August 2021

Snapchat paedophile who ‘groomed’ schoolgirl, 14, to send intimate images is sentenced

A man who “groomed” a schoolgirl on Snapchat has appeared in court for sentencing.

Wesley Twizell communicated with the 14-year-old for a number of months as she sent him intimate images of herself in underwear.

The 20-year-old was previously produced at Teesside Magistrates’ Court and pleaded guilty to a string of charges.

Prosecutor Ian Martin outlined how the Stockton man’s actions only came to light when the girl’s mother “became aware” of the situation.

The Middlesbrough court heard how the defendant was aware of the schoolgirl’s age and exchanged images on social media.

The girl send Twizell “indecent images of herself to him” on Snapchat and she told police officers she had sent Twizell images in her underwear.

Twizell also told her he “wanted to do sexual stuff with her”.

Twizell admitted inciting a girl to engage in sexual activity, namely the sending of intimate images, between August 1, last year, and January 18.

He also pleaded guilty to making indecent photographs, including having four category C images of a child.

Both crimes were committed in Stockton during the same dates.

Twizell also admitted to possessing extreme pornographic images portraying an act of intercourse with an animal between March 31 and September 28, last year.

He had six “explicit” images which portrayed a person performing an act of intercourse with a live animal, namely a dog and a chicken.

Twizell, of Bedford Street, Stockton, appeared at the Magistrates’ Court on Thursday for sentencing following a pre-sentence report.

He was handed a community order with 55 rehabilitation activity requirement days.

Twizell is also subject to notification requirements for five years and a sexual harm prevention order was made for 12 months.

July 2021

Snapchat paedophile ‘groomed’ schoolgirl, 14, to send intimate images of herself in underwear

A paedophile “groomed” a schoolgirl on social media before she sent him intimate images of herself in underwear.

Wesley Twizell communicated with the 14-year-old on Snapchat for a number of months last year.

However, his actions only came to light when the girl’s mother “became aware” of the situation.

The 20-year-old appeared at Teesside Magistrates’ Court on Friday to face three charges.

The Stockton man pleaded guilty to inciting a girl to engage in sexual activity, making indecent photographs and possessing extreme pornographic images of animals.

Prosecutor Ian Martin told how the “young lady” was speaking to Twizell on social media for a “number of months” until her mother “became aware”.

He said the defendant was fully aware of the schoolgirl’s age and exchanged images on Snapchat.

The girl send Twizell “indecent images of herself to him” on the social media platform.

The Middlesbrough court heard how the girl told police officers she had sent Twizell images in her underwear.

Twizell also told her he “wanted to do sexual stuff with her”.

Mr Martin added there as “grooming to some degree” and “contact for a degree of time”.

Twizell admitted inciting a girl to engage in sexual activity, namely the sending of intimate images, between August 1, last year, and January 18.

He also pleaded guilty to making indecent photographs, including having four category C images of a child.

Both crimes were committed in Stockton during the same dates.

Twizell also admitted to possessing extreme pornographic images portraying an act of intercourse with an animal between March 31 and September 28, last year.

He had six “explicit” images which portrayed a person performing an act of intercourse with a live animal, namely a dog and a chicken.

Twizell, of Bedford Street, Stockton, will appear at Teesside Magistrates’ Court for sending on July 27 and was granted conditional bail.

He will also be subject to notification requirements following his guilty pleas.

Kyle Stephenson, aged 29, now of no fixed address, was sentenced to 18 years’ imprisonment at York Crown Court on Friday 16 July 2021

He was due to stand trial this week but decided to plead guilty to the offences against the boy and the girl.

Stephenson also admitted committing bestiality after police recovered conclusive video evidence.

The Judge took this offence into consideration when passing sentence, which also subjected him to a life-time Sexual Harm Prevention Order and placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register indefinitely.

He also has to serve an additional year on licence.

Stephenson was arrested on 31 January 2021 following a complaint made by the boy and he has remained in custody since being charged.

Police enquiries confirmed that all the offence took place between then and January 2020.

July 2021

‘Predatory and manipulative’ paedophile caged for 13-month campaign of rape and abuse

A “predatory and manipulative” paedophile is behind bars for his 13-month campaign of abuse against a very young child

Ricky Andrew Clench denied a string of child sex offences, including raping a child under 13.

The 41-year-old stood trial at Teesside Crown Court as the jury found him guilty of all three of the charges.

Clench’s reign of abuse started in August 2017 when he lived in the Northallerton area and continued until September 2018, when the victim bravely came forward and reported his offences to the police.

Clench denied the offences and maintained his innocence throughout the investigation and court hearings.

The Harrogate man was later found guilty of raping a child under 13, assaulting a child under 13 and of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.

He was remanded into custody and appeared at the Middlesbrough court for sentencing on Wednesday

Judge Paul Watson QC jailed Clench for 15-years for the series of child sexual offences.

He was also issued with an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order and was placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register for life.

July 2021

Hollyoaks abuse storyline helped snare sick snooker champion who groomed boys on trips

One of the victims of a disgraced snooker and billiards champion only realised he had been groomed after watching a Hollyoaks storyline.

John Hartley used his position to groom young boys leading to ” sexualised behaviour “.

Hartley, from Eston, Middlesbrough, targeted teenagers he met through coaching and slept naked in bed with them during hotel stays across the country.

The paedophile on one occasion carried out a sex act on a gym shower room floor after showing his victim pornography on an iPad

The European billiards champion manipulated young boys with “alcohol and poppers” at his flat and “freely exposed himself” to his victims. He was ranked fifth in the world and European champion during his 20 years career.

Hartley hid cameras in his home, with one disguised as an air freshener, to take images of the males.

One of his victims explained how he was “in awe of Hartley” due to his prestigious titles in snooker and billiards but said “the penny dropped” after watching a Hollyoaks abuse storyline involving a football coach.

The 42-year-old admitted a string of child sex offences at Teesside Crown Court on Monday

Hartley, of Windsor Road, Eston, appeared in the dock, wearing a black suit and white shirt, to stand trial.

However, before the trial began Hartley pleaded guilty to seven child sex offences which happened several years ago.

Three male victims cannot be named for legal reasons.

Hartley was previously a director of the English Association of Snooker and Billiards and competed for England in the World Billiards Championship in India in 2003.

Prosecutor Shaun Dodds told how Hartley used his position as a snooker and billiards coach to groom youngsters.

The first victim was around 14 when they first met and he received snooker coaching for a number of years.

Hartley would take boys around the country for tournaments, often staying in hotels.

The Middlesbrough court heard how he used those opportunities to groom his victims.

Mr Dodds told how there were around 20 to 30 occasions over a two year period when Hartley carried out the “sexualised behaviour”.

He shared a bed in hotel rooms and his Saltburn home with the boys, “sleeping naked” and “freely exposing himself”.

The prosecutor said Hartley would also give the children “alcohol and poppers” at his flat.

The first victim told of one occasion where he, along with two other boys, slept at Hartley’s flat prior to an Alton Towers trip where he slept naked in bed with them.

He also recalled the incident in the shower area of a gym after the pair had played tennis together in Redcar.

Mr Dodds also told of a separate incident in Hartley’s flat in Saltburn where he shared a bed with the boy.

Again, Hartley showed the child pornography and was carrying out a sex act which the victim said was “not unusual” and he would “usually turn away”.

However, the pervert told him “to do it as well and he enjoyed it before”.

The victim said he was “embarrassed” but the “incident didn’t last very long”.

In relation to the voyeurism charge, the incident related to Hartley’s Hartlepool home where he had taken a naked picture of the same victim in the shower room.

The court heard how the victim was not aware of Hartley recording him.

The concealed camera disguised as an “air freshener” also covertly captured another male – described as “late teens or early twenties” – “urinating into the toilet”.

It was later revealed he visited Hartley’s home to watch a football match on two occasions and “unaware he was being recorded”.

Cleveland Police officers arrested Hartley at his Hartlepool address and seized a Sony camcorder.

Teesside Crown Court heard details of a video on the device showing Hartley naked and a boy in his bed.

In interview, the defendant confirmed he had two concealed cameras but said it was due to him spending “lengthy periods of time” away from home and “in case anyone broke in”.

He added “the cleaner must have moved it into the bathroom.”

Hartley accepted that he had watched pornography with the child but said it wasn’t for “sexual gratification” but because he “thought it was funny”.

He later accepted that is was “inappropriate”.

Hartley also admitted having “poppers in the flat” and allowing “young lads to have them”.

In court, Hartley admitted:

• causing a child to watch a sexual act – “to look at an image of a person engaging in a sexual act” – for sexual gratification;

• causing or inciting a child, a second underage boy, to engage in sexual activity;

• engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child for sexual gratification;

• voyeurism, each recording a person doing a private act, for sexual gratification without their consent

The judge jailed Hartley for four and a half years as well as making him subject to notification requirements and a sexual harm prevention order for life.