How the net closed on Oxford's Pakistani grooming gang
Online sex trafficker gets 31 years for selling, abusing young, Filipino boys
By Michael Race
BBC News
Nearly a decade after the abuse of vulnerable girls in Oxford began to be addressed, following years of negligence by police and social services, the last of the so-called Operation Bullfinch trials has ended. How did the sex offenders at the centre of the city's depraved underworld finally come to face justice?
Oxford, 2011. For nearly a year detectives have been receiving reports of girls disappearing, some as young as 13, only to return days later, refusing to tell anyone where they had been.
Sometimes they would be bruised, bleeding and half-naked.
For the past few months a Thames Valley Police team has been investigating the cases, but making little headway.
But in the early hours of 14 November, the man leading the small group, Det Insp Simon Morton, made a connection that would spark the biggest criminal investigation in the city's history. The senior investigating officer said he had just finished debriefing a surveillance team when the "penny dropped".
As he sat in the police briefing room and stared at the names of suspects written on a whiteboard, Mr Morton suddenly realised he wasn't looking merely at a set of sexual predators, but a highly organised crime group.
"I started scribbling like mad," he said. "In honesty, I was annoyed I hadn't seen it before - it was so bloody obvious."
Many of the girls were targeted by gang members on Oxford's Cowley Road
From that moment, detectives and social workers began to identify a web of offenders and expose a criminal enterprise that involved the grooming, trafficking and rape of vulnerable girls.
The affluent university city was soon to learn of the world of sadistic sex abuse that had been flourishing in its eastern suburbs.
Over the past decade and through six trials, 18 victims have recounted their experiences, leading to the convictions of 21 men for offences spanning the late 1990s to the late 2000s.
Over seven years, dozens of jurors have heard how girls were "sucked into the vortex" of the gang.
For legal reasons, the links between the trials could not be reported until the recent conclusion of the final court case.
The men, mostly British citizens of Pakistani origin, operated in the Cowley Road area, where student digs sit alongside family homes, and ethnic food shops and pawnbrokers neighbour hip bars and vibrant restaurants.
The group was organised. There were those tasked with grooming, there were runners and enforcers. There were "friendly" estate agents who allowed access to properties where the gang's victims would be "pimped out" as sexual commodities for their abusers' financial gain.
The younger gang members would linger outside shops and parks chatting to the girls as they passed.
Many from dysfunctional homes, these children would be treated like grown-ups, supplied with drugs and alcohol and, as one judge said, provided with a "sense of belonging, a sense of esteem".
Such was the gang's hold over its victims, when one of the girls was left naked and abandoned after a gang rape, it was one of her abusers she phoned for help, not her social worker or the police.
Some of the girls contracted sexually transmitted infections and became pregnant - or both - with one 12-year-old girl, who was branded with the initial of a man who claimed to "own her", being made to have a back-room abortion.
Anjum Dogar and Mohammed Karrar were sentenced again in 2018, five years after receiving life terms
One 15-year-old victim, raped by gang ringleader Anjum Dogar and the case's most prolific offender Mohammed Karrar in 2004, told the BBC she had an abortion and did not know who the baby's father was.
Mr Morton said the men's victims went from "one minute believing in Father Christmas and the Easter bunny and the next they are being sold" for sex.
Unemployed Karrar would spend his days with his wife at his parents' house in Cowley and his nights with his girlfriend - when he was not carrying out horrific acts of child abuse.
In 2005, he had two children by the two women, born less than two weeks apart.
Dogar and his brother Akhtar, who "ruled the Cowley Road", were the ringleaders of the grooming gang and, according to the victims, the other gang members were scared of them.
Dogar and his brother Akhtar, who "ruled the Cowley Road", were the ringleaders of the grooming gang and, according to the victims, the other gang members were scared of them.
As many as 373 children, including 50 boys, might have been targeted in Oxfordshire over a 16-year period
There is more to this story on BBC.
CEBU CITY, Philippines– A 34-year-old man from Cebu City was sentenced to at least 31 years in prison after pleading guilty to the attempted trafficking of two boys, aged 9 and 14 and for acts of lasciviousness.
Joey Michael Donozo entered a plea bargaining agreement and confessed to the crime of attempted trafficking which is a violation of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act (Republic Act 9208 as amended by Republic Act 10364) and 16 counts of acts of lasciviousness in violation of the Revised Penal Code, said a press release from the International Justice Mission (IJM).
Under plea bargaining agreements, the accused enters a not guilty plea to the original charge filed against him but to other similar offenses, usually before a court trial starts. This protects child victims from the possibility of having to testify against the perpetrators who are often family members or neighbors, reducing possible trauma on the child victim.
Police investigation showed that Donozo sexually abused the two boys to produce Child Sexual Abuse Materials (CSAM) which he later on distributed to foreign sex offenders. He also sold minors to foreigners traveling to Cebu.
On March 10, 2020, Cebu City Regional Trial Court Branch 22 Judge Dax Gonzaga Xenox sentenced Donozo to serve 15 years in prison for the crime of attempted trafficking and another 16 years for a separate complaint for acts of lasciviousness that was also filed against him.
Judge Xenox also ordered him to pay P600,000 to each of his victims.
“Children are safer in Cebu because of the Court’s conviction of Joey Donozo. The young boys whom he trafficked and sexually abused to create child sexual abuse materials are safe from his predatory acts. In fact, restraining Donozo has protected all other vulnerable children whom he would have abused for years to come were it not for his arrest and conviction. IJM has seen over and over again that when violent offenders are held accountable, the abuse of children dramatically decreases as impunity is replaced with accountability,” said IJM Cebu Field Office Director John Tanagho.
“To those who are perpetrating this crime against our children, you will be caught eventually. You will soon be put behind bars and be held accountable for your crime,” said Senior Assistant City Prosecutor Noel Cellona.
Donozo was arrested on February 16, 2019, after he offered two underage boys – aged 9 and 14 at the time – for commercial sexual exploitation. He also previously transmitted online sexually explicit images involving one of the boys in exchange for money from foreigners.
Members of the Women and Children Protection Center – Visayas Field Unit (WCPC-VFU) of the Philippine National Police (PNP) conducted the operation in Cebu City and rescued the boys.
The operation stemmed from a case referral from the Australian Federal Police to the PNP which said that Donozo was engaged in the sex trafficking of minors by selling young Filipino boys to foreigners for sexually explicit acts. Donozo also produced Child Sexual Abuse Materials (CSAM) by filming minors in sexually explicit acts.
The WCPC-VFU operation was supported by the Central Visayas offices of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD-7), the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT-7), the Cebu City Police Office’s Special Weapons and Tactics and Women and Children Protection Desk, and the IJM.
Edmonton police looking for suspect who allegedly abducted and sexually assaulted 8-y/o girl
BY ALLISON BENCH GLOBAL NEWS
Edmonton police are looking for help in identifying a suspect they allege abducted and sexually assaulted an eight-year-old girl in the McQueen neighbourhood on Tuesday.
“Our hearts do go out to the child and her family at this time, and we’re working really hard to do what we can to solve this crime for her,” Det. Amanda Ross said at a news conference Wednesday evening.
The assault happened in west Edmonton in the area of 144 Street and 110 Avenue at around 5:30 p.m. Police said the girl was walking home at the time.
According to police, the girl was approached by a man in his 20s to mid-30s with brown hair and facial hair who was driving a white four-door mid-sized car or SUV. He was wearing faded light brown pants at the time.
The man allegedly pulled the girl into the vehicle, sexually assaulted her and then dropped her off nearby, police said.
The girl reported the incident to her parents, who were looking for her at the time. EMS took the victim to hospital, where she was treated and released.
“The child was doing some after-school activities,” Ross said. “She was somewhere where her parents knew where she was and she was expected to be home. So her parents had gone out and were looking for her at the time.”
Ross said the child has been offered mental health support. She noted that detectives do not believe the suspect and the child knew each other.
Anyone with information on the incident or driver, or who saw anything suspicious between 3:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. on March 10, should contact the Edmonton Police Service at 780-432-4567 or dial #377 from a cellphone. Tips can also be submitted anonymously to Crime Stoppers online.
Ross said she hopes parents speak to their children about being safe in their communities and that Edmontonians will come forward with information so police can “bring the person that did this to justice.”
“Any time a serious incident like this occurs, it can have a lasting impact on the community,” Ross said.
It will have a lot longer impact on the girl. I'm grateful she is getting psychological help; she could use our prayers also.
14 y/o Girl, Kidnapped, Converted to Islam,
and Married - Is There Justice in Pakistan?
Voice of the MartyrsThe concerned parents of Huma Younus, a teenage, Catholic girl (last story on link) who was forced into marrying a Muslim man, have expressed anger after yet another delay of legal proceedings in their attempts to annul the marriage. Huma, 14, was abducted from her home on October 10th and taken 600 kilometres away where she "converted" to Islam and married her kidnapper (https://www.vomcanada.com/pk-2020-02-20.htm). While forcible marriage is not illegal in Pakistan, the Child Marriage Restraint Act does require permission from the guardian(s) if the person is under 18 years of age.
Although a hearing was scheduled for March 4th, Huma was not present in the court to personally testify (remember she was kidnapped). The parents presented her baptismal certificate and a testimony from the school to prove her age, but it was ignored. The judge decided to give the police more time to determine her age. The girl's mother, Nagina, informed the court that the police investigator, Akhtar Hussain, knows where their daughter is located but supports the abductors. The court has ordered Hussain to present Huma to the court on March 29th so that a medical examination of her age can be conducted.
Please intercede for Huma's safety in the weeks leading up to the next hearing. Pray that the courts will rule justly, working to protect the abducted young teen from further exploitation. As the members of Huma's family anxiously await her hopeful release and return home, may the Lord's peace rest on them during this time of uncertainty and frustration.
Police charge man over sexual assault of young, NSW girl
A man has been charged following an investigation into the alleged sexual assault of a young girl in the state’s Central West.
Last month, detectives from the Child Abuse and Sex Crimes Squad commenced an investigation following reports a young girl had been sexually assaulted by a man who was known to her.
Following extensive investigations, detectives arrested a 30-year-old man at a home in Condobolin about 1.30pm last Wednesday (11 March 2020).
He was taken to Condobolin Police Station and charged with sexual intercourse with child under age of 10 years (DV).
The man was refused bail to appear at Parkes Local Court on Thursday 12 March 2020, where he was formally refused bail to re-appear at the same court today (Monday 16 March 2020).
The Child Abuse and Sex Crimes Squad is comprised of detectives who are specially trained to investigate matters against children and adults, including sexual assault, serious physical abuse, and extreme cases of neglect.
Anyone with concerns about suspected child abuse or exploitation should call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or use the Crime Stoppers online reporting page: https://nsw.crimestoppers.com.au.
Information you provide will be treated in the strictest of confidence. People should not report crime information via our Facebook and Twitter pages.
Met Police sack Supt Robyn Williams after decorated female officer convicted over child abuse video
..
Williams denied seeing footage that was sent by her sister to
'raise awareness'
Lizzie Dearden Home Affairs Correspondent The Independent
Novlett Robyn Williams has been found guilty of possessing an indecent photo of a child but cleared of corruption ( PA )
A decorated police officer has been sacked by the Metropolitan Police after being convicted of possessing a child sex abuse video.
Superintendent Novlett Robyn Williams denied seeing the footage after it was sent over WhatsApp by her sister, who claimed to be raising awareness.
But the 54-year-old was convicted of possessing the footage at trial and sentenced to carry out 200 hours of community service in November.
On Friday, she was dismissed from the Met without notice following a disciplinary hearing that found Williams’ conviction amounted to gross misconduct.
Assistant Commissioner Helen Ball said: “Being convicted of possession of an indecent image of a child and being sentenced for this is likely to discredit the police service and seriously undermine public confidence in it. Any criminal conviction is serious and likely to have an adverse impact on public confidence in policing.”
Williams continues to deny any wrongdoing and is appealing against her conviction and sentence. She is now considering whether to appeal the decision to dismiss her. The disgraced officer is “disappointed and devastated” by the decision, according to the Police Superintendents Association, which supported her through the trial and the disciplinary process.
Victor Marshall OBE, its professional standards coordinator, said: “The hearing heard overwhelming and unprecedented support for Supt Williams from communities and people, both inside and outside policing about her dedication to public service in the 36 years she has served.
“We will continue to do so throughout the legal appeal being made against her conviction and sentence, and consideration of appeal against this decision.”
A judge described the case as “completely tragic” following a distinguished career where the Williams had taken on leading roles in the Met and been decorated by the Queen. The officer, who uses her middle name Robyn at work, described herself as “wedded to” her job and had won praise for her work with Grenfell victims.
Williams joined the Met in 2008 and had been part of the team that managed the response to the Grenfell Tower fire. She earnt a Queen’s Police Medal for distinguished service in 2003 and a Royal Warrant the year before.
Williams inspects new recruits during their passing out parade in 2015 (Getty)
She was appointed as the borough commander for Sutton in September 2017 but was moved from the post and placed on restricted duties after the indecent image investigation was launched.
The Old Bailey heard Williams was among 17 people sent the video by her sister Jennifer Hodge, who had received it from her partner, Dido Massivi. The court was told none of the defendants had a sexual interest in the footage, which showed a young girl performing a sex act on a man.
Prosecutor Richard Wright QC said he was not accusing the defendants of having any “sinister purpose” in having or sharing the video. “Each of them made serious errors of judgement about how to handle this video and, in dealing with it as they did, each of them has committed serious criminal offences,” he added.
Williams, of south London, denied seeing the video after it was sent to her via WhatsApp in February 2018. But prosecutors said there was no way she could have missed the 54-second clip, where a child’s body could be seen in a tile image, and had discussed it with her sister.
Williams said she was at a gym class on the morning she received the video, with a follow-up message from Hodge pleading for it to be shared. “Sorry had to send this it’s so sad that this person would put this out please post this and let’s hope he gets life,” Hodge wrote.
Williams’ sister Jennifer Hodge and her partner, Dido Massivi, were also sentenced (Metropolitan Police)
The court heard Williams then attempted to contact her sister and they spoke, but the officer did not report the video. Police were alerted by a different recipient and began an investigation.
Giving evidence from the witness box, Williams said she did not read all her messages and would have reported the video if she knew what it was.
There was no suggestion she had played the video, but the judge said her claim that she did not discuss it with her sister until she was arrested was “fanciful”.
Williams was cleared of the improper exercise of police powers by failing to report the video, but convicted by majority of possession. No further action was taken against the other 16 people who received the footage, and police said they had either deleted or reported it.
Hodge, a 56-year-old social worker, was given 100 hours of community service for distributing an indecent image of a child.
Massivi, 61, was handed an 18-month suspended prison sentence and 200 hours unpaid work for distributing the video, and possessing an extreme pornographic image.
All three were placed on the sex offenders’ register – Hodge and Williams for five years, and Massivi for 10.
This is craziness! One 54 second video does not a paedophile make. There was no logical reason for not believing Supt Williams. None of the people to whom Hodge distributed the video had (apparently) a history of child porn. This is a horrible injustice that needs to be corrected. This is not protecting the image of the Met Police.
28 evil criminals jailed across UK last month -
including Rugby child rapist who fled country
Now they're all behind bars...
Hundreds of men and women are locked up across the UK every day - but there are those whose crimes stand out for their true depravity.
Below are the truly shocking cases of some very sick individuals who all faced justice last month.
They include a rapist who attacked a teenage girl in Warwickshire and then fled the UK for three years before finally being brought back to serve his sentence.
One of Stoke-on-Trent's youngest ever murderers, who raped a junior football coach before stabbing her to death, was also imprisoned in February.
In London, a sadistic burglar was jailed for the rape and murder of a vulnerable pensioner, while a twisted doctor was convicted of sexually assaulting more than 20 of his patients.
In North Wales, a man was found guilty of murdering a man with a crossbow - and his family still don't know why the evil attack was carried out.
Here's a round-up of some of the biggest court cases to conclude last month:
Please go to Coventry Live to read the rest of this story.
Sick Scots paedo admits having over 100,000 images
of child sex abuse
Now this is a paedophile, not someone with 1 brief video that was sent to her. These are the people we need protection from, not Robyn Williams.
It is so disgusting what you did to her!
A Scots paedophile who had over a hundred thousand images of child sexual exploitation has been placed on the sex offenders register.
Mark Allen Steven admitted possession of over 100,900 images which depicted children aged between eight and 14 years old when he appeared before Glasgow Sheriff Court .
The images were recovered after police searched the 43-year-old's house in Glasgow on May 8 last year.
A laptop, tablet, memory sticks and a USB were taken and forensically examined following the search which was carried out by Police Scotland's Operation NOCAP. The majority of images were category C and were inaccessible to police.
His lawyer Richard McKay told the court: "He is very well aware of what options are open to the court eventually here." The matter was deferred by Sheriff Andrew Cubie in order for social work reports to be prepared.
Steven's bail was continued and he will be sentenced in April after social work reports have been prepared.
French doctor on trial for sexually abusing
hundreds of children
A retired medic is being tried in France for child sexual assault
and rape in a nationally unprecedented instance of pedophilia.
His victims included his own nieces and children as young as four.
A doll sits on an empty hopsital bed (picture-alliance/dpa/J. Stratenschulte)
In what is considered France's worst-ever incident of pedophilia, Joel Le Scouarnec allegedly abused as many as 349 children, some as young as 4 years old, over more than 30 years.
Worst ever 'known' incident!
The trial on Friday in the western city of Saintes involves four separate cases: those of his two nieces, who he abused between 1989 and 1999 when they were children, a hospital patient who was 4 years old when allegedly abused in 1993, and a 6-year-old child neighbor.
The case of the neighbor was the first to reach investigators; in 2017 the child told her mother that Le Scouarnec had exposed himself to her and forced penetration.
The original investigation led to many further legal complaints. Prosecutors are preparing to undertake further action after the current trial ends.
Notebooks detail child sex abuse
Expert reports described him as a "manipulator fascinated by pedophilia."
According to investigators, Le Scouarnec took sexual advantage of child patients as soon as they were alone in their hospital room. They say he acted strategically, using medical reasons as a pretense and passing off sexual violence as a professional gesture. He targeted patients too young to remember or understand what was happening, they added.
During their search of his home, investigators found more than 300,000 images of child pornography, as well as notebooks in which the 69-year-old surgeon extensively detailed his sexual abuse of children from 1989 to 2017. The entries included both the children's names and the sexual acts inflicted upon them. The diaries also said he abused older patients while they were under the effect of anesthesia.
Judiciary files in the case of Le Scouarnec stand stacked (picture-alliance/AP Photo/F. Mori)
Prosecutors have gathered extensive judiciary files in the case of Le Scouarnec.
Le Scouarnec has acknowledged sexual molestation but denied rape. He said his diaries were in part fantasized and that he supposedly set limits for himself, including no penetration.
Prosecutors have questioned 229 people named in the notebooks, 200 of whom have filed formal complaints, the regional prosecutor's office told AP news agency. The justice system has registered a total of 349 cases against the doctor. However, many incidents occurred too far back in the past to prosecute.
Le Scouarnec had been in pre-trial detention. He faces up to 20 years in prison, if convicted. The trial is expected to last four days.
He had previously been sentenced in 2005 to a four-month suspended prison sentence on child pornography charges. Critics question why it has taken so long to reveal the extent and gravity of the doctor's sexual violence.
Obviously, there is no form of following up on convicted paedophiles. Maybe that should change.
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