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| Police paid convicted child rapist to spy on Newcastle sex abusers | Police paid convicted child rapist to spy on Newcastle sex abusers |
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| A convicted child rapist was paid nearly £10,000 by police to spy on a network of men who were sexually abusing young women and girls, it can now be reported. | A convicted child rapist was paid nearly £10,000 by police to spy on a network of men who were sexually abusing young women and girls, it can now be reported. |
| The news comes as seventeen men and one woman were convicted for involvement in a sex grooming network in Newcastle, following a series of trials that ran over more than two years. The trials could not be reported until all were concluded for fear that they would be prejudiced. | The news comes as seventeen men and one woman were convicted for involvement in a sex grooming network in Newcastle, following a series of trials that ran over more than two years. The trials could not be reported until all were concluded for fear that they would be prejudiced. |
| The court was told that Northumbria police paid the man – referred to as XY – £9,680 over 21 months to find out about the times and whereabouts of parties where girls were being plied with drugs and alcohol, to gather evidence for their investigation. | |
| The NSPCC said the police’s decision to pay a child rapist and “plant him in the midst of vulnerable young girls” raised serious questions about the force’s approach to child sexual exploitation operations. | The NSPCC said the police’s decision to pay a child rapist and “plant him in the midst of vulnerable young girls” raised serious questions about the force’s approach to child sexual exploitation operations. |
| The use of the police informant emerged during a pre-trial hearing at Newcastle crown court. Barristers acting on behalf of the defendants attempted to get the cases thrown out because of XY’s involvement. | The use of the police informant emerged during a pre-trial hearing at Newcastle crown court. Barristers acting on behalf of the defendants attempted to get the cases thrown out because of XY’s involvement. |
| They highlighted allegations made by XY of police misconduct, particularly against his handler, and argued that he was unsuitable to be an informant. | They highlighted allegations made by XY of police misconduct, particularly against his handler, and argued that he was unsuitable to be an informant. |
| Robin Patton, representing one of the defendants, said XY, a British Asian man in his 30s, was convicted of raping a child in 2002, having drugged her and invited someone else to rape her after he had. The court heard that XY was also subject to a suspended sentence at the time that he was paid by police. | Robin Patton, representing one of the defendants, said XY, a British Asian man in his 30s, was convicted of raping a child in 2002, having drugged her and invited someone else to rape her after he had. The court heard that XY was also subject to a suspended sentence at the time that he was paid by police. |
| After he was recruited, XY was arrested in 2015 on suspicion of a sexual offence against an underage girl who claimed a man approached her and made an indecent proposition. The case was later dropped. | After he was recruited, XY was arrested in 2015 on suspicion of a sexual offence against an underage girl who claimed a man approached her and made an indecent proposition. The case was later dropped. |
| Patton said public confidence in the administration of justice would be “substantially diminished” if they knew police had chosen such an individual to help their investigation into the exploitation of young people. The investigation, called Operation Shelter, was part of a wider inquiry called Operation Sanctuary. | |
| During the course of the hearing, which was open to journalists but not the general public, XY gave evidence from behind a screen. He described how he felt he was “doing good” when he worked for the police and that he enjoyed it. | During the course of the hearing, which was open to journalists but not the general public, XY gave evidence from behind a screen. He described how he felt he was “doing good” when he worked for the police and that he enjoyed it. |
| XY said he was recruited because he acted as an informal taxi driver for some of the defendants. “I would get to know where they pick up their drugs, where the parties were,” he said, adding later: “I was chilling with the boys. I had to make it look like I was their friend.” | XY said he was recruited because he acted as an informal taxi driver for some of the defendants. “I would get to know where they pick up their drugs, where the parties were,” he said, adding later: “I was chilling with the boys. I had to make it look like I was their friend.” |
| During his evidence he made a series of allegations against the police, but the judge, Penny Moreland, dismissed XY’s evidence as “inherently unreliable”, “lacking in credibility” and “clearly dishonest”. XY said his handler was only interested in gathering evidence on Asian males. | During his evidence he made a series of allegations against the police, but the judge, Penny Moreland, dismissed XY’s evidence as “inherently unreliable”, “lacking in credibility” and “clearly dishonest”. XY said his handler was only interested in gathering evidence on Asian males. |
| He said his handler ignored him when he told him a complainant had admitted lying when she said one of the defendants had raped her. He also claimed he was instructed to plant drugs in the home of one of the defendants. Moreland said she judged the claim “like everything else XY said, as wholly lacking in credibility”. | He said his handler ignored him when he told him a complainant had admitted lying when she said one of the defendants had raped her. He also claimed he was instructed to plant drugs in the home of one of the defendants. Moreland said she judged the claim “like everything else XY said, as wholly lacking in credibility”. |
| XY said during a trial in 2015 he was encouraged by his handler to listen in on private meetings between defendants and their legal representatives. | XY said during a trial in 2015 he was encouraged by his handler to listen in on private meetings between defendants and their legal representatives. |
| Moreland dismissed the application to get the case thrown out based on XY’s evidence, saying in her ruling: “I am not satisfied that there has been any misconduct in this regard on the part of the police … There is no evidence that any of the proper procedures for the handling of informants were breached, or of any improper conduct.” | Moreland dismissed the application to get the case thrown out based on XY’s evidence, saying in her ruling: “I am not satisfied that there has been any misconduct in this regard on the part of the police … There is no evidence that any of the proper procedures for the handling of informants were breached, or of any improper conduct.” |
| She said there was no evidence that XY was guilty of any sexual misconduct towards the complainants. | She said there was no evidence that XY was guilty of any sexual misconduct towards the complainants. |
| Jon Brown, the lead expert on tackling child sexual abuse at the NSPCC, said: “We are appalled to learn that police paid a child rapist and planted him in the midst of vulnerable young girls. You just couldn’t make it up.“It beggars belief that it would ever have been considered, let alone approved, and serious questions must be asked about the force’s approach to child sexual exploitation operations.Brown said that, however good the force’s intentions, their misguided actions ran “entirely counter to all current child protection procedures and what we know about sex offenders” and could have compromised the investigation.He said it was right that the men were behind bars: “What we mustn’t forget in all this is the victims who were preyed on by a series of despicable men for their own sexual gratification.” | Jon Brown, the lead expert on tackling child sexual abuse at the NSPCC, said: “We are appalled to learn that police paid a child rapist and planted him in the midst of vulnerable young girls. You just couldn’t make it up.“It beggars belief that it would ever have been considered, let alone approved, and serious questions must be asked about the force’s approach to child sexual exploitation operations.Brown said that, however good the force’s intentions, their misguided actions ran “entirely counter to all current child protection procedures and what we know about sex offenders” and could have compromised the investigation.He said it was right that the men were behind bars: “What we mustn’t forget in all this is the victims who were preyed on by a series of despicable men for their own sexual gratification.” |
| Northumbria police’s chief constable, Steve Ashman, who recently announced his retirement, said he understood that the fact police paid and engaged with XY “may appear repugnant”. | Northumbria police’s chief constable, Steve Ashman, who recently announced his retirement, said he understood that the fact police paid and engaged with XY “may appear repugnant”. |
| “However he proved he was in a position whereby he could, and did, alert police to situations which allowed them to prevent offending and provide safeguarding measures towards potential victims,” Ashman said. | “However he proved he was in a position whereby he could, and did, alert police to situations which allowed them to prevent offending and provide safeguarding measures towards potential victims,” Ashman said. |
| The use of such tactics was always overseen by a senior police officer and was subject to review by an independent body, Ashman said. The force’s handling of XY was the subject of an independent investigation by the Independent Police Complaints Commission, which found no evidence of any misconduct. | The use of such tactics was always overseen by a senior police officer and was subject to review by an independent body, Ashman said. The force’s handling of XY was the subject of an independent investigation by the Independent Police Complaints Commission, which found no evidence of any misconduct. |
| “In the case of XY it is clear that his relationships with others have allowed the police to prevent and detect some of the most serious crimes occurring in our communities. This would not have been possible through conventional methods,” said Ashman. | “In the case of XY it is clear that his relationships with others have allowed the police to prevent and detect some of the most serious crimes occurring in our communities. This would not have been possible through conventional methods,” said Ashman. |
| “The sexual exploitation of vulnerable people is in my opinion the challenge of our generation. It is a huge task that we are faced with. To date Operation Sanctuary has been the most complex investigation in this force’s history and has not stopped. There is a wider debate to be had as to how this is to be tackled moving forward.” | “The sexual exploitation of vulnerable people is in my opinion the challenge of our generation. It is a huge task that we are faced with. To date Operation Sanctuary has been the most complex investigation in this force’s history and has not stopped. There is a wider debate to be had as to how this is to be tackled moving forward.” |
| Dame Vera Baird QC, the Northumbria police and crime commissioner, said she would “have wished this man not to be used, in particular because of his conviction for rape”. | |
| She said she had questioned the chief constable about his decision and was satisfied that “the difficult moral decision to use the informant was taken with care and with particular regard to the welfare of victims”. | |
| She added: “I am assured that the information this male supplied has contributed to the investigation and hence to the prosecution of these dangerous men, that it could not have been obtained in any other way, and that it will have ensured the speedier rescue and safeguarding of vulnerable women who would otherwise have continued to suffer abuse.” |