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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
National
Abigail Nicholson

Six predators and paedophiles every parent on Merseyside should know about

Dangerous predators and paedophiles who targeted vulnerable children have disgusted and shocked ECHO readers.

Some horrific cases have been brought before Liverpool Crown Court, including victims who were just children.

From violent rapists to manipulative groomers, their crimes appalled readers when they were first reported.

READ MORE: Girl, 6, left lying in the road after electric bike hit and run

The impact this kind of abuse can have on its victims is life long and severe, leaving deep psychological and emotional scars.

To make parents and guardians aware of the ways in which predators can target and groom children, we have put together a list of some of these men and their sick crimes.

Paedophile who filmed himself raping child rolls eyes at 24 year sentence

Leonard Wood carried out a "campaign of rape" against a child then claimed she instigated it (Liverpool Echo)

An unrepentant paedophile rolled his eyes when told he will be at least 83 before he gets out of prison.

Leonard Wood, 67, raped a child victim nearly 40 times during abuse lasting more than a decade.

When the now adult woman went to the police to report her ordeal, Wood claimed she instigated his "vile" attacks.

Wood denied any sexual activity between them when she was underage and claimed any sexual contact after that was consensual.

But a search of his home revealed camcorder cassettes hidden in the loft - including one that appeared to have been destroyed.

And when a detective managed to repair the old cassette, it showed Wood had filmed himself raping and molesting the child.

Wood, of Bark Road, Litherland, admitted only two offences - counts of making indecent photographs of a child.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE.

Man, 35, found guilty of raping child

A 35-year-old man who raped a child under the age of 13 was jailed for 19 years at Liverpool Crown Court.

Richard Green, 35, from the Tuebrook area, appeared before the court on Friday, February 25, charged with 15 counts including rape of a child under 13, assault by penetration, sexual assault and inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.

Green was found guilty and jailed for 19 years after continually denying his offending.

Detective Constable Joanne Waldron said she was "pleased" to see him jailed for a "considerable about of time"

READ THE FULL STORY HERE.

Paedophile hid dark past from girlfriend but she's staying with him

A paedophile hid his dark past from a new girlfriend by lying about what he had been to prison for.

John Bishop moved into the woman's Wirral home and gave her one of two mobile phones he had bought.

The 47-year-old was present when she had family over for Christmas dinner, including a nine-year-old child.

Liverpool Crown Court heard the woman only found out the truth when police tracked him down to her address.

But his lawyer revealed she is standing by Bishop - despite him being outed as a child sex predator.

Bishop previously admitted engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child under 16 and a series of offences of exposure at Worcester Crown Court.

That involved him repeatedly exposing himself to a young girl, spying on her and performing a sex act on himself while watching her.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE.

Face of 'predatory' child abuser, 73, who 'offered to pay for sexual favours'

This is the face of a man who was jailed for seven years over a series of sexual assaults on children.

An image of 73-year-old Alan Kent, who was jailed on February 18 for a range of sexual offences against two children, was released by Cheshire Police for the first time.

The "predatory" child abuser was convicted after a trial at Liverpool Crown Court.

The Crown Prosecution Service said Kent “indulged his sexual fantasies while the children understood very little of what he was asking them to do”.

Kent, 73, of Humphreys Close, Murdishaw, Runcorn, was initially accused of a range of offences by one victim, before a second victim came forward.

Thirteen of the counts related to sexual assaults of a child under 13 and incitement against the same young girl while she was between the ages of about six and 10 years old.

One charge of attempted sexual assault related to the second victim, who was aged between about 10 and 12 years.

He was acquitted of the other charges on the 22-count indictment.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE.

Former soldier downloaded 'paedo archive' and videos of child rape

A former soldier downloaded more than a thousand child abuse images including one labelled ‘paedo archive’.

Jem Traynor tried to deny to police that he had a sexual interest in children despite them finding the vile collection of photos and videos on his computer.

Police raided his house in April last year after a tip off and quickly found a vast array of images, including 167 which fell into Category A, the most serious type of abuse.

Zahra Baqri, prosecuting, said Traynor originally told the police the computer was broken but they found it actually worked and later analysis established that Traynor had used it to look at images of children being raped just a week before his arrest.

The court heard that some of the material was particularly extreme, including one in which a young child appeared to be blindfolded while being abused.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE.

Dad crawled streets in Audi offering girls cocaine for sex

A married dad-of-two sexually abused a teenage girl after plying her with cocaine and vodka.

Alin Cobzaru, 27, crawled Southport's streets in an Audi late at night, offering children "drugs in return for sex".

He was twice stopped by police with girls including the victim in his car and was told by officers she was only 15.

But just days after that warning, he took the "particularly vulnerable" girl to a party, where he molested her.

Following two trials at Liverpool Crown Court, the predator was jailed for seven years and eight months.

Judge Gary Woodhall told Cobzaru: "You and an associate of yours were in the habit of driving around the Southport area targeting and picking up young teenage girls for the purpose of your sexual exploitation.

"I heard evidence in the first trial from another girl you attempted to meet in your car, to whom you offered drugs in return for sex. She refused and left your vehicle.

"You were targeting these girls, who were undoubtedly vulnerable, because despite their young ages they were out late at night, drinking alcohol and consuming drugs."

READ THE FULL STORY HERE.

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