Irishman arrested in New York in connection with 373 child sex abuse offences
AN IRISHMAN HAS been arrested at a residence in Guilderland, New York this week in connection with 373 offences related to allegations of child sex abuse.
The man is understood to be “an international fugitive” wanted by the An Garda Síochána for 373 violations related to the sexual abuse of children.
The arrests were made by special agents from the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), who have been coordinating with the Gardaí since the beginning of the investigation.
An Garda Síochána said that it doesn’t discuss ongoing investigations.
Man, 26, accused of sexually assaulting woman, 18,
on Toronto Transit
Kevin Connor, Toronto SunA 26-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting a young woman on the TTC earlier this week.
The man exited the train at Eglinton station and the victim notified police.
An investigation has since identified Edreese Mohabaty-Doost as a suspect in the incident.
The Toronto Star
Police obtained video footage from the TTC to identify the suspect.
Edreese Mohabaty-Doost, 26, of Richmond Hill, is charged with sexual assault and committing an indecent act.
Mohabaty-Doost has a prior record with police, Const. Allyson Douglas-Cook said in a phone interview. They contacted him and he turned himself in.
His Facebook page says he was a student of physical health at U of Toronto. Maybe he should have studied mental health.
Oxford grooming gang jailed for life
The three plied lonely, friendless 14-year-old girl with drink and drugs
before raping her when she was comatose
By JOEL ADAMS FOR MAILONLINEA gang of three man who groomed and raped a vulnerable schoolgirl in a horrific campaign of child sex abuse have been jailed for life.
Mohammed Karrar, Bassam Karrar and Anjum Dogar befriended the 'lonely, friendless' 14-year-old girl and began grooming their victim by taking her to parties and giving her alcohol and drugs before making demands for sexual acts.
Is there any chance these three sickos are of Pakistani and Muslim origin? Gosh, what a surprise that would be!
The victim was so vulnerable - and so deceived that the men were her friends - she felt unable to refuse their demands. She did not recognise their treatment as abusive, as a result of their insidious and long-running grooming campaign.
Anjum Dogar, 36, from Oxford, was sentenced to life with a minimum of 20 years for one count of indecent assault and three counts of conspiracy to rape
Police said their predatory behaviour in Oxford came to an horrific head when the men put the victim in a state of being comatose, using a cocktail of drugs and drink at a party.
She woke up with terrible injuries and realised that she had been viciously attacked and raped by the gang, a police spokesman said. To her horror, she later discovered that she had become pregnant as a result of the attack and had an abortion.
The gang carried out their abuse between 2002 and 2005. At the time their vulnerable victim was aged between 14 and 16.
But in 2015 she disclosed her ordeal to a social worker and was then contacted by Thames Valley Police, who made a number of arrests following warrants in Oxford in 2016.
A jury took just five hours and three minutes to find them all guilty by a unanimous verdict, following their trial at Oxford Crown Court which ended in December.
Bassam Karrar, 39, from Oxford, was sentenced to life with a minimum of 10 years, for one count of indecent assault and one count of rape
At the court today Judge Peter Ross handed down life sentences against each of them for the horrific campaign and sexual abuse.
Mohammed Karrar, 44, from Oxford, was sentenced to life imprisonment - to serve a minimum of 18 years - for three counts of indecent assault, one count of rape and one count of conspiracy to rape.
Bassam Karrar, 39, from Oxford, was sentenced to life with a minimum of 10 years, for one count of indecent assault and one count of rape.
Dogar, 36, from Oxford, was sentenced to life with a minimum of 20 years for one count of indecent assault and three counts of conspiracy to rape.
Senior investigating officer Mark Glover, of the Thames Valley Police Major Crime Unit, said: 'These men's behaviour was predatory, callous and designed purely to sexually exploit a vulnerable teenage girl.
'She put her trust in them at a time when she felt lonely and friendless. These men pretended to be her friends when in fact they only wanted to subject her to sexual abuse.
Mohammed Karrar, 44, from Oxford, was sentenced to life imprisonment - to serve a minimum of 18 years - for three counts of indecent assault, one count of rape and one count of conspiracy to rape
'Their grooming of her was so elaborate that the victim did not realise that she had been groomed until many years later. It is thanks to her courage in talking to police officers and giving evidence during the trial, that these men have been sentenced for their crimes.
'I know the effect that their actions have had on the victim, and the effect they continue to have on her life and relationships. I hope that their sentencing will help her to continue to move on her with her life.
'Grooming and sexual abuse destroys lives. If you have been a victim of abuse, even if it did not happen recently, please come forward and report it. Thames Valley Police will always take your reports seriously, will offer you support and will carry out investigations wherever possible in order to ensure that offenders are brought to justice.'
An NSPCC spokesman said: 'These men subjected a vulnerable young girl to a campaign of vile abuse but her tremendous courage has helped unveil the extent of their abhorrent crimes and ensured they spend longer behind bars where they cannot harm other children.
'It's vital that she receives continued help and that all victims of sexual abuse know it is never their fault and that they will be supported when they speak out against the perpetrators.
'We must all be vigilant to the signs of grooming and act on our concerns by contacting the police or the NSPCC Helpline for advice.'
New Zealand trial under way for man accused of
sexually abusing a girl for 8 years
Joanne Carroll, Stuff
A man is facing a jury trial for sex offences over eight years from when a girl was aged 12.
The 35-year-old man was arrested on three charges of doing an indecent act on a person under 16. He is also facing four charges of sexual violation by unlawful sexual connection, one of assault with intent to commit sexual violation and one of attempted sexual violation.
The man's name and all identifying particulars have been suppressed by Judge Stephen O'Driscoll until the end of the trial at the Greymouth District Court.
It is alleged the offending happened on the West Coast between March 7, 2005, and March, 6, 2013.
The indecent act charges are alleged to have happened when the girl was aged between 12 and 15, and the man was 21. Two of the charges are representative, meaning the indecent assaults are alleged to have happened numerous times.
The sexual violation by unlawful sexual connection, assault with intent and attempted sexual violation are alleged to have happened when she was aged between 17 and 19.
Crown prosecutor Mitchell McClenaghan told the jury in his opening address the man began grooming and sexually touching the girl when she was 12.
The sexual offending escalated after the girl turned 18, when the man tried to have sex with her on two occasions. On the last occasion she pushed the man and punched him in the face before he stopped. She laid a complaint with the police three years later.
Defence counsel Marcus Zintl said the man, who was married at the time, had a consensual intimate relationship with the woman after she turned 17. The woman was not honest, credible or reliable, he said. She had exaggerated or made up the allegations because she was motivated by revenge, jealousy and resentment, Zintl said.
The trial before a jury of six men and six women will continue until Thursday.
West Coast, NZ
N.Z. man jailed for three years for
sexual abuse of two young girls
New Plymouth, NZ
Deena Coster, Stuff"I wanted it to stop but I didn't know how."
This was how one of Stephen Allan Jordan's two victims felt during his sexual abuse of her, something she endured as a young child.
Her mother read out the girl's victim impact statement in the New Plymouth District Court on Tuesday, at Jordan's sentencing hearing.
Jordan previously pleaded guilty to six charges, one of unlawful sexual connection, two of indecent assault and three charges of doing an indecent act
The offending, which took place in New Plymouth and Stratford, impacted on the lives of two young girls, both under 12, during two distinct time periods.
The first victim was abused between February 1999 to June 2005 and the second between December 2016 and June 2018.
During her mother's address to the court, Jordan's most recent victim said she felt "sad and very uncomfortable" about what happened to her.
The girl said she felt she was angrier now and did things she could not always explain. An example she gave the court was after she had a dream about the abuse, she ripped up a toy unicorn which was on her bed.
The girl's mother also told the court how she felt when she found out about what Jordan had done. "This broke my heart and tore everything to pieces."
Prosecutor Cherie Clarke described the offending as "predatory sexual conduct" and that it was premeditated to a degree.
A final jail term of between four years, three months and five years was sought by Clarke.
Defence lawyer Susan Hughes QC said Jordan had admitted his guilt at an early opportunity and was remorseful for what he had done.
She said he often cried when they spoke about the offending and he was willing to apologise to the victims. "He is at a loss to explain why he has offended in this way." She said Jordan had no recollection of the offending but accepted the victims were truthful in their accounts.
After taking into account Jordan's guilty pleas, remorse and previous good character, Hughes QC said a final term of imprisonment of two years and five months was appropriate.
Judge Gregory Hikaka said the indecent assaults involved Jordan placing the girls' hand on his genitals, touching their genitals and pulling down one of the child's underwear.
The most serious charge of unlawful sexual connection, which carries a maximum jail term of 20 years, involved Jordan telling one of the victims to kiss his genitals.
The judge said the aggravating factors in the case included the vulnerability of the victims, the extent of harm caused to them and the breach of trust involved which also reflected the age difference between Jordan and the girls he targeted.
Jordan is now 58 and both girls were under the age of 12 when they were abused.
"They have been significantly impacted by your offending," the judge said.
In calculating the defendant's final sentence, Hikaka gave Jordan a full 25 per cent discount for his guilty pleas, along with a further 10 per cent for his remorse and the steps taken to address the offending, which included voluntary counselling.
Jordan was jailed for three years and his name will be added to the child sex offenders register.
The court heard how a strike warning was previously issued against Jordan and that a restorative justice meeting was likely to happen between him and one of his victims while in prison.
Indian ‘fortune teller’ charged with child sexual assault after allegedly offering teen girl free reading in Sydney
AAPThe West Australian
An Indian man claiming to be a fortune teller has been accused of sexually assaulting a young girl after offering her a free reading in Sydney’s south west.
The 31-year-old was arrested at Sydney International Airport on Monday night after he was caught trying to board a plane to Singapore.
It’s alleged he approached a 14-year-old girl and offered her free fortune telling services before sexually assaulting her inside a business in Liverpool on Sunday.
Police spoke to the man and searched the premises on Sunday, before charging him with two counts of intentionally sexually touching a child under 16 and three counts of aggravated sexual assault on a victim under 16.
The alleged offender — an Indian national — was refused bail to appear at Central Local Court on Tuesday.
British IRA agent, Stakeknife - Freddie Scappaticci,
faces child sex abuse lawsuit
Connla Young, The Irish NewsA BELFAST woman is suing British agent Freddie Scappaticci for allegedly sexually assaulting her when she was a child.
Freddie Scappaticci pictured at an IRA funeral in 1987
Court papers seen by The Irish News reveal that the IRA member is accused of assaulting the woman between 1976 and 1978. She is claiming for personal injury, loss and damages.
The woman is believed to have been a teenager at the time. It is understood the allegations were reported to police.
A PSNI spokesman said: “We do not comment on named individuals and no inference should be drawn from this.”
Details of the court action come just weeks after Scappaticci, who is believed to be the agent Stakeknife, was convicted of possessing extreme pornographic material in a London court.
The woman is also claiming damages from the PSNI chief constable and the secretary of state for the Home Department, which has responsibility for the Home Office.
Although Stakeknife is believed to have been handled by the British army, police and MI5 may also have had knowledge of his role.
The claim against the chief constable is for personal injury, loss and damages by negligence and misfeasance in public office in causing or permitting the abuse. The woman is also claiming on the grounds that police failed to investigate the abuse.
It is claimed that Scappaticci was a key member of the IRA’s internal security unit and was involved in interrogating dozens of suspected informers, some of whom were later killed.
Before Christmas, Scappaticci pleaded guilty to possessing disturbing images. Westminster Magistrates Court heard that the charges related to at least 329 images, many involving animals.
Officers from Operation Kenova – set up to investigate Stakeknife – discovered images after seizing a laptop which was on a living room coffee table when they searched Scappaticci’s home last January.
Prosecution papers obtained by The Irish News revealed that Scappaticci had a history of depression and had tried to take his own life.
He later claimed he viewed extreme pornography because he was feeling depressed and suicidal.
And that was supposed to make him feel better? Good grief!
The woman’s solicitor, Kevin Winters of KRW Law, said: “As this case touches upon matters of huge sensitivity it wouldn’t be appropriate to go into any detail or comment other than to confirm the High Court action forms part of a wider series of themed litigation against the state and other parties.”
Police chief resigns after two female officers make accusations of inappropriate behaviour against him
Martin Evans, crime correspondent Robert Mendick, chief reporter
The Telegraph
The chief constable in charge of the disastrous Edward Heath sex abuse inquiry has resigned in disgrace less than a year into his new job amid allegations of inappropriate behaviour towards two female officers.
His resignation on Friday came 24 hours after complaints of serious misconduct had been referred to the watchdog the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).
Sources have told the Telegraph that allegations were made by two female officers and passed to Barry Coppinger, Cleveland’s Police and Crime Commissioner, before Christmas. Mr Coppinger in turn referred the claims to the IOPC.
Sources have said Mr Veale is accused of inappropriate behaviour towards the two women.
The resignation marks the end of Mr Veale’s policing career which has been dogged by controversy since overseeing Wiltshire Police’s £1.5 million inquiry into child sexual abuse claims against Edward Heath. The two-year investigation found no evidence against Heath while his chief accuser turned out to be a serial paedophile and fantasist currently serving a lengthy jail term.
Mr Veale’s contract with Wiltshire Police was not renewed and he stepped down from that role to take up the job at Cleveland on a £155,000 salary.
In September, a separate IOPC investigation found he had lied over how his mobile phone had been smashed while he was still in charge at Wiltshire. The IOPC found he misled colleagues, but cleared him of causing damage “deliberately or with the motive to conceal any information”.
In announcing Mr Veale’s resignation yesterday, Cleveland’s Police and Crime Commissioner Barry Coppinger said in a statement: “My office has been made aware of allegations about the behaviour of Chief Constable Mike Veale. On Friday 18th January Mr Veale resigned with immediate effect.
“Due to the serious nature of the allegations, the matter has been referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct.”
In a subsequent press conference, Mr Coppinger refused to reveal the nature of the complaints but said the concerns about Mr Veale’s behaviour were deemed serious enough to be referred to the IOPC. The complaints were made during his time at Cleveland.
Asked whether Mr Veale may have been dismissed had he not resigned, he declined to comment.
Mr Veale's predecessor Iain Spittal retired in December 2017 after two years in charge. He had replaced Jacqui Cheer, who was chief constable for five years, having stepped in when her predecessor Sean Price was sacked for misconduct in 2012.
Mr Coppinger also rejected calls for his own resignation - despite his force having five Chief Constables in just over six years.
Ben Houchen, Tees Valley Mayor, posted on Twitter: “If ever there was a demonstration of how inept and useless PCC Barry Coppinger is, this is it. Our frontline officers and the public deserve better. Barry should resign immediately. What a shower.”
Simon Clarke, Conservative MP for Middlesborough South and East Cleveland, said: “This is now the second chief constable to resign in my 18 months as a local MP. These allegations are extremely concerning. I think we now need a root-and-branch review of the future of policing in Cleveland, with all options on the table.”
Andy McDonald, Labour MP for Middlesborough, said: “I don’t know the details of these allegations. Clearly they are of sufficient severity to warrant his resignation.”
An IOPC spokesman said: “We are assessing the information we have received to decide what further action is required. ”
Cleveland announced that Humberside’s chief constable Lee Freeman announced will take temporary charge of the force.
Probe into the broken mobile phone
An investigation into Mike Veale's actions was launched in November 2017 after an anonymous letter was sent to the police watchdog, alleging he had deliberately damaged his phone to hide evidence of leaks to the media about the investigation, codenamed, Operation Conifer.
Mr Veale described the suggestion as "nonsensical" insisting he would not have damaged his own phone deliberately as he needed it.
He told IOPC investigators: "The damage was caused to my phone as a result of me taking out my frustration with my poor play on my bag."
He explained that he had lied to colleagues about the incident because he was ashamed of losing his temper.
Mr Veale said: "I was not proud of my behaviour on the golf course, particularly as a Chief Constable and leader of the organisation, hence the reason I decided to provide a different explanation for the damage.”
The IOPC concluded there was no evidence that he had deliberately damaged his own phone to hide evidence and pointed to the fact that he had subsequently asked his IT department to retrieve all the data from the device.
Responding to the IOPC's findings, Mr Veale apologised for lying to colleagues, but insisted he had been out of a sense of embarrassment rather than anything more sinister.
He explained: "During the course of this investigation I have had the opportunity to reflect on my actions. The account I gave to some colleagues should not have been given.
"My reasons were clear to me then and are now. I wanted to avoid unnecessary, sensationalist coverage in the media. I regret that I gave any account at all as to why the damage was caused as there was no reason to do so as this was simple an accident.
"This was a mistake and I could have handled it differently...I want to take this opportunity to apologise for not handling this matter differently."
Mike Veale and the Sir Edward Heath investigation
Mike Veale came in for criticism after spending two years and £1.5 million investigating historic claims against Sir Edward, despite the fact he had been dead for more than a decade.
A report, published in October 2017 concluded that Sir Edward would have been questioned over allegations that he raped and indecently assaulted boys as young as 10 were he alive today.
But the late former Prime Minister's supporters dismissed the report as a "whitewash" that would leave a stain hanging over his reputation and legacy.
The Telegraph later discovered that the main complainant against Sir Edward was a serial paedophile who is currently in jail for child sex offences and whose own family have dismissed his allegations as "fantasy and lies".
Responding last year to the fallout of the Ted Heath investigation, Mr Veale blamed the media for his actions for placing him under "intense pressure", despite admitting lying.
He also suggested he had been the target of a vexatious campaign to destroy his reputation for spearheading the two year investigation into allegations of historic abuse against the late former Tory leader.
Sir Edward Heath
He said at the time: "It is important to emphasise that during the time I led the Force through Operation Conifer, a highly politicised and nationally significant and sensitive investigation, I was regularly warned by close confidantes and members of the public I would be subject at some stage to vexatious and false allegations to tarnish my reputation. Sadly this has been the case."
Lincoln Seligman, Sir Edward's godson, said: "I have every sympathy with Mr Veale’s golf bag rage but I have no sympathy with his suggestion of a widespread conspiracy to blacken his reputation.
“Under his leadership Wiltshire police publicly invited and then implicitly endorsed the most serious of allegations against a former Prime Minister without adducing any credible evidence in corroboration. This, without any help from outside, will not have done his reputation much good.”
Mr Veale was appointed Chief Constable of Cleveland Police in January this year (last year, I think) before he was aware of the IOPC investigation.
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