CPS News Brief

Paul Wilson sentenced to life imprisonment for 46 sexual offences against 23 young girls

A former nursery worker has today been sentenced at Birmingham Crown Court to life imprisonment after he had pleaded guilty to 46 sexual offences, including oral rape of a three-year-old child at the nursery where he worked, and offences involving young girls from around the country.

In January 2011, Paul Wilson, aged 21, was arrested and subsequently charged with two counts of oral rape of a child at the Little Star Nursery in Nechells, Birmingham. Following his arrest, officers from West Midlands Police conducted an examination of Mr Wilson’s computers and he was charged with further offences of making indecent photographs of children, distributing indecent photographs of children and inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.

Wendy Bounds, Complex Casework Lawyer from the West Midlands Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) Complex Casework Unit, said:

“This has been a very complex and sensitive case involving 23 individuals aged between three and 16 years of age from across the country.

“Paul Wilson preyed on vulnerable young girls who he encountered in internet chat rooms. He hid his real identity and led the girls to think he was a friend and asked them to turn their webcams on and by this means he was able to see them in intimate situations.

“If his initial approach under a false identity was unsuccessful, he would then use multiple further aliases on social networking sites to either gain their trust or threaten them in order to get them to perform sexual acts, which he could watch. If one alias was rejected by the intended target, he would return again and again, using different profiles, sometimes that of a female, until either threats or persuasion made them perform sexual acts as he wanted.

“Unfortunately the teenage girls did not realise that they were in effect allowing a stranger into their bedroom with a camera. The risk is that the resulting pictures saved in the stranger’s computer can then be sent on to others unknown to the girl. This did happen to one of the young girls in this case when the pictures were then sent on to another male.

“He then took this one step further by targeting and orally raping a vulnerable three year-old girl at a nursery where he was working. Unfortunately, concerns raised by other staff about his behaviour and the appropriateness of his relationship with the little girl did not prevent this happening.

“It took a brave young teenage girl to come forward and report his abuse to the police. This led to his arrest and this offending coming to light.

“We hope that this case sends out a clear message to everyone who uses social networking sites to be vigilant at all times when using such networks and to report any suspicious behaviour or requests to the appropriate authorities.

“Finally, the prosecution team would like to thank the victims and their families for the support that they have provided to the investigation and prosecution. Without their assistance and the thorough investigation by the police, we would not be here today.”

The offences which were committed on the social networking site were via Windows Live Messenger and were carried out between 2005 and 2011 on 22 individuals aged between 12 years-old and 16 years-old from across the country.

Keir Starmer QC talks about domestic violence

Watch Keir Starmer QC, the Director of Public Prosecutions, talk about how the Crown Prosecution Service's response to domestic violence has improved over recent years and about our commitment to further improvements.

You can read more about the CPS response to domestic violence in a speech given by the Director in April and in our legal guidance.

Rape prosecutions

There has been debate recently about the conviction rates in rape prosecutions. While it is accepted that the number of rapes reported to police which result in conviction is low, those that are prosecuted by the CPS usually result in conviction. In fact, three in five (59.4%) of those rape cases which are charged by the CPS result in conviction.

This is a rise of just under five percentage points since 2006-7. CPS lawyers are required to explore every avenue with the police to find sufficient evidence to charge. The verdict has to be left to a jury, the CPS having gone through all the steps to support the complainant to give their best evidence.

In addition, it is misleading to say, as the Independent reported yesterday, that “the Crown Prosecution Service regards all rape as serious, but views some as more grave than others”. While sentencing may vary depending on the circumstances of the offence, our policy on prosecuting cases of rape makes clear that rape is one of the most serious offences and our aim is to prosecute each case effectively. Our policy covers the handling of all types of rape case, including marital and relationship rape, acquaintance and stranger rape, against male and female victims. All are equally serious and traumatic for the victim. Rape also has a devastating effect on families of victims. We are committed to playing our part in improving the way that rape cases are dealt with in the criminal justice system.

Domestic Violence: the facts, the issues, the future

Keir Starmer QC gave a speech this afternoon at our headquarters entitled Domestic Violence: the facts, the issues, the future. The DPP said domestic violence is a "serious and pernicious" form of crime and that while much progress has been made in prosecuting offenders in recent years, police and prosecutors must do more to tackle it. Recent statistics show that nearly one million women are abused every year, two are killed every week by partners or ex-partners and more than half of all victims of serious sexual assaults have been attacked by partners or ex-partners.

Figures also show that young women between the ages of 16 and 19 are the most at risk of domestic abuse (12.7% according to the British Crime Survey). Mr Starmer said: "What that tends to show is that there may be a next generation of domestic violence waiting in the wings.”

The criminal justice system has made real progress in prosecuting domestic violence offences in the past decade, raising the conviction rate from 49% to 72%, but the DPP said there is no room for complacency – a change in attitude is needed and this issue must be tackled head-on.

You can read more in our press release and read the speech here.

CPS Update - Thursday 10 February

• We have launched a public consultation on guidance for prosecutors dealing with retractions of rape and domestic violence allegations.

Individuals who retract truthful allegations out of fear are less likely to be prosecuted under the proposed new guidance for the offence of perverting the course of justice. But individuals who make malicious false allegations should know they risk prosecution.

See our press release and the consultation for full details.

• Jim Devine, former MP, has been convicted for theft by false accounting at Southwark Crown Court. Simon Clements, Head of the CPS Special Crime Division, said:

“Jim Devine submitted invoices for services that he had neither paid for nor received. In doing so, he took advantage of the trust that had been placed in him by virtue of the public office he held.

“Submitting a false invoice is plainly dishonest, regardless of why it has been done or who has done it. We say there is no excuse for such conduct and, with today’s conviction, it is clear the jury agreed.”

Devine was convicted on counts two and three of the indictment:

Count 2: False accounting, contrary to section 17(1)(b) of the Theft Act 1968. Value: £2,880.

James Devine, between 30 September 2008 and 31 May 2009, dishonestly, with a view to gain for himself or with intent to cause loss to another, in furnishing information for the purpose of making allowance claims produced or made use of documents required for an accounting purpose, namely two Form ACA2 claim forms, one Form PAAE2 claim form and three invoices in the name of Tom O’Donnell Hygiene & Cleaning Services, which to his knowledge were or may have been misleading, false or deceptive in a material particular, in that they purported to show that Tom O’Donnell Hygiene & Cleaning Services had provided and charged for the professional services described in the documents, when in fact the services had not been so provided or charged for.

Count 3: False accounting, contrary to section 17(1)(b) of the Theft Act 1968. Value: £5,505.

Jim Devine, between 1 March and 9 April 2009, dishonestly, with a view to gain for himself or with intent to cause loss to another, in furnishing information for the purpose of making allowance claims produced or made use of documents required for an accounting purpose, namely two Form Comms1 claim forms and two invoices in the name of Armstrong Printing Limited, which to his knowledge were or may have been misleading, false or deceptive in a material particular, in that they purported to show that Armstrong Printing Limited had provided and charged for the professional services described in the documents, when in fact the services had not been so provided or charged for.

Mr Devine was also acquitted of count one, which related to claims worth £360 in total for cleaning services.

• CPS Durham has advised Durham Police there is not enough new evidence under the double jeopardy provisions for the Director of Public Prosecutions to authorise an investigation into former GP Howard Martin, acquitted of the murder of three of his patients six years ago. Durham Chief Crown Prosecutor Chris Enzor said:

“The case was reopened by Durham Police after patients’ families complained about remarks made by Mr Martin in an interview with a national newspaper.

“The law was changed in 2005 to allow those who had been acquitted of serious offences to face a retrial in certain circumstances if there is new and compelling evidence. The law allows the police to make certain preliminary inquiries but the re-opening of an investigation needs the consent of the DPP, as does an application to the Court of Appeal for a retrial. It is for the Chief Crown Prosecutor to act as the channel between the police and the DPP.

“The police provided me with evidence given at the inquest into the deaths of three of Mr Howard’s patients: Mr Moss, Mr Weldon and Mr Gittins, as well as evidence from disciplinary proceedings of the General Medical Council. There were also copies of tapes and interview transcripts, obtained by a court order, following comments Mr Martin made to a reporter from the Daily Telegraph.

“The areas covered by the inquest and the GMC disciplinary proceedings were broadly the same as in Mr Martin’s trial and no materially new issues arose. Mr Martin’s interviews with the Daily Telegraph amounted overall to a continued denial, not an admission, of guilt.

“After careful consideration of this material, including discussion with leading counsel who prosecuted in the 2005 murder trial, I have decided that in these circumstances there is not sufficient new evidence, as the law requires, to warrant the conduct of an investigation which must the authorised by the DPP. I have advised the police of this.

“I appreciate this has been a distressing time for the families of Mr Moss, Mr Weldon and Mr Gittins and I have offered to meet with them to explain in greater detail the reasons for my decision.

“I have also looked to see whether there is any new evidence which might support a prosecution relating to certain other patients. These cases were looked at previously and it was decided at the time there was insufficient evidence for a realistic prospect of conviction. In all of these cases, I have concluded that there is no new evidence to allow us to start criminal proceedings."

CPS Update - Thursday 16 December

DPP Announces Measures to Strengthen Rape Prosecutions

The Director of Public Prosecutions, Keir Starmer QC has announced a series of changes to strengthen rape prosecutions and instil greater quality and consistency into the processes by which crimes of rape are prosecuted. An article written by the Director about the announcement has appeared in the Guardian newspaper. The Press Release announcing the changes can be read here.

A key element of these measures will be to seek the views of interested parties about the factors which should be considered before prosecuting people for perverting the course of justice connected with rape cases with a view to drawing up new guidance. This exercise will be launched in the New Year.

Further changes announced are:

• any prosecutor across England and Wales who considers charging a person who has retracted an allegation of rape with an offence of perverting the course of justice will now need the DPP’s approval before they can proceed;
• reinforcing the ‘merits-based’ approach to rape prosecutions by dealing effectively with myths and stereotypes;
• introducing Violence against Women (VaW) assurance measures from 1 January which require all CPS areas to monitor their handling of VaW cases and, where necessary, remedial action will be taken to ensure a consistent national approach;
• improving the quality of communications with victims.