May 2021

‘I was never believed’ – Evil predator left his child victim so traumatised she tried to take her own life

The woman has revealed the harrowing affects the abuse by sick Mark Todd had on her when she was just a vulnerable child and how it continues to torment her every day.

But thanks to her bravery, justice has now finally been served after Todd was jailed for 15 years for 13 historic child sexual offences at Hull Crown Court – including gross indecency, sexual assault, attempted rape and rape.

For years, Todd’s victim believed nothing wrong had happened to her but it was only when she was older that she had the courage to go to the police.

The abuse has left the woman mentally scarred and she has even attempted several times to take her own life to end her mental suffering.

But she is now receiving help and wants other sexual abuse victims to find the strength to report what happened to them to the police, no matter how long ago it happened.

She said: “It happened when I was younger and it wasn’t until years later that I realised it wasn’t normal and that what was happening was wrong.

“At the time, it was really difficult for me to comprehend. I was really confused about everything that was happening. It became so hard for me that at one point I tried to take my own life.

“I didn’t tell anyone at first because I just didn’t think that anyone would believe what had happened to me. Eventually, during my teenage years, I did speak out about my trauma, but, as I feared, no one believed me.

“At that age, it was all too much and it was heart breaking, even soul destroying to know I wasn’t being believed.”

The affects from her trauma remain to this day.

She said: “I tried to switch off from it all, but it was always at the back of my mind.

“However, recently, it’s all come flooding back to me. Now I’m trying to actually deal with it rather than just suppress it. I’ve also been struggling with my mental health because of it in the past few years.

“I was diagnosed with Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder (EUPD) and have attempted to take my life a further three times in my adult life because of the abuse I suffered. Thankfully, I now have a support network in place to help me.”

With her abuser having been convicted, she now wants other victims to know they should never suffer in silence.

The day she found out Todd would appear in court for his sick crimes was an emotional time for her.

She said: “When I finally found out that a case was being brought against him, I bawled my eyes out. To have got to that point where he might be convicted, I couldn’t actually believe it had happened.

“I know it’ll never go away, but I’m hoping I can use therapy so that it doesn’t affect me as much as it has done previously.

“To anyone suffering, I implore you to come forward, no matter the circumstances. Be strong and speak out as soon as you can, if I’d have spoken earlier, I may have seen justice brought sooner.”

Mark Todd, 63, of Lincoln Crescent, Kirton in Lindsey, was convicted of a number of historic child sex offences and sentenced to 15 years imprisonment at Hull Crown Court on Friday, April 30.

May 2021

Prolific paedophile jailed after boasting about abusing young girls

A paedophile was brought to justice after boasting in online chats that he had sexually abused young girls, Lincoln Crown Court was told.

Callum Reynolds attracted the attention of police as a result of the comments he made to a sex offender which led to officers turning up at his home.

Reynolds was arrested and both his laptop and mobile phone were checked out by police.

The subsequent investigation revealed he had been sending and receiving indecent videos of children being abused.

He was also found to have secretly filmed a 16-year-old girl performing a sex act. The victim had no idea that Reynolds had filmed her and then saved it.

Callum Reynolds, 24, of Prince Alfred Avenue, Skegness, was jailed for a total of three years and three months. He was also placed on the sex offenders’ register for life and given an indefinite sexual harm prevention order.

He admitted three charges of distributing a total of 18 indecent images of children; six charges of making a total of 335 indecent images of children; production of indecent images of a child; attempted sexual communication with a child; attempting to cause a child to watch a sexual act; and possession of extreme pornography.

The offences began when Reynolds was 15 and continued until his arrest in February 2019.

Recorder Graham Huston, passing sentence, told him: “The damage you have caused is immeasurable.

“Your participation in the paedophile group was seen by you as making friends, but the fact is that you chose a predatory paedophile group and their common intent was the sexual abuse of children.”

Eunice Opare-Addo, prosecuting, said: “Police were informed about a chat between a sex offender and this defendant. This led to the defendant being arrested and questioned in relation to sexual assaults.

“That led to the girls being spoken to and they confirmed there were no offences that had been committed.

“During the investigation the defendants laptop and mobile phone were seized. These devices were examined and it was revealed that indecent images of children had been sent and videos were also sent and received.”

A total of 173 of the indecent images found on Reynolds’ laptop and mobile were videos.

May 2021

Evil paedophile left victims so traumatised they are too scared to close their eyes

A paedophile who first started offending when he was just 16 is back behind bars.

Benjamin Johnson, formerly known as Benjamin Norrie, from Scunthorpe was first convicted as a teen after he indecently assaulted a three-year-old girl.

Now 34, Johnson has become a prolific offender, appearing at Grimsby Crown Court on Monday to be sentenced for a catalogue of sickening crimes against two young girls.

The court heard that Johnson had kept his previous convictions and background secret from the mother, as he sexually assaulted two of her children and gave drugs to the other child.

Prosecuting, Gordan Stables, told the court Johnson started by tickling the girls – who were both under the age of 13 – before he sexually assaulted them.

Mr Stables said: “Mr Johnson has been registered as a sex offender 37 times.

“He started this offending on one of the victims by tickling, sucking their toes, kissing them, stroking their legs before he began to ask if he could touch her.

He also took to wearing a dressing gown with nothing underneath.

“He told one of them that if she was older he would be with her. He asked if he could touch her and she said no.”

One terrifying occasion saw Johnson sit with one of his victims where he tried to touch her.

He asked her if he could, and she said no but after he asked her a number of times, she gave in before being called away from him.

As she moved away from him and the room they were in, he followed and touched her over her clothing.

At the time, Johnson was wanted by Humberside Police for breaching his notification requirements. He was required to make the force aware of any changes in his life.

Mr Stables said: “He had taken off.

“In April last year, one of the girls asked the other if he had done anything to her. She said he had but told her not to tell anyone.”

The other victim told a family member and Lincolnshire Police were called.

Neither police force knew the other were looking for Johnson, who was eventually found after Humberside Police received a report that he had been spotted in a Ford Fiesta in Scunthorpe.

Mr Stables said he was interviewed by Humberside Police in relation to the breach on April 14 and then in relation to the allegations made against him by the girls on April 16.

He was charged and denied all eight counts that included: Inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, four counts of sexual assault on a child and supplying cannabis.

A trial started in March this year at Grimsby Crown Court but Johnson pleaded guilty to all of the charges on the second day.

Statements from both victims and two family members were read out to the court.

In them, both girls said they suffer from nightmares. One said she is too afraid to even shower alone for fear of closing her eyes, where she just sees Johnson’s face.

The second victim says she has self harmed and is undergoing therapy for what Johnson did to her.

Judge Ahmed Nadim jailed Johnson for six years, and added an extended licence period of two years, making a total sentence of eight years.

He told him: “Each of your victims were very young and have been damaged by your sexual abuse. They continue to have nightmares. They have not been supported by their mother and they feel angry and upset.

“There is evidence to suggest that you have a sexual interest in young and vulnerable children.”

Johnson was also made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order, restraining order and told me must be on the sex offenders register for life.

May 2021: Bailey has breached the terms of his sexual harm prevention order by going on Facebook, where he protested his innocence, named the victim, and showed a photo of her.

April 2021

Pervert groomed young girl for sexual purposes

An arrogant and remorseless paedophile has avoided a prison sentence after he groomed a 11-year-old girl for sexual purposes.

Unemployed Neil Bailey, 54 of Uphills, Gainsborough appeared at Lincoln Magistrates Court where he pleaed guilty to engaging in sexual activity with a child aged under 13

The court heard the 11-year-old victim was the same age as Baileys daughter and that they attended the same school. 

Bailey sent the girl highly sexualised messages including:

“Are you a virgin. Are you alone. I would love to have sex with you and would love to show you how to kiss properly. I would love to see your boobs secretly and kiss your full lips and touch your body”

The girl who was confused and scared told her teacher about the messages who in turn contacted the police who carried out a thorough investigation which discovered he had also contacted another young girl for sexual gratificition 

Bailey admitted the offences to police. 

The judge handed Bailey 20 weeks imprisonment – suspended for two years

He was told to complete up to 40 days rehabilitation activity requirement

A five year sexual harm prevention order was put in place and he was told to register as a sex offender for seven years

Bailey was also ordered to pay £300 court costs 

April 2021

Disgraced football coach Geoff Broome jailed for four years after jury finds him guilty of indecently assaulting young boys