A number of evil sex offenders have been locked up this month.
Rapists and paedophiles are among those who have been convicted in courts across the North East. They have been handed prison sentences which range between six years and 15 years and one month.
In one of the most shocking cases, a 66-year-old man was put behind bars for raping a five-year-old girl. In another case, a 36-year-old man was jailed after abusing a brain-damaged woman on a bus.
Read more: Retired County Durham vicar, 86, jailed for historic indecent assaults
Here are some of the dangerous sex offenders who have been sentenced in recent weeks:
Aaron Scanlon
Sentence: 15 years and one month
The pervert travelled 100 miles to sexually assault a schoolgirl and ignored her warnings that police would be called if she didn't turn up to school.
The 30-year-old, who now lives in of Newbiggin-by-the-Sea, Northumberland, waited outside the girl's home before she set off for school. Teesside Crown Court heard how he drove her to "a remote area" on Teesside instead of taking her to school.
The court heard the teenager told Scanlon that she had to be at school for 9am or they would call the police, reports Teesside Live.
Paul Cleasby, prosecuting, told the court: "She thought if she mentioned the police he might take her to school but he said he was able to hide from the police and referred to himself as a 'dodgy person."
The court in Middlesbrough heard how Scanlon told the teenager that he was in love with her and the two "engaged in lengthy phone calls where he asked her to participate in "dirty talk".
In 2021, the defendant set off from his then house in Rochdale, where he had a girlfriend, to drive to the secondary school pupil's home in Darlington. He'd texted: "Good morning sexy lady. Can't wait to hear your sexy voice today. Seeing you would be even better. I f****** love you."
He then told the girl to look up the road when she came out of her house for school, and that she would see his BMW. The court heard the girl got in the car, but instead of driving her to school, as she asked, the defendant drove to "a remote area" on Teesside.
Scanlon, who first saw the girl on FaceTime, then ignored her requests to stop kissing her. He sexually assaulted her and took what the girl thought was cocaine. Mr Cleasby said that the girl again asked him to take her to school.
Scanlon did drop the girl off some distance from her school, where she told staff what had happened. Mr Cleasby said the girl later told police Scanlon had been in the Army, and that he was awaiting court proceedings after he had "knocked somebody out".
In a statement, the victim said: "I find myself shutting myself off, partly because of my fear of seeing him. My peer relationships have broken down...and after the assault I self-harmed as a coping mechanism."
Scanlon, previously of Rochdale, pleaded guilty to assault by penetration and causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent. He has a previous conviction for sexually assaulting a child under the age of 13, in 2010.
Jon Harley, defending, said Scanlon accepted that he had driven to Teesside "with the intention of sexual activity occurring" and that in hindsight, he understands the affects his actions have had on the victim. He said: "He says he feels horrible for being the person that's caused this distress."
Earlier this month, Judge Jonathan Carroll sentenced Scanlon to 15 years and one month behind bars. He said the last four years would be spent on extended licence in the community.
He made Scanlon the subject of an indefinite sexual harm prevention order, prohibiting him from having any contact with girls under 18 and ordered him to sign the sex offender's register.
The judge told Scanlon that he had targeted his victim: "You professed your love for her and tried to create her emotional dependency on you. Your intentions towards her were to meet your sexual desires."
Judge Carroll also granted a restraining order so that Scanlon cannot contact his victim again.
Paul Rossiter
Sentence: 15 years
The 66-year-old has been jailed for 15 years for raping a five-year-old girl.
He was found guilty of sickening sex attacks on the youngster by a jury at Newcastle Crown Court. The court heard Rossiter had become angry with the victim when she told him to stop.
As he was locked up, the victim told of the traumatic effect the abuse had on her.
She said: "I find it difficult to manage my emotions and feelings. Memories of what happened play on my mind daily and worry about these memories as I get older and start a relationship of my own. I feel very angry now about what he did to me. I was an innocent child."
Rossiter, of Tenth Avenue, Heaton, Newcastle, was found guilty by a jury of three counts of rape.
Andrew Walker, defending, said he is struggling in prison, where inmates are locked in their cells 23 hours a day due to Covid.
Mr Walker said Rossiter had been caring for his poorly wife and started drinking heavily at the time of the offences. He said his children had given evidence at trial about the positive role he had played in their lives.
Earlier this month, Judge Julie Clemitson sentenced Rossiter for 15 years behind bars. She imposed an indefinite sexual harm prevention order and restraining order.
Rossiter will also have to sign the sex offenders register for life.
Lee Wilson
Sentence: 11 years
The child sex predator groomed young girls at a Tyneside swimming pool and went on to carry out sickening sex attacks. The 40-year-old, who would often sit on the edge of the pool watching but not swimming, has been put behind bars for 11 years.
Newcastle Crown Court heard how he wheedled his way into the lives of the victims and their families in order to carry out his twisted sexual desires towards children. After winning the trust of their families, Wilson abused it in horrific fashion, leaving a trail of trauma.
The perverted beast had branded the victims liars until police found a secret phone which he had hidden in a safe in a wall cavity, which contained damning evidence, including images of him abusing one of the victims.
The court in Newcastle heard how the first victim and the family contacted police in September last year after she revealed what he had been doing to her.
Dr Chris Wood, prosecuting, said: "Each time he would offer sweets as inducement, which the Crown say was grooming." Wilson also told the girl to keep his sexual abuse "our little secret".
The second victim was also groomed at a swimming pool, with Wilson befriending her and her family. The dad of one of the girls had noticed how he was overfamiliar and would not swim, instead sitting on the edge of the pool and watching.
When he was arrested, he denied the offences and the children were forced to go through a pre-trial process of being cross-examined by his barrister.
Dr Wood said: "They were told they were lying during cross-examination. He subjected them needlessly to the court process because he would not admit he was a sexual predator of children and sexually abused these girls." He had given police a phone but they were suspicious as it had very little on it and formed the view it was a decoy.
In September last year, officers searched his home and found another phone concealed in a safe in a wall cavity.
On it were indecent images of children taken by him, some with a hidden "surveillance"-type camera. There were images of the first girl and another family.
Wilson, of Pooley Road, Slatyford, Newcastle, pleaded guilty to three counts of assault by penetration, two counts of sexual assault, sexual activity with a child and making indecent images of a child.
One of the girls bravely wrote what she labelled "a sad letter" to Wilson, which was read out as he was sentenced earlier this month.
She wrote: "You made me feel angry and sad. I don't want to say your name but I know what you did was wrong. I liked you. I changed and I have to live with things.
"I never want to see you again. I want to ask you why did you do this? Why in the world did you do it? Why did you think it was a good idea? Mean man." She signed it off with a sad face.
John Crawford, defending, told the court that Wilson has a heart condition which lowers his life expectancy. He added: "He has expressed his sincere apologies and regret, recognising that might be entirely meaningless."
Earlier this month, Recorder Toby Hedworth QC sentenced Wilson, who has no previous convictions, to 11 years in prison. He must sign the sex offenders register indefinitely and will be subject to a sexual harm prevention order and restraining order.
The judge said Wilson "remains in apparent denial of your true motivation and dismissed matters as a series of bad decisions". He told him: "You are an offender of particular concern."
Christopher Bowery
Sentence: Seven years and seven months
The despicable pervert sexually abused a brain-damaged woman on a bus. The 36-year-old sat next to the obviously vulnerable victim on the top deck of a bus and got her to carry out sex acts on him in broad daylight.
Newcastle Crown Court heard how the victim, who is in her 60s, has significant impairments. She was described as "child-like" and she even told Bowery she had a "damaged brain".
The court heard how the woman was on a bus one day in November 2019 around 1.30pm. When Bowery got on and went upstairs, he initially went to the back of the bus but then moved next to the victim, at the front.
The court in Newcastle heard how no one else was in the upstairs area. What happened next was captured on CCTV and shows him engaging the woman in conversation.
Lee Fish, prosecuting, told the court: "She told him she had, to use her words, a damaged brain. She said she felt sorry for the defendant and even gave him some money.
"The defendant moved closer to her and started to hold her hand then put his hand on her groin. He then started to kiss her." He then got her to carry out sex acts.
Mr Fish added: "The prosecution say her inability to communicate and impaired social functioning resulted in her being unable to remove herself from this situation."
The bus driver saw what was happening and told them both to get off separately. The woman apologised to the driver, saying: "I don't know him, I think he's trying to change me."
Her son described it as a "despicable offence" and added: "I can't believe she was subjected to this. I can't imagine the type of person who would be capable of doing this to a lone, vulnerable, brain-damaged woman in daylight on a public bus.
"I'm devastated about it, it makes me physically sick. After she told me what happened I was uncontrollably shaking and overcome with emotion for hours. I despise him for taking the last of my mother's dignity from her. This has had a huge and lasting impact on our family."
Bowery, of Linden Avenue, Fenham, Newcastle, pleaded guilty to sexual activity with a person with a mental disorder impeding choice. He has 69 previous convictions, including exposure in 2007.
The court heard how Bowery, who lives with his parents and is his dad's carer, is remorseful. Richard Herrmann, defending, said: "He has always said he can't recollect a thing about it. He was heavily intoxicated. He has shown disgust in his own behaviour."
Earlier this month, Judge Robert Adams sentenced Bowery to seven years and seven months in prison and ordered him to sign the sex offenders register for life.
He told him: "She should have felt safe and been safe on public transport in broad daylight with security cameras in place but she was not. You accept she was unable to refuse what you were doing because of her mental disorder."
Sean Bentham
Sentence: Six years
The 30-year-old raped a sleeping woman who he met on a friendship app after she invited him over on the provision there would be no sex.
He met the woman on the friends section of the Bumble app and she asked him to visit her "for cuddles" after a night out socialising.
Newcastle Crown Court heard how the victim, who has met Bentham once before, messaged him saying: "Want to stay at mine, no sex".
They got ready for bed and the victim, who had drunk lots of alcohol, quickly fell asleep, with the pair "spooning".
Richard Herrmann, prosecuting, told the court in Newcastle: "The next thing she remembers is waking up to find him having sex with her. She froze and didn't know what to do. She became upset and he asked if she regretted it. She said she had been fast asleep before telling him to leave."
In what prosecutors say was an attempt to get his story in first, Bentham then walked to a police station and gave a detailed account. He said he'd had what he thought was consensual sex, after which she said she was asleep.
Bentham, of Morecambe Parade, Hebburn, South Tyneside, denied rape and assault by penetration but was found guilty by a jury.
In a statement, read to the court, the victim said: "I've gone through every emotion possible. I became incredibly depressed and had suicidal thoughts. I couldn't function. I now feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders, I'm incredibly grateful I was believed by the jury."
Sue Hirst, defending, said: "His position was he reasonably believed she had consented but the jury obviously thought otherwise. It was highly unusual he took himself off, walking a long way to find a police station and it was he who informed the police.
"He does have regret for the emotional impact this has had on her and the impact this has had on his own family. The situation was very largely caused by the isolated lifestyle he was leading at the time."
Earlier this month, Bentham, who has no previous convictions, was jailed for six years. He was also ordered to sign the sex offenders register indefinitely.
Read more:
Pervert turned up hoping to meet 14-year-old boy to fulfil his sexual 'fantasy' in Byker
'Devious' Peterlee pervert thought he was having sexual chats with vulnerable 13-year-old girl
Spennymoor mum jailed for historic sexual abuse of 'very young' child in 1990s
North Shields pervert had vile images showing 'horror story of abuse'
Durham paedophile teacher struck off after FBI probe uncovers indecent videos of children
