victims were “to be commended” for reporting their ordeal.

Prosecuting, Madeleine Wolfe described Dowle as carrying out “a campaign of rape” and having “made (his eldest victim’s) childhood unthinkable”.

The woman told the court in a statement she still suffers nightmares, panic attacks and cannot shop alone, despite Dowle being in custody.

His youngest victim’s carer said the girl also suffered night-terrors and severe anxiety and struggled to trust adults.

“She will not talk about him and during her playing… concentrates on the bad people and wants them in jail,” they added.

“She has also drawn a wanted poster, and said ‘It’s okay, he is in prison and can’t get me now’.”

The judge described Dowle as “a sexual deviant” and said he would serve two third of his 24-year prison sentence before being considered for parole. A further four will be spent on licence.

Dowle was convicted of seven counts of raping underaged girls, assaulting a girl under 16 and four counts of raping a female over 16.

April 2021

Pervert from Folkestone Road, Dover jailed for downloading thousands of indecent images of children

A pervert who argued depression and anxiety led to him downloading thousands of indecent images of children has been jailed.

Graham Pitcairn had received a suspended prison sentence in 2008 for “similar offences”, Canterbury Crown Court heard.

But in 2019 the retail worker was found to be hoarding more than 3,000 still and 64 moving images ranging from the worst, category A, to category C.

Devices discovered in the 46-year-old’s home contained a number of videos showing children being abused.

The court heard Pitcairn, of Folkestone Road, Dover, told officers he was attracted to children and handed over a laptop and two memory sticks when they attended his home following a tip-off.

James Benson, prosecuting, explained Pitcairn used the dark web via proxy servers to access the material.

“He felt it had become an addiction and it had helped his depression,” he said.

Pitcairn kept his eyes on the floor, not once looking up as Mr Benson delivered the prosecution’s case.

The barrister highlighted aggravating features including some children being as young as four and the illicit material being downloaded and stored.

He also had a previous (criminal) record for similar offences and possessed a “high volume of images”, he added.

The pervert had 481 category A images, 1,044 category B and 1,837 category C when he was arrested in May 2019.

Judge Simon James ordered the devices be destroyed before jailing Pitcairn for 15 months.

“You were placed on an intense three-year sexual offenders’ programme (after your previous conviction). It seemed that it failed to address your underlying issues with thousands of indecent images being received from our computer,” he said.