July 2021

Man who sexually abused boy from the age of four in the 1980s is locked up

A child abuser who repeatedly sexually assaulted a little boy in the 1980s has been sentenced.

Ricky Towson was convicted by a jury of 11 counts of abuse, which began when the child was aged between four and 12.

Leicester Crown Court was told the victim suffered long lasting “mental torture” because of the assaults.

Towson was himself aged 12 when he began molesting the boy and only stopped when the boy and his family moved out of the area.

Towson, now aged 51, of Oxford Street, in Leicester city centre, denied the historic charges, but was found guilty of nine offences of indecently assaulting a child under 13 and two of indecency with a child under 13.

Victoria Rose, prosecuting, told the court the victim had written a personal impact statement in which he said Towson had caused him to feel worthless, “like a nobody” and with “crippling self-doubt.”

She said the victim described, during the trial, of having been abused on an almost weekly basis.

Delays in bringing the case to court were “a living nightmare” for him, but when the defendant was found guilty the complainant felt “a sense of relief,” the court was told.

Miss Rose said the victim now, with support from his family and partner, felt more positive and wanted to start his life afresh.

Sentencing, Judge Ebrahim Mooncey said of the victim: “He says he turned to drink and that he was an emotional wreck at times.

“He thinks he may have enjoyed a different life had it not been for you.

“I have to deal with you for multiple offences over many years.

Towson was jailed for seven years, of which he was told he will serve at least two thirds.

He will also have to enlist on a sex offender register indefinitely.

June 2021

‘Dangerous’ pervert abused children and shared images online

A paedophile who abused two little girls and a boy distributed images of his illegal activity online.

Joshua Savage’s catalogue of offending came to light after he shared two images – of himself abusing a young victim – in an online chatroom used by people who have a sexual interest in children.

The site was being monitored by the police, who traced the 29-year-old via his internet IP address, leading to his arrest in June 2019, Leicester Crown Court was told.

Savage’s phone was seized and was found to contain a number of indecent images of children, along with the two images he distributed online, said Anwar Nashashibi, prosecuting.

While he was awaiting sentencing, officers discovered Savage had committed other child sex crimes, including offences against two previously unknown victims, who were under 10 years old, and downloading indecent images.

The defendant, formerly of Knossington, near Oakham, appeared in court via video link from the secure hospital where he is receiving mental health treatment.

Sentencing him, Judge Keith Raynor branded Savage “a dangerous offender” who presented “a significant risk to minors of serious harm”.

Savage was given a little-known and rarely used hybrid hospital order, with an eight-year custodial sentence.

The term will initially be served in psychiatric care, and if the offender’s condition improves he will be moved to prison to serve the remainder of his sentence, rather than be released into the community from hospital.

Judge Raynor said he accepted the view of three psychiatrists that Savage’s mental ill health, relating to a “diagnosis of childhood autism”, was linked to the commission of the offences, and that he was suitable for treatment.

However, he departed from the experts’ recommendation for a standalone hospital order, saying: “There’s a need for punishment in this case.”

The judge said Savage could expect to serve two thirds of the sentence before the authorities would begin to consider if he was suitable for release on licence with conditions.

The defendant was placed on an indefinite sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) and will have to enlist on a sex offender register for life.

As part of the hearing, personal impact statements were read out, with the victims’ parents describing the distress, suffering and sleepless nights caused by Savage’s offending, with the youngsters’ “childhood innocence” being stolen.

One mother said she felt “angry, disgusted and empty”.

The offences

Savage admitted the first set of offences that took place between June 1 and 24, 2019. They were:

• Two counts of causing or inciting a girl under 13 to engage in sexual activity – no penetration

• Two counts of taking an indecent photograph of a child in category B

• Two counts of distributing an indecent photograph of a child

• Three counts of downloading indecent photographs of children relating to seven images in category A, five images in category B and seven images in category C

He also admitted further offences committed between January 2017 and June 2019. They were:

• Five counts of sexual assault of a child under 13

• Two counts of causing or inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity

• Two counts of taking indecent photographs of children relating to 186 images in category A and one image in category B

• Two counts of downloading indecent photographs of children relating to 134 images in category B and 286 images in category C

• Three counts of distributing indecent photographs of children relating to one image in category A, two images in category B and five images in category C

• One count of taking an indecent photograph of a child relating to five images in category B

June 2021

‘Opportunist’ paedophile who sexually abused a five-year-old girl

A paedophile who sexually abused a five-year-old girl has been jailed.

Nicholas McLeavey, known as Leon, was convicted by a Leicester Crown Court jury of three counts of inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity.

The 51-year-old, formerly of Netherhall, Leicester, had denied the offences which forced the young victim to give evidence.

Prosecutor Siward James-Moore said the offences, involving indecent touching, happened when the victim was aged between five and six, when the defendant – who has previous convictions for sex offences – would have been in his late 40’s.

The girl described in a video recorded statement the defendant’s last assault on her, saying: “He was pushing me and grabbing me.”

She said she stopped him by kicking him and moving away.

Sentencing, Judge Keith Raynor said he had read a statement from the victim’s mother describing the “stress and pressure” her daughter felt about not being believed and how the child’s life had been affected.

Some planning was involved in the acts of abuse because the defendant had to make sure “the coast was clear” when they took place, the judge added

The court heard that McLeavey’s previous sex offending, in the late 1990’s, included indecent exposure, indecent assault and inciting a 10-year-old girl to commit gross indecency.

Judge Raynor said: “I accept your earlier convictions – which are relevant – were a long time ago.

“But for one of those offences you were given a 12 month prison sentence and before that you had a probation order that was allowed to continue.”

McLeavey has now been jailed for eight years.

He was placed on a sexual harm prevention order and a restraining order banning any contact with the prosecution witnesses, for 10 years in both cases.

He was also told that his details would be held a sex offender register for life.

May 2021

Evil Carlos Racitalal back in court for brutal attack on prison guard

A prisoner serving life for a series of unprovoked and random attacks on the streets of Leicester has been back in court for attacking an officer at Strangeways prison.

Carlos Racitalal, 34, was convicted of attempting to murder two children and two adults in the Belgrave area of Leicester.

During those attacks, he slashed the throat of a ten-year-old boy, stabbed an elderly man and a mum with a buggy repeatedly in their heads and ran down a five year old girl with his car.

He has now admitted the brutal attack of a female prison officer, who a court heard he targeted because she was the ‘smallest and most defenceless’ victim he could find, the Manchester Evening News reports.

Racitalal had been for a shower and was cleaning his cell, before he walked out onto a landing at the prison on June 22 last year.

He then moved towards the prison officer, who had not previously had any problems with him, and she believed he was going to ask her a question.

But he then suddenly began punching her ‘with great force’ on her face and head, prosecutor Betsy Hindle told Manchester Crown Court.

The officer fell to her knees, Racitalal kicked her to her ribs and her colleagues rushed in to restrain him.

His victim suffered bruises and swelling as well as minor hearing loss, which may remain with her for the rest of her life. The court heard her ordeal has affected her confidence.

The officer said: “In the past I would go out of my way to help prisoners, but now I only tend to do what is required of me.”

Racitalal admitted he had ‘anger issues’ when he was interviewed about the incident and said he attacked the officer because she was ‘the smallest and most defenceless’.

Recorder Sarah Johnston said: “It was an explosion of gross and wholly unnecessary violence.

“You have a very long time to make amends for your offending, and demonstrate this behaviour is not to be repeated.”

Racitalal, who said said to be ’embarrassed and ashamed’ for his actions, pleaded guilty to assaulting an emergency worker.

He was jailed for 21 years and 259 days in November for the attacks in Leicester, which were committed in January last year.

During the trial, the jury heard how Racitalal he deliberately drove his car at five-year-old girl in the car park at Asda, in Exploration Drive, off Abbey Lane, Leicester on Thursday January 2.

On Tuesday, January 14, he stabbed a mother in the head as she was walking along Doncaster Road with her six-year-old son, pushing her three-year-old child in a buggy.

Two days later, he attacked a man in his 70’s in Dean Road, targeting the man’s head with a series of blows.

On Saturday January 18, a mother was parking her car while her 10-year-old son was on the pavement, at just after 5pm.

Racitalal approached, put one hand on the boys shoulder and slashed his neck

In mitigation for the prison attack, Shaun Esprit said the attack at the prison would present ‘another hurdle’ for Racitalal, in eventually trying to persuade the Parole Board he is safe to be released.

He will now be in his mid 50s before his case is even considered.