Conservative Councillor David Stephenson - Sick in the head

David Stephenson - Sick in the head

A senior Derbyshire councillor has lost his cabinet position after making a "poor joke" about two Manchester police officers who were shot dead last week.

PC Fiona Bone and PC Nicola Hughes were killed in Mottram last Tuesday.

David Stephenson was removed by Erewash Borough Council leader Chris Corbett for his remarks about scoring points for killing police officers.

Mr Stephenson said: "What I did was undoubtedly tactless - it was a poor joke and I apologise."

However the Conservative councillor said he believed his punishment was harsh.

Mr Stephenson made the comments in front of the wife of a sergeant with Nottinghamshire Police.

Source and Full Story

Philip Bethell: Sexual Assault

Philip Bethell (Labour)

Councillor Philip Bethell, who represents Balderstone and Kirkholt, was arrested last Thursday (2 August) after police received a report of sexual assault.

A spokesperson for Greater Manchester Police said Councillor Bethell has been questioned by officers and bailed until 16 August whilst inquiries are on-going.

Source

John Jenkins: Tweets

Councillor John Jenkins (Conservative)

Llanelli councillor John Jenkins faces an Ombudsman investigation over alleged offensive tweeting.

Councillor John Jenkins, who represents the Elli ward of the town, has been reported to the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales for a series of tweets he made on his personal Twitter account.

The tweets, posted over the last few months, made reference to a sex toy, joked about paedophilia and referred to a well-known footballer as a "budding pervert".

But Councillor Jenkins has refused to apologise for what he has labelled as a "smear campaign" against him.

A report which appeared in the press yesterday made reference to a tweet from Councillor John Jenkins which addressed a friend, Jessica Harries.

"You'd have to be pretty thin-skinned to be offended by a tweet of harmless banter between friends."

Miss Harries has also stepped forward to defend the councillor.

She said: "John Jenkins and I have been friends for over five years now.

"We have worked together and also socialised. Never have I once been offended by anything that he has said.

"I think it's absolutely ridiculous and petty that someone has gone through John's tweets to find something to have against him and then taken a private inside joke and turned into something more.

"It seems that nobody understands playful banter anymore.

"In no way was I offended by John's tweet."

Full Story Source

Simon Arthur: Assault

Simon Arthur (Liberal Democrats)

Councillor Simon Hugh Arthur has admitted assaulting his 87 year-old mother who said she was "terrified" by her son after he subjected her to a catalogue of assaults.

Simon Hugh Arthur, 44, admitted trying to drag his elderly mother, Isabelle Arthur, from her car.

Arthur, who represents Newton ward on Mumbles Community Council, also admitted grabbing a knife and lunging towards a police officer.

Mrs Arthur said she was "terrified" by her son, who had stood as Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for the Liberal Democrats in the 2010 General Election.

Sharon Anderson, prosecuting, read a statement to Swansea Magistrates Court from Mrs Arthur in which she said her son "treats her like a dog", and that she is living on eggshells.

The prosecutor added that Arthur had admitted to police in interview that he had punched his mother on a number of previous occasions.

Mrs Arthur — who was described in court as "frail" — had been out for the day on July 21 but said she was too scared to return to the home they share, instead choosing to wait in a Mumbles car park.

She said she regularly went to the car park to avoid going home, and had even slept there overnight previously.

Around 8pm she did go home and parked in the driveway but her son had locked all the doors to their home in Summerland Lane, Newton.

The court heard that at around 11.30pm Arthur came out of the house and began the attack.

Mrs Arthur's statement read: "He came over, opened the driver's side door, grabbed hold of my hair and tried to pull me out of the car. It was like he was possessed."

He tried to grab her a second time, but failed, before shouting "You'll burn" and "You'll suffer in the after life".

The court was told Mrs Arthur, who uses a walking stick, then tried to make her way down the driveway to get help but her son grabbed her stick from her, using it to block her path.

Mrs Arthur fell to the ground and dragged herself along the floor.

She crawled out of the drive and her son followed, eventually trying to pick her up — but she told him to leave her alone.

A neighbour saw what was going on and called the police.

Mrs Arthur escaped serious injury in the assault.

In her statement she said her son had never had a proper job and always relied on her for financial support.

He had a "nasty temper," and he had got "more controlling" since Mrs Arthur's husband died 22 years ago.

Last year, after Mrs Arthur's twin brother, Peter, died Arthur's behaviour "escalated," she said.

Ms Anderson said after his uncle's death, Arthur told his mother: "It should be you that's gone, not Peter" and "I hope you have an awful death".

In her statement Mrs Arthur said: "I try and let it go over my head but when it's physical, I can't excuse it."

When police arrived on the night of the attack, they took Arthur into the kitchen where he opened a drawer and grabbed a knife.

A statement by PC Greg Bowen which was read out to the court described how Arthur raised the knife above his head and lunged at the officer.

PC Bowen and another officer managed to grab the knife.

"If he'd have been given a split second more than allowed he would have brought the knife down on me," the constable's statement said.

Arthur later told police he had he locked the doors to the house "out of spite", and said he did not remember most of the incident and had drunk more than a bottle of wine.

In his interview, he said he did not intend to hurt the police officer, but wanted to commit suicide.

The court heard Mrs Arthur did not support the prosecution against her son and would not make a formal complaint but wanted him to get help.

Her statement continued: "I now realise he will hurt me if he carries on, I don't know what I have done to deserve this. I want him out of my house, I want him to get the help he needs."

Magistrates were told she had contacted social services who had advised her to write a letter, asking her son to leave the premises — but he had responded by laughing and throwing it away.

Arthur had been involved in six domestic violence incidents against his mother since August last year, the court heard.

After he admitted having previously punched his mother, officers asked him to indicate the force he had used on a scale of one to ten. He replied "two".

Laura Sherwood, representing Arthur, said she did not plan to mitigate until a pre-sentence report had been prepared.

Arthur, who admitted two charges of common assault, was remanded in custody until August 6.

Source

Brian Silvester: UPDATE

Brian Silvester (Tory)

Chesire East councillor Brian Silvester could face prison after he admitted putting vulnerable lives at risk at his Crewe home.

Appearing at South Cheshire Magistrates Court in Crewe on Monday (July 24), Cllr Silvester and his brother Colin pleaded guilty to a total of 11 fire safety breaches in relation to the building they rent out as bedsits on Crewe Road in Shavington.

They also admitted a charge levelled by the council of failing to obtain a licence for a house of multiple occupation.

After hearing the case, magistrates decided their sentencing powers were insufficient for the gravity of the crime, saying it ‘did not fall outside the custody threshold’.

The 60-year-old former mayor of Crewe and Nantwich was sent to crown court for sentencing.

In January this year the Chronicle revealed that Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service had closed down the Willaston ward councillor’s property with immediate effect, as there was an ‘imminent risk of serious personal injury’. Tenants were forced to move into temporary accommodation while a catalogue of serious failings were rectified.

On Monday, prosecutor Chris Green told the court that one fire officer believed it ‘undoubtedly had the poorest standard of fire safety he’d ever seen in his 10 years of service’.

Loose wiring, holes in the ceilings and roof, and combustible materials in corridors meant a fire could have easily started at any time, and would have spread rapidly.

Insufficient exit routes, broken smoke detectors and fire extinguishers that hadn’t been serviced for almost 20 years meant it would have been almost impossible to escape a blaze unharmed. Any escape routes would most likely have been engulfed in flames within minutes.

Mr Green said: “This is a very serious case. The layout of the building itself, which was split into 10 bedsits, was extremely hazardous and any fire was likely to be so advanced before discovery that escape would be impossible.

“Going into a tenant’s bedsit would provide little or no resistance to fire. There were no seals or fire protection on the doors and the mains electrics were badly wired.

“If the fire started in one bedsit, there was no means of alerting anyone else as there were no inter-connective alarms. Many of the tenants were vulnerable due to age and disability, meaning there was a greater risk to such occupants.

“The breach was long-standing and in interview the Silvesters revealed some tenants had been living there for 34 years or more.

“The risks in this case were obvious. Getting a risk assessment done isn’t rocket science.”

Cllr Silvester, a former Cheshire East deputy council leader, was warned by the fire service that all tenants had to be re-homed until the problems were rectified – but it was later discovered tenants were still living there.

Mr Green added: “Efforts were made by the Silvesters to mask the fact the notice had been breached. Tenants were asked to make sure their cars weren’t present so it looked like no-one was still living there after the notice had been served.

“That is a serious aggravating feature and demonstrates an indifferent attitude to the level of risk.”

Referring the case to crown court for sentencing, chairman of the bench Stewart Cockburn said: “We’ve considered the facts placed before us very carefully. The breaches created a very serious risk to the safety of tenants and as owners of the property for at least 11 years you should have been aware of the fire regulations. You didn’t take sufficient steps to enforce the prohibition order for the safety of tenants.

Source

Pervez Choudhry: Must wear tag

Pervez Choudhry (Tory)

Pervez Choudhry, of Tuns Lane, Slough, had married his second wife in Pakistan but was still legally married to his first "arranged" wife.

Choudhry, 54, admitted bigamy at a previous hearing.

He was given a community order with a nighttime curfew, ordered to pay £5,500 to his second wife and fined £750.

Wheelchair-bound Choudhry married his first wife in 1986 and the pair had three children, the court heard.

He said this was an arranged marriage after his family had decided he would wed his first cousin when he was aged 11.

They separated in 2007 but remained legally married, it was heard.

In October 2008 he met his second wife Dr Zabina Shahian but "untruthfully" told her he had been legally divorced, Judge Ian Grainger said.

Two months later the pair married in Pakistan, but she left him over concerns his first marriage may not have legally ended and hired a private detective to investigate.

Choudhry, who vowed to take his case to the Court of Appeal, claimed the religious ceremony in Pakistan was not recognised under UK law.

He told BBC News after the hearing: "I had no intention of deceiving anybody. I was simply trying to create a family unit."

His second wife Dr Shahian said: "I was very devastated [when I found out he was still married].

"My life has been at a standstill. When I met him I took him at face value."

Choudhry defected to the Tories in 2009 after being elected as the Labour candidate for Central Ward.

He was arrested and charged with one count of bigamy in August 2010.

He was suspended from the Conservative Party pending the investigation and stood as an independent, but lost his seat at the election earlier this month.

Source

Kosru Uddin: Threats to kill

Kosru Uddin (Labour)

Kosru Uddin, 45, was alleged to have made threats to kill to Rania Khan, a supporter of Independent mayor Lutfur Rahman.

It was reported that screams were heard coming from the town hall as a “violent fracas” erupted on Wednesday night.

One source told a newspaper: “There was violence. It was just chaos.”

It is the latest crisis to hit Tower Hamlets, which is facing a police investigation into claims of electoral fraud at a council bye-election while there have been claims that Mr Rahman is linked to groups supporting extremism.

Trouble erupted at 11.35pm as people left the chamber at the end of the meeting.

Source

Pervez Choudhry - Bigamy

Pervez Choudry (Tory at time of the charge)

The former leader of the Conservative party on Slough Borough Council has pleaded guilty to bigamy.

Councillor Pervez Choudhry, of Tuns Lane, Slough, was arrested and charged with one count of bigamy in August 2010.

The 53-year-old defected to the Tories in 2009 after being elected as the Labour candidate for Central Ward, but is now an independent councillor.

Mr Choudhry will be sentenced at Reading Crown Court on Friday 18 May.

His term of office runs until 3 May.

Mr Choudry said he was unable to comment because it was a "sub judice matter" but that "this case has no bearing or will have no bearing on my standing as a councillor".

Slough Borough Council said it was a "private matter".

Source

George Lord: Sexual Assault (Sentencing)

George Lord (Conservative)

Former Worcestershire County Council leader George Lord has been jailed for four years for a series of sexual assaults.

The 79-year old was sentenced at Birmingham Crown Court this morning (Tuesday).

It was reported last month how Lord had pleaded guilty to three charges of indecent assault on a girl in the 1970s when he was a lay minister of a church in Droitwich and performed a number of sexual acts on the teenager.

He had already been found guilty of sexually assaulting a 19-year-old in the council chamber at Worcestershire County Council in 2010.

Lord was told he will spend at least half of his four year sentence in jail.

Source

George Lord: Sexual Assault

George Lord (Tory) former head of Worcestershire County Council

Disgraced ex-Tory council leader George Lord on Thursday admitted molesting a teenage girl more than 30 years ago and groping another junior member of staff in the town hall while he was in office.

Dr George Lord, 79, former head of Worcestershire County Council, assaulted the girl – aged either 14 or 15 – between 1977 and 1979 while he was a church preacher.

Lord, from Bromsgrove, Worcs., had already been convicted of sexually assaulting a 19-year-old girl in the council chamber while he was leader in 2010.

Reporting restrictions have only just been lifted to allow the media to report on the latest case.

A previous hearing was told Lord assaulted the girl by ”touching her bottom and vagina” without her consent.

Lord on Thursday pleaded guilty to three charges of indecent assault at Birmingham Crown Court.

Lord, wearing a dark shirt and grey tie, stared straight ahead during the 10-minute hearing.

He admitted indecently assaulting a 14 or 15-year-old girl between September 1977 and 1979.

Lord was remanded into custody for pre-sentence reports and was warned he faces a prison sentence.

Judge Nigel Godsmark QC told him: “You have pleaded guilty to three charges of indecent assault".

Source

Kyle-Noel Taylor: Woman beater

Labour Ex-councillor Kyle-Noel Taylor

Kyle-Noel Taylor was convicted in December of four counts of assault by beating 19-year-old Rebecca Jackson following a trial at North Staffordshire Magistrates' Court.

The 20-year-old is today starting a six-month jail term after a judge yesterday threw out his appeal, ruling that Taylor had not been truthful.

Earlier, a magistrate who had sat in Taylor's previous trial was told to leave the court's public gallery by the judge because the defendant argued he would not get a fair hearing.

Following the verdict, Taylor, who has always denied the charges, was axed from his position as Kidsgrove ward councillor on Newcastle Borough Council with immediate effect.

Sentencing Taylor, of Victoria Avenue, Kidsgrove, Judge Robert Trevor-Jones said: "We are of the view that the claimant has told the truth to the court and has been the victim of repeated assaults at the hands of the appellant."

Taylor first met Miss Jackson when the pair were at high school together and they were in an "on and off" and "volatile" relationship for around three-and-a-half years, Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court heard yesterday.

The attacks related to incidents on January 6, January 22, January 25 and March 24 last year.

One of the attacks took place just hours after Taylor, who had no previous convictions, returned home from a Newcastle Borough Council meeting.

On January 6, Taylor butted and struck Miss Jackson in the face following an argument over ex-partners, which left Miss Jackson with a chipped front tooth.

Then on January 22, Taylor attacked Miss Jackson by punching her in the head, grabbing her round the neck and banging her head on a kitchen counter.

In an incident on January 25, Taylor bit Miss Jackson's finger when she confronted him about cheating on her and punched her in the stomach when she told him she might be pregnant.

And on March 24, Taylor butted Miss Jackson three times, punched her in the face and bit her on the cheek.

Source

Manish Sood: Sexual harassment

 Manish Sood (Ex-labour cllr)

Divorced Sood (40), of Roundhill Road, Leicester, appeared at the city's Crown Court to be sentenced for the offences, which he admitted.

Sood was Labour councillor for Leicester's Fosse Ward and Parliamentary candidate for Norfolk North West when he criticised Gordon Brown two years ago, making national headlines and damaging Labour's 2010 election campaign.

He was suspended from the party but readmitted in January last year. He remained Fosse councillor until the local elections last May, when he did not seek re-election.

The Crown Court hearing was told that on February 6 last year that Sood phoned one of the teenage victims after she posted an advert on the Gumtree website seeking a part-time job.

Prosecutor Sian Cutter said Sood offered to pay her £20 to lie down on a couch and have a massage, which she refused.

He continued to contact her, urging her to meet him at his home. Sood rang her 27 times and sent 15 texts.

The girl complained to a 15-year-old friend at school, who rang Sood and told him to leave her friend alone.

But Sood then directed his attention to the friend, asking if she was interested in "therapy", and sending 26 texts and phoning 152 times in three days, suggesting she visit for "physical tantra".

He told her to bring "toe rings and condoms", the court heard.

Sood suggested picking her up from school, which worried her as she had not told him where it was.

In front of a teacher, she told Sood to stop bothering her on the phone, to which he replied: "Even for £200? Let me know if you change her mind."

He was then reported to the police. When arrested, he accepted he had "sexual motives" towards the schoolgirls and claimed his medication made him "forgetful".

Ms Cutter told the court that Sood had met the 22-year-old woman through Gumtree in January last year, and she went to his home genuinely believing he was a therapist.

Sood took her to his bedroom to demonstrate relief of "aroma and tantra".

He massaged over her clothes, touching her inappropriately and kissing her stomach, causing her to freeze in fear.

Sood massaged her back, pulled down her leggings and underwear and kissed her bottom. She was too scared and uncomfortable to say anything and left, the court heard.

Sood admitted causing or inciting the two teenagers to engage in sexual activity, and to sexually assaulting the 22-year-old.

Judge Michael Pert QC said: "It's conduct of a dirty old man, and you're not even old."

Robert Underwood, mitigating, said Sood began suffering mental health difficulties in 2008, starting with thoughts someone was out to kill him. He has received psychiatric treatment and is on medication.

However, the judge told Sood: "The psychiatric report makes it plain there's no connection between this and your mental health problems."

Sood was given a three-year community order with supervision. He must attend a sex offender group work programme.

He was made the subject of a sexual offences prevention order banning unsupervised contact with children under 16 and restrictions placed on his computer use.

Mr Underwood said: "He's aware of the shame he's brought upon his family.

"His mother is in court but his brother no longer wishes to have anything to do with him.

"Another consequence is that he's lost his job.

"He's a hard working man from a caring family who are very active in their civic responsibilities.

"Other than his mental health problems, there's no explanation as to why he behaved so out of character."

Source

Peter Richards: Shielding Child abusers

Peter Richards (Labour cllr for Baglan Ward, Neath Port Talbot County Council)

Taken from Cllr Kevin Edwards's blog;

"Below is the second email sent to Councillor Richards by a long standing supporter of the Lewis family sent out of frustration.

He has deliberately refused to reply to the first email.

You can see Cllr Richards position within this discredited Council it has already been highlighted by our friend. 

Councillor Richards is not a man to be trusted.  

At the last Council Election up until the close of voting he was a candidate for the Ratepayers of Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council. 

As soon as the polls closed he betrayed the electorate of Baglan Ward as did his fellow Ratepayer Candidate Mrs Juliet Hopkins and defected to the Labour Party.

Proof 

Ratepayers Councillors defected  and  Election Uproar, but there is more.

If defecting is not bad enough he did it for money !

He became a Head of a Scrutiny Committee at the bequest of the then Leader of Neath Port Talbot Council the corrupt  Derek Vaughan now a Member of the European Parliament  at a salary allegedly in the region of £20,000 a year !

Below is the second email sent to Councillor Richards by a supporter of the " Justice 4 Linda Lewis Campaign."

Just like other Councillor's in Neath Port Talbot his arrogance in not responding unfortunately is common practice.

Here it is.

Original email  

From: T*** V***** (t****v*****@hotmail.co.uk)

Sent: 16 February 2012 14:39:06

To: peter.richards983@ntlworld.com

Second  email

From: T*** V***** (t***v*****@hotmail.co.uk)

Sent: 28 February 2012 21:00:15

To: peter.richards983@ntlworld.com

.

Resent as I do not believe ignorance is a valid reason not to reply.

Dear Peter Denis Richards

Well what a leaflet that was.

Myself and others are amazed to find out that you are Scrutiny Chairman Children Young People and Education  as well as Scrutiny Chairman Children's Sub Committee.

I also note that you have three children and grandchildren. No doubt you flout your " family values, family man " image as a way of hoping to be re elected this May. 

My question to you is a very simple one taking into account the offices that you hold within this rotten and corrupt Council.

Why have you ignored the evidence presented to you by Councillor Kevin Edwards who has broken a "Super Injunction" proving that Neath Port Talbot Council Social Services removed a 12year old girl from a sick bed in America illegally and without proper extradition documentation and with  a false passport.

This is known as the crime of " Kidnapping."

Should you be unaware of Councillor Kevin Edwards blogspot but I am sure you are not then this is it www.cllrkevinedwards.blogspot.com

Today is a particularly sad day for us as it is N@t@sh*'s birthday and as myself, my wife and our family have stood with Linda Lewis from the beginning.

Fourteen years ago this Saturday N@t@sh* was taken from her sick bed in America by the evil Julie Rzezniczek at gunpoint, returned to Britain on a fake passport and has never been returned to her family.

I do not need to elaborate further and ask that you reply to this email with your intentions to end this crime and bring the guilty from within your Council to account.

Should you refuse to reply to this email as seems to  be the case as standard by your Councillor's then perhaps a small delegation of the " Justice 4 Linda Lewis Campaign" should contact you at home for a meeting with you to discuss this issue further.

I would not consider it unreasonable to expect your reply before the weekend is over.

I trust you feel the same.

T***  V****  

End.

Should you feel the need to contact Councillor Richards his email address is  

peter.richards983@ntlworld.com 

Please let him know what you think of him.

Politely of course.

I hope you do.

Kevin"

Source

Eric Joyce: Indecent relationship

Eric Joyce (left), Meg Lauder (right)

Eric Joyce allegedly met and then romanced Meg Lauder when she was 17 after she helped him with the 2010 General Election campaign by working in his Scottish constituency office in Falkirk.

Miss Lauder, now 19, was still in a local sixth form when she allegedly fell for the 51-year-old former army major, who is separated from his wife Rosemary.    

Mr Joyce has two children of primary school age and his marriage to Rosemary, the headmistress of the prestigious Tonbridge Grammar School in Kent, is said to have collapsed recently.

He is previously divorced.

Source

Mark Burton: Sexually Abusing Children

Mark Burton (Labour)

North East councillor Mark Burton, who was chairman of a committee responsible for children's welfare, has been jailed for 22 months for sexually assaulting a girl and hiding pictures of child abuse on his computer.

Mark Burton, 43, preyed on his victim after a party to celebrate his re-election to Darlington Counc
il last May, and police found horrific images on his laptop.

He has spent 171 days in custody prior to sentence at Teesside Crown Court, yet has managed to claim almost £6,700 in allowances from the council. Burton has faced calls from the council leader for the cash to be repaid.

The married father of three was chairman of the council's children and young persons' scrutiny committee - a role the court heard he took to promote his political career.

Joanne Kidd, prosecuting, said Burton took advantage of the schoolgirl following a drunken party to celebrate his re-election to the Harrowgate Hill ward.

The girl later complained to police and officers found 16 images of child abuse in a computer folder named ZNROP -"pornz" backwards - and discovered he had searched the internet thousands of times for phrases linked to paedophilia. Specialist officers also found a file-wiping piece of software which digitally shredded documents he had held on his computer.

Source

Zultra's Notes: Don't forget about the Labour 25

Ann Holland: Verbal Abuse

Councillor Ann Holland in Tameside has apologised after she wished ‘Margaret Thatcher would go blind’.

Ann Holland made the controversial remarks during a Tameside council meeting – where £22m cuts were agreed.

Attacking cuts to the NHS, she listed public figures, including David Cameron and Prince Philip,who had been treated by the health service.

Coun Holland, a Labour member for Droylsden West, told the meeting: “Where did Margaret Thatcher go for her eyes – I dearly wish she’d go blind but she went to the NHS.” 

Baroness Thatcher, 86, underwent laser eye surgery while in office in 1983.

Source

Florence Anderson: IRA supporter

Florence Anderson (labour)

Sunderland City Councillor Florence Anderson "liked" a comment that called for an IRA bomb at the next Conservative conference.

The comment was posted on the Facebook Group titled "Margaret Thatcher doesn’t have to be dead before we give her a funeral" - of which Miss Anderson is a member.

Offending comment.

Source

Darren Pedley: Child Porn

Ex-Labour Darren Pedley

Thirty-nine year-old Darren Pedley, appeared at Bolton Crown Court on Monday (16 January) charged with 12 counts of making indecent images of children.

He pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Mr Pedley, formerly of Daventry Road, Kirkholt, was a Labour Councillor for Balderstone and Kirkholt between 2004 and 2007.

The charges relate to incidents in October 2010.

Source

John Friary: Child Grooming

John Friary 

Friary, a former Labour councillor, was snared by a blackmailer posing as a 15-year-old girl on internet chat rooms.

Officers from Hertfordshire Police had been investigating Peter Simms, who pleaded guilty to blackmail at St Albans Crown Court and was subsequently jailed for 21 months in May last year.

They flagged Friary – a blackmail victim of Simms – to the Met's Paedophile Unit.

"Inquiries revealed that Friary was one of the individuals Simms had been in contact with," said the Yard.

"Conversations between the pair involved Friary’s attempts to make arrangements to meet the individual – believing him to be a 15-year-old girl – with the intention of committing a sexual offence."

John Friary, who has been placed on the Sex Offenders Register, was arrested on 25 January (last year) and taken to Fulham police station where he was charged with "attempting to arrange to meet a child following sexual grooming".

Source

Bob Bates: Child and Animal porn

Ex-Conservative Bob Bates

Former Wycombe District Councillor Bob Bate appeared before court this morning charged with child and animal pornography offences.

The 62-year-old of Moncrieffe Close, Dudley, appeared before Wycombe Magistrates charged with 17 counts of making indecent photos of children.

The former Hazlemere Parish Council chairman stands accused of four counts of distributing indecent images of children and one charge of possessing to show or distribute indecent photographs of children.

The ex-Conservative party whip is also charged with possessing extreme pornographic images with animals and to intentionally encourage the commission of an either way offence.

Bate spoke only to confirm his name and address, and did not indicate a plea.

He has been released on unconditional bail and is due to appear back before magistrates on April 3.

Source