Seven men from the North East have been dealt with by the courts after undercover police operations caught them engaging in sexual chats with children. The cases span South Shields, Washington, County Durham, and Sunderland, and the offenders have now been brought to justice.
Police inspector and former headteacher among those sentenced
Richard Wilson, a serving police inspector with Durham Constabulary, made obscene comments about a child's underwear and claimed to be looking at a friend's daughter on Instagram. He was sentenced to 22 months suspended for two years at Newcastle Crown Court after admitting publishing obscene messages. A police disciplinary hearing found he committed gross misconduct and placed him on the police barring list.
Dean Juric, a disgraced former headteacher of St Robert of Newminster School in Washington, told fellow perverts he was aroused by schoolgirls and had amassed a stash of child abuse images. He pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images and one of distributing a total of seven indecent images, and was sentenced to eight months suspended for 18 months.
Predators jailed for abusing children online
Stephen McLean, 25, from Sunderland, exploited a 12-year-old autistic girl from Newcastle online, getting her to send sexual images and advertise herself for sex. He was jailed for nine years with an extended licence period of five years.
Anthony Bonner, 62, from South Shields, agreed to pay to watch a live stream of a 12-year-old girl being sexually abused, but the person he was communicating with was an undercover police officer. He was jailed for four years.
Other offenders given suspended sentences or jailed
Faiz Mohammed, 35, from Newcastle, turned up to meet what he believed was a 14-year-old boy for sexual activity, but found police waiting. He was sentenced to two years suspended for two years.
Ryan Michelini, 38, from Blyth, discussed sexually abusing a baby and carried out a sex act in the presence of a child. He was jailed for seven years and two months.
James Madgin, 41, from Durham, believed he was chatting with a 12-year-old girl, a teacher, and a mother, but was actually talking to three undercover officers. He was jailed for seven years.
