July 2021

Convicted Washington rapist jailed after ‘misleading’ police about where he was living

A convicted rapist has been sent back to prison after failing to update police with his details because it was “easier” not to.

Darryn Seaman was given a five year sentence in 2007 for rape and was made to sign the sex offenders’ register for life.

The 52-year-old must follow strict conditions so he can be monitored by the authorities, including making them aware of where he is living and who he is staying with.

The court heard how Seaman, of Southcroft, Fatfield, Washington, has 10 previous convictions for 14 offences.

Since his rape conviction, he had failed to comply with notification requirements in 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 with the latest resulting in a 13-week custodial sentence.

Newcastle Crown Court heard Seaman had failed to notify police his address had changed following the breakdown in his relationship with his ex-partner in May last year.

He moved out of their home in Southcroft, Washington, but did occasionally stay at the address up until September.

Seaman lived in a number of premises over a 12-month period, including at Toll Bar House on Ryhope Road, Sunderland.

On a number of occasions he was living in a van, but Seaman claimed he did not know he had to tell police this.

Michael Bunch, prosecuting, said: “He failed to notify police of those changes of address and indeed in September of last year and April of this year provided the police with the same address of Southcroft [Washington] being his current home address.

“In May of this year he gave a further address of Penyghent Way [in Washington] as being his new permanent address.

“Effectively therefore from May 10 last year when he left Southcroft until May 13 this year when he registered his new address, police were ignorant to the fact he had moved and no longer residing at the address they held for him.

“In fact he actively misled them as to the location of which he was living.”

Seaman was arrested on June 16 and accepted he had been living at various addresses and failed to tell the police because it was “easier”.

He appeared at Newcastle Crown Court on Thursday after admitting to failing to comply with a notification requirement.

Recorder Carl Gumsley sentenced Seaman to 24 weeks in prison, of which he will serve half in custody.

He told him: “You still don’t seem to be getting the message and you’re going to head towards that five-year sentence in the future unless you actually do what you are told to do.

“You have to learn to obey court orders.”

Seaman was also ordered to pay a victim surcharge.

June 2021

Sunderland pervert’s collection of indecent images included a baby in ‘pain or distress’

A pervert whose collection of indecent images of children included a baby in “discernible pain or distress” has walked free from court.

Stephen Collier had entered search terms seeking out the child abuse material, which police found on his computer hard drives.

Newcastle Crown Court heard one of the images showed a one-year-old in pain or distress.

Officers went to his home on North Hylton Road, Sunderland, in April last year and seized his computer equipment.

In total, they found 33 of the most serious, category A, images, 52 category B and 40 category C.

The youngsters featured were aged between one and 15.

When he was interviewed, Collier claimed he had been downloading legal pornography when the indecent images started to download. He said he deleted them but they downloaded again.

He said he was using search terms including the phrases “pre teen” and “incest 10-year-old girl” in order to find where the images were coming from.

Collier, 56, who has no previous convictions, pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images of children.

He was sentenced to eight months suspended for two years with 80 hours unpaid work. He must also sign the sex offenders register and be subject to a sexual harm prevention order for ten years.

Judge Julie Clemitson told him: “The images include some images of extremely young children, as young as one and including one where a young child is distressed.

“You deliberately sought out such images. You were looking for not just images of children but those that had an incestuous element to them and had depictions of rape.

“Most were recovered from deleted files.

“You need to acknowledge viewing images of children perpetuates the harm of children all around the world who are raped and abused.”

June 2021

Judge’s disgust at reading pervert’s sick messages to teen

Text messages sent by pervert Gavin Charlton to a teenager left even a crown court judge shocked.

The 40-year-old, who has no previous convictions, pleaded guilty to engaging in sexual communication with a child.

And as he was in the dock at Newcastle Crown Court to be sentenced, Recorder Craig Hassall told him it was a “shocking experience” reading the messages he sent his young victim.

The judge said: “You are a man of good character, that makes it all the more shocking an experience to read the text messages you sent and seeing your invitation to her to engage in sexual activity.”

Christopher Rose, prosecuting, described how the victim was left shocked and distressed after Charlton sent her sexual texts.

“The text messages came out of the blue,” he said “She immediately told a school friend, who took it to a teacher.

“She was very distressed when speaking to the teacher. She remains very distressed by what has happened. The impact is immense.”

Mr Rose also read a statement from the victim, whose identity is protected by law, in which she describes the impact Charlton’s crime had upon her.

“I was completely shocked and disgusted. His actions have had a devastating effect,” she said. “This is something I have thought about every day. I find it harder to trust people. I get anxious when I’m talking to new people. I have become quite withdrawn.

“I spend a lot of time in my room and I feel as though I’m isolating myself.”

Charlton, of Garth 22 in Killingworth, was sentenced to 12 months in prison, suspended for 18 months.

Recorder Hassall told him “The way she describes the effect on her is absolutely heart-rending. She is still dealing with the devastation”

Charlton will also have to complete 150 hours of unpaid work as part of his sentence and must sign on the Sex Offenders’ Register for 10 years.

He was also given a restraining order to keep him away from the victim.