(Image: DURHAM POLICE)
A manipulative groomer, a paedophile bus driver and two perverts who amassed hauls of child abuse images are among the sick sex offenders locked up recently.
Since the start of September, Kevin Appleby, Gary Harrison, Andrew Jackson and Kenneth Barnes have all been sentenced at Durham Crown Court.
Kevin Appleby
A sickening groomer persuaded two girls to send him intimate images and one to perform sex acts on herself.
Appleby gained both girls’ trust through lengthy online chats before turning the conversations sexual.
He was caught after one victim’s sister saw the 13-year-old filming herself performing a sex act and told their mother.
Kevin Appleby (Image: Durham Constabulary)
She contacted police, who visited Appleby’s County Durham home in October 2021 and seized several devices for examination. Appleby claimed he did not know anyone by the girl’s name, but police had examined his phone and tablet by his second interview.
The devices contained 129 indecent images and videos of children, including 37 in the most serious category.
Chat logs revealed exchanges with the 13-year-old and a second victim, a 15-year-old girl in South Africa, who has not been traced.
The judge sentenced Appleby, 30, of Faulkner Road, Newton Aycliffe, to six years in prison, with release on licence after he has served two-thirds.
Gary Vincent Harrison
A Ferryhill paedophile who shared “horrific” child abuse images and extreme pornography tried to blame a primary-school pupil for his crimes.
Gary Vincent Harrison made the claim from the time of his arrest at an address in Spennymoor in 2021, until his trial in June.
Gary Vincent Harrison (Image: Durham Constabulary)
But a jury at the court rejected his explanation and convicted him of making and distributing indecent images of children, possessing prohibited images of children and possessing extreme pornography.
The case involved 76 images and videos, including 22 in the most serious category, two prohibited images and one extreme pornography image.
Harrison, 41, of Neale Street, Ferryhill, returned to court for sentencing on Monday, October 5 when Judge Adams jailed Harrison for 21 months.
Andrew Jackson
A bus driver picked up a teenage boy he met on an online chat forum and drove him to a secluded spot in County Durham to abuse him.
Andrew Jackson picked up the boy and drove him to woodland despite being told he was underage.
Andrew Jackson (Image: Durham Constabulary)
Jackson climbed into the back of his car and sexually abused the teenager, who had become “reluctant” but went along with it, the court was told.
Jackson, 66, of Claymond Court, Stockton, then dropped off the boy, who told his parents what had happened and they reported it to police.
Imposing a six-year sentence Judge Richard Clews said: “You were looking for and found a boy of this age and willing to engage in sexual activity.”
Kenneth Barnes
A man given a suspended sentence late last year for possessing child sexual abuse images has now been jailed for similar offending.
Kenneth Barnes (Image: Durham Constabulary)
Kenneth Barnes received a ten-month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months, in November after admitting he possessed indecent images of children in all three severity categories.
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His risk manager and a digital officer attended Barnes’ home on February 17. They seized his mobile phone, which contained more indecent images of children when examined.
Barnes downloaded a further 80 indecent images between his conviction in November and the seizure of his phone in February, including 13 in the most serious category.
The 50-year-old, of Charles Street, Easington Colliery, was jailed for 15-months including six months activated from November’s suspended term.