June 22, 2017 1.39 pm
This story is over 51 months old
Sex offender jailed for 15 years for crimes against girl under 13
A 33-year-old man from Faldingworth near Market Rasen has been sentenced to 15 years in jail for a string of sexual offences against a girl under the age of 13. Matthew Derek Clarke pleaded guilty to a number of offences and was jailed at Lincoln Crown Court on Thursday, June 22. Clarke targeted his victim, described…
Matthew Derek Clarke has been jailed for 15 years. Photo: Lincolnshire Police
A 33-year-old man from Faldingworth near Market Rasen has been sentenced to 15 years in jail for a string of sexual offences against a girl under the age of 13.
Matthew Derek Clarke pleaded guilty to a number of offences and was jailed at Lincoln Crown Court on Thursday, June 22.
Clarke targeted his victim, described in court as “extremely vulnerable”, and he committed a string of serious sexual offences against her over an eight year period.
James Bide-Thomas, prosecuting, told Lincoln Crown Court that Clarke groomed his victim before moving on to sexually abuse her.
The offences came to light when his victim was spoken to by police in connection with a separate incident.
The girl was interviewed as a witness in that matter and went on to reveal the horrific abuse she had suffered at the hands of Clarke.
Later when Clarke’s mobile phone was examined police found over 1,100 child porn images.
Clarke, 33, of no fixed address but formerly of Stocks Lane, Faldingworth, admitted a total of 28 charges including rape of a child under the age of 13, assault by penetration of a child under 13, causing a child to engage in sexual activity, sexual assault, taking indecent photographs of a child and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
He was placed on the sex offenders’ register for life and given an indefinite sexual harm prevention order designed to restrict his behaviour on his release from custody.
Judge John PIni QC, passing sentence, told Clarke: “You have pleaded guilty to extremely serious and repeated sexual offending. From a young age you groomed your victim and used her as a sex toy. She was extremely vulnerable.”
James Gray, in mitigation, said Clarke has been undergoing treatment since being remanded into custody following his arrest.
Mr Gray said: “He has demonstrated a significant degree of insight into his offences.”
Detective Sergeant Gail Hurley, of Lincoln Public Protection Unit at Lincolnshire Police, paid tribute to staff for their investigation into the case.
She said: “The sentencing today means that a dangerous and predatory sex offender will be imprisoned for a significant time.
“It’s a message to any perpetrator that we will do all we can to bring cases to court and put an end to such vile and depraved offending.
“I would like to pay tribute to the victim whose bravery throughout this process has been invaluable.”
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Police are appealing to locate a man captured on CCTV in a pub in Grantham, after a female staff member was reportedly sexually assaulted while on shift.
At around 7.30pm on Wednesday, September 22, a man entered the Old Bank pub on Grantham High Street and ordered a drink from the bar.
After finishing the drink, the man went to the bar and offered a tip. At this point he grabbed a female member of staff with both hands and kissed her neck, before being pushed away and told not to touch her.
Have you seen this man? | Photo: Lincolnshire Police
Police originally released an image of the man in question, but have now published CCTV footage from the pub to try and help identify him quicker.
If you have any information which could help with police’s investigation, contact officers in one of the following ways:
Call 101 and quote incident 381 of September 22
Email [email protected] and use the same incident number in the subject line
Volunteers have again been cleaning up the Sincil Bank area of Lincoln, collecting car tyres, a road sign, shopping trolleys and even a used needle in a bid to make the streets tidier.
The cleanup was organised by volunteers at Sincil Bank Lincoln RiverCare and Litter Pick Group, as an army of people armed with litter picking devices took to the streets of Lincoln on Saturday, October 23.
The litter picks take place monthly, and despite having reduced numbers this time around, the group managed to collect a large hoard of rubbish.
The cleanup team were hard at work again in the Lincoln area. | Photo: Nick Rawsthorne
Volunteers took to the Hermit Street and Portland Street areas first, where numerous empty cans of beer and broken glass bottles had to be cleared from what looked like a party aftermath.
Drug paraphernalia was also found in the area in the form of a used needle, which was safely disposed of due to the health risks that come with potentially coming into contact with used syringes.
What appears to be a party aftermath in the Hermit Street/Portland Street zone. | Photo: Nick Rawsthorne
The items collected include a bike frame pulled from a drain, a games console, two shopping trolleys, two car tyres, a bag of clothes and a television without a screen.
Volunteers meet monthly for the litter pick. | Photo: Nick Rawsthorne
The cleanup operation takes place around the Sincil Bank area of the city. | Photo: Nick Rawsthorne
As well as this, the volunteers collected 45 face masks, 155 cans, 65 glass bottles, 55 plastic bottle containers and 20 bags.
The volunteers were fishing items out of the river. | Photo: Nick Rawsthorne
Perhaps the most bizarre find was a box full of mounted pike heads, which were described as “macabre” upon discovery.
A pretty harrowing find on a litter pick. | Photo: Nick Rawsthorne
Nick Rawsthorne said of the pike heads: “We know Halloween is now very close, but to find a box full of mounted pike heads was totally unexpected. A rather bizarre find and a sad reflection on how some treat local wildlife.”
All smiles for October’s litter pick. | Photo: Nick Rawsthorne
The next litter pick from the group will be on November 20, and to check out more of the great work done by Sincil Bank Lincoln RiverCare and Litter Pick Group, check out their Facebook page.
Teams were leaving no stone unturned. | Photo: Nick Rawsthorne
Another successful meet-up for the volunteers. | Photo: Nick Rawsthorne
A Lincolnshire woman has been cleared of sexually assaulting a man after the Crown Prosecution Service offered no evidence against her.
Cheryl Howarth, 45, of Timms Drove, Low Grounds, near Swineshead, had denied a single charge of sexual assault on a male aged over 16-years-old. The offence was alleged to have occured on August 30, 2019.
Howarth appeared at Lincoln Crown Court on Monday where her case was listed as a ‘backer’ trial. However her trial could not be heard due to other court work.
Andrew Fitch-Holland, prosecuting, said the Crown Prosecution Service had decided to drop the case and offer no evidence on the charge after speaking to the complainant about the further delay.
Recorder Simon King directed a not guilty verdict to be entered against Howarth and told her she was free to leave court.
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