Tag: sexual abuse solicitors

A 23 year old man has been handed a ten and a half year jail sentence after he was found guilty of causing or inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity and possession of indecent images of children.

Groomed

Jamie Baker, of New Addington, Surrey, began messaging his victim, a ten year old girl, in May 2014. He groomed the young child over WhatsApp – a free messaging app – ordering her to pose for sexually explicit photographs and videos.

An early text message sent to the child read:

‘You’re 10? How come your boobs are so big?’

When she refused to send further messages, Baker threatened to show the girl’s mother the messages she had sent.
Another message retrieved by police read:

‘[My friend] said she would tell your mum – she’s got all the pictures and she’s going to tell your mum because you ignored her.’

Images of Other Girls

Police officers found dozens of images of 13 other children (all girls of a similar age), when they raided Baker’s home on 26 September 2014.

Police discovered a message on his phone from a man, known only as Frank, telling him to ‘delete the kid porn photos’. When questioned about this, Baker claimed that this was a ‘joke’, telling officers that the images were already on his phone when he bought it second hand.

Sentencing at the Old Bailey

Baker denied all charges, however he was sentenced to nine years for causing or inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity. The paedophile was sentenced to a further 18-month sentence for four counts of possession of indecent images of children, to run consecutive to the nine-year sentence.

Baker was also served with a Sexual Harm Prevention Order, prohibiting him from contacting anybody under the age of 16 via the internet, along with an order to sign the sex offenders’ register for life.

Sentencing Baker at the Old Bailey, Judge Daniel Worsley said:

‘Some may say that the keys should be thrown away.’

‘It’s quite clear that you engaged in a persistent course of conduct over the summer months of 2014 which essentially involved blackmailing that little girl and persuading her, for fear of you reporting things to her mother, to take pictures of herself taken in sexual poses.’

The judge added that this case was ‘particularly worrying’ as Baker had downloaded so many images of other girls. Judge Worsley went on to say:

‘You had spread your tentacles to include others so that images no doubt taken by people such as you who encourage girls to touch themselves were downloaded.’

‘These are young girls with their lives ahead of them: their sexual lives, their married lives – all likely to be tainted by your activities.’

Sexual abuse claims – expert advice

Hampson Hughes Solicitors specialises in directing sexual abuse claims in a considerate and compassionate manner. Our Abuse & Criminal Injuries Department is headed by Greg Neill – Greg is a member of the Association of Child Abuse Lawyers (ACAL). More detailed information regarding sexual abuse claims can be found here.

For an open and friendly conversation about your situation, and to find out how we can assist you relevant to your individual experience, call 0800 888 6 888 or email .

You will be given the direct-dial of your case handler, meaning that you will always be able to reach the person you need.

Source: Mail Online

A London barrister has recently been cleared of sexual assault, after a Judge decided he could not be sure the events unfolded in the way the alleged victim described, due to her alcohol consumption on the night in question.

Alleged Incident – Sexual Assault

Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court in North London heard how 36 year old Alex Di Francesco met and struck up a conversation with the 24 year old woman in Daly’s Wine Bar, Central London. When the bar closed, he took her back to his chambers.

Dilichi Onuzo, prosecuting, said:

‘They chatted for an hour until closing time. He told her he was a barrister, she did not believe him so went on Google to check. They had a conversation about whether he had a wig and gown.’

Di Francesco then allegedly tried to force himself on the 24 year old woman, telling her to ‘grow up’ and demanding to know why she wouldn’t sleep with him when she tried to push him away.

Miss Onuzo added:

‘She went to his chambers at 25 Bedford Row and he took her to his office to show her his wig and gown. She tried on the wig and gown and he took her upstairs to an office, where there was a large conference table.

‘He tried to kiss her, she moved away. She felt sleepy and lay down on the floor. He laid down and pulled down her tights and panties and reached for her. She pushed him away, pulled up her tights and pants and he then grabbed her bum really, really hard.

‘Mr Di Francesco asked her “Aren’t we going to have sex?” and she found him aggressive and confrontational.

‘She started crying and said she was having an anxiety attack, which he seemed to find funny and started laughing. She threw up and he was standing behind her.’

The young woman then called an Uber taxi and left. She did not report the incident to police until the following week, the woman told the court:

‘I blamed myself for the fact I hadn’t looked after myself and I had got drunk.

‘It wasn’t until I got more comfortable and I told my mum and my housemates and they said “no, what he did is wrong and alcohol didn’t have anything to do with it”.

‘It’s taken a very long time to even consider being close to someone again.’

Arrest & Defence

Di Francesco was then arrested and questioned by police. In court, the barrister said that the woman had refused to have sex but that she invited him back to her home multiple times to ‘spoon’.

Di Francesco insisted that the young women became angry when he refused to go home with her, telling the court:

‘I said “I can’t, I live in Harpenden”. She said “you won’t go home because I won’t have sex with you” – she said it in a way that got under my skin. I said “that’s not true, but to be perfectly frank, if that’s not what we’re going to do what’s the point?” It might not have been the most sensitive thing to say.

‘I’m in chambers lying on the floor, she wasn’t aggressive – she was just accusatory, and it wasn’t nice anymore and I thought “I’ve got to leave”.’

He added that she did not pull away from his kisses, saying:

‘There was no sharp end to the kiss, there was nothing that had made me think that I had overstepped the mark or I had done something that I shouldn’t have.’

Not Guilty

Di Francesco denied sexual assault, insisting all the touching was consensual and that the woman had kissed him back. He claimed the woman had asked her to lie on the floor with him and ‘be the big spoon’.

The 36 year old was last week cleared of one count of sexual assault, after Deputy District Judge Mr Nicholas Wattan ruled that the complainant’s version of events could not be taken at face value due to the amount of alcohol she had consumed that night. The woman said she had shared champagne and wine with a friend, and consumed up to three double vodkas that night.

Judge Wattan, adding that Di Francesco’s ‘credible’ account ‘stood up well to cross examination’, told the court:

‘I’m concerned her recall of what happened is impaired by the amount of alcohol she had that evening. I can’t be sure the events unfolded in the way she described.’

Sexual abuse claims – expert advice

Hampson Hughes Solicitors specialises in directing sexual abuse claims in a considerate and compassionate manner. Our Abuse & Criminal Injuries Department is headed by Greg Neill – Greg is a member of the Association of Child Abuse Lawyers (ACAL).

For an open and friendly conversation about your situation, and to find out how we can assist you relevant to your individual experience, call 0800 888 6 888 or email .

You will be given the direct-dial of your case handler, meaning that you will always be able to reach the person you need.

Source: Mail Online

According to figures released by the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC), the internet was used as a platform to commit around 3000 sex crimes against children in the UK in 2015/16.

“Cyber-flagging”

At the start of April 2015, the Home Office made the recording of any sexual crime against a child that involves the use of the internet a mandatory requirement within UK police forces. This process is known as ‘cyber flagging’, and is used by police to get a better understanding of the extent of online offences against children under 18.

Figures released in a report by the NSPCC revealed that over the last year, an average of 8 cyber based sex crimes were reported to police each day, with some forces recording hundreds of crimes. However, other forces received fewer than 10 reports over the year period and other forces admitted to not knowing about, or utilising, the cyber flagging method.

3000 child sex offences reported

Of the 44 police forces across England and Wales, 38 responded to the freedom of information request for figures on how many internet-based sexual crimes had been committed against children in 2015/2016.

Offences included inciting children to take part in a sex act, sexual assaults and grooming victims before meeting them. Over 100 rapes of children were also reported.

Offenders used the internet as a gateway to commit sex crimes against victims as young as one year old. In total, 535 reported cyber abuse cases were committed against thirteen year olds and 272 victims were under the age of ten.

Increased online activity

With children spending an increasing amount of time online and on social media, charities such as the NSPCC are urging police forces across the country to ensure that their officers are recording and investigating sex crimes against children effectively.

Peter Wanless, NSPCC Chief Executive said:

“These figures confirm our fears that the online world is playing a significant role in the sexual abuse of children in the UK.

“It’s clear that a large volume of sexual assaults and rapes of children have involved the use of the internet – for example by grooming victims before abusing them offline, or live-streaming the abuse.

“We know grooming is on the rise because children are increasingly telling our ChildLine service how they are being targeted online. Predatory adults posing as children try to meet them or blackmail them into meeting up or performing sexual acts on webcams, which obviously terrifies them and can leave some feeling suicidal.

“By revealing this first year of data we hope to highlight how police are under increasing pressure to cope with online offences so we have to ensure they have the resources and training to make them fit for tackling crime in the 21st century.

“And government must make mental health support available to every child who has endured abuse – as we are calling for through our It’s Time campaign.”

Sexual Abuse Claims – Expert Advice

Hampson Hughes Solicitors specialises in directing sexual abuse claims in a considerate and compassionate manner. Our Abuse & Criminal Injuries Department is headed by Greg Neill – Greg is a member of the Association of Child Abuse Lawyers (ACAL).

For an open and friendly conversation about your situation, and to find out how we can assist you relevant to your individual experience, call 0800 888 6 888 or email

You will be given the direct-dial of your case handler, meaning that you will always be able to reach the person you need.

Source: NSPCC; The Guardian

A report by the HM Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) has criticised Devon and Cornwall Police for not responding quick enough to information regarding children at risk of sexual exploitation.

Children at risk of serious harm

The independent inspectors have expressed their concern that the delays in investigating cases by the force could be putting children at risk of serious harm. Highlighting a case in which a 12-year old boy who had been groomed for sexual exploitation by an adult family friend, HMIC said more needs to be done to tackle the causes of such delays.

The report said:

“There was no evidence of any consideration being given to the wider risks posed by the suspect to other children. Despite police records showing the suspect had previously held a number of roles supervising children (including as a Scout leader, which he was asked to leave because he had taken children on trips without permission), no further investigation was undertaken to assess wider risks or to identify further potential victims.”

In another case, a 14 year old boy had been reported missing around 40 times, as well attempting to commit suicide.

In this case the risk of child sexual exploitation (CSE) had been considered and information had been shared with local authority. However, there were no long term measures in place to safeguard the child going forward.

Another cause for concern in the report was the case of a thirteen year old girl. The teenager complained to police of sexual assault at the hands of a woman she was in a relationship with. However it took the police force over a week to investigate and a total of two months passed before an arrest was made.

The report added:

“Despite concerns about the victim’s vulnerability to CSE being recorded on police systems several months before this …there was still no evidence of a safeguarding or protective plan being implemented for the victim despite clear signs of her obvious vulnerability.”

Post-inspection review of report

HMIC’s initial report regarding Devon and Cornwall police was published in 2015 and a post-inspection review was carried out in April of this year. The review noted that frontline staff within the force had been subject to additional vulnerability training. Furthermore, the review noted that some improvements had been made in relation to how the force recognised and responded to CSE.

Wendy Williams, of HMIC, said:

“Following our second inspection, it was clear that Devon and Cornwall police is committed to improving how it protects children. We found examples of good practice in how it recognises and responds to child sexual exploitation, and its risk assessment of vulnerable children.

“However, the force still faces challenges which it must overcome to ensure children are protected in all areas. We found delays to child protection investigations, as well as delays in responding to cases where children were at risk of sexual exploitation. These delays can result in children being at risk of significant harm, and need to be addressed promptly.”

Sexual Abuse Claims – Expert Advice

Hampson Hughes Solicitors specialises in directing sexual abuse claims in a considerate and compassionate manner. Our Abuse & Criminal Injuries Department is headed by Greg Neill – Greg is a member of the Association of Child Abuse Lawyers (ACAL).

For an open and friendly conversation about your situation, and to find out how we can assist you relevant to your individual experience, call 0800 888 6 888 or email

You will be given the direct-dial of your case handler, meaning that you will always be able to reach the person you need.

Source: The Guardian

A British paedophile that has been on the run for two years was recently arrested in Cambodia.

Sexual Abuse

Damien Midgley, a horse riding instructor from Leeds, fled Britain after he was sentenced to six years in prison for sexually abusing a number of children during his lessons.

The 39 year old was charged with 11 offences of abusing four children under the age of 13. Upon his initial arrest, Midgley denied the offences, telling police officers in the UK that he had not touched the children sexually.

After fleeing the country while on bail, Midgley reportedly travelled to Thailand and then went on to Cambodia.

2014 Trial

The horse riding instructor had already left Britain when his trial started in 2014, instead he sent his lawyers to present his defence in court. As a plea of not guilty was entered on his behalf, his young victims had to endure telling the court exactly what he had done to them.

Midgley was convicted of all 11 charges brought against him. His offences included one count of inciting a child under thirteen to commit a sexual act and ten counts of sexually assaulting a girl under the age of thirteen.

Along with sentencing Midgley to six years imprisonment, the judge ordered him to sign the sex offender register for life.

British Authorities to be Alerted

Officers in Siem Reap, the Cambodian tourist town where Medgley was apprehended, announced that the paedophile had been arrested in a local bar. According to Cambodia’s Deputy Commissioner Colonel Kim San, British authorities will now be alerted of Medgley’s arrest and the deportation process will commence.

Sexual Abuse Claims – Expert Advice

Hampson Hughes Solicitors specialises in directing sexual abuse claims in a considerate and compassionate manner. Our Abuse & Criminal Injuries Department is headed by Greg Neill – Greg is a member of the Association of Child Abuse Lawyers (ACAL).

For an open and friendly conversation about your situation, and to find out how we can assist you relevant to your individual experience, call 0800 888 6 888 or email

You will be given the direct-dial of your case handler, meaning that you will always be able to reach the person you need.

Source: Mail Online

Domminich Shaw, a convicted British paedophile, has recently been sentenced to 85 years in a US prison for exchanging hundreds of indecent images with other online users.

Previous Arrest

The 35 year old was previously arrested in the UK in 2008 for the sexual assault of four young girls. However, almost immediately after his release three years later, he began to traffic pornographic material, including images and videos of babies and toddlers being sexually abused.

Using the wireless internet connections of his neighbours in west London, Shaw was able to create and share the explicit material with other paedophiles. He was on probation at the time and prosecutors have expressed their concern over the level of supervision of British sex offenders.

‘Among the worst offenders’

Requesting a 570 year sentence, prosecutors labelled Shaw “among the worst offenders involved in child pornography trafficking ever encountered by United States law enforcement”, adding that “no such person should be walking the streets”.

Shaw, who was extradited to the US in 2014, pleaded guilty to 26 charges and was sentenced last month (June 2016) by a federal judge in Indiana. His charges included conspiracies to receive, distribute and advertise child abuse images.

Officers were led to Shaw in 2010 after finding emails in the inbox of another paedophile, an American named David Bostic. The paedophile, who prosecutors have called a “key trading partner”, would distribute the indecent images produced by Shaw. Bostic, of Indiana, has since been sentenced to 315 years in prison.

2011 Police Raid

In January 2011, Shaw’s London home was raided. Officers from the Metropolitan Police found around 18,000 ‘carefully stored’ photographs of dead, mutilated and abused infants on DVDs, memory sticks and a laptop belonging to Shaw.

Under his online username Nepi, an abbreviation of the word nepiophelia – sexual attraction towards babies and toddlers, Shaw would contact other paedophiles. On one occasion, after striking up an online relationship with a paedophile posing as a woman, he spoke of his “plan to kidnap, rape and murder a child once he got off supervision”.

Shaw even created a website, ‘Nepi’s Kingdom’, where paedophiles had access to download hundreds of abuse images.

Around 3000 emails containing or relating to child abuse imagery were found in Shaw’s email account. One particular email was sent to more than 60 people and it contained around 13 links to material containing child abuse, including a video of a baby girl being raped.

Prosecutors described Shaw’s collection as containing “such horrific content that even seasoned forensic examiners in the United Kingdom and the United States found it difficult to describe and categorize without frequent breaks”.

Sexual Abuse Claims – Expert Advice

Hampson Hughes Solicitors specialises in directing sexual abuse claims in a considerate and compassionate manner. Our Abuse & Criminal Injuries Department is headed by Greg Neill – Greg is a member of the Association of Child Abuse Lawyers (ACAL).

For an open and friendly conversation about your situation, and to find out how we can assist you relevant to your individual experience, call 0800 888 6 888 or email

You will be given the direct-dial of your case handler, meaning that you will always be able to reach the person you need.

Source: The Guardian