Jailed: 12 vile Devon paedophiles locked up for their crimes

Every week the courts in Exeter deal with a relentless supply of men with an unnatural sexual interest in children. One of the most common types of offence seen at court involves paedophiles downloading child abuse videos from the internet. The usual punishment is a suspended sentence or community order with attached court orders designed to protect the public from further offending and restrict their use of computers.

These defendants are often told that their crimes feed a depraved industry of real child abuse. Paedophiles guilty of the most serious offences go to jail. Some have a history of similar offending and have previously been given the opportunity to change their ways on sex offender courses.

In this list DevonLive looks at men convicted in 2023 of truly heinous crimes against children.

Paedophile Daniel Keenor has been jailed (Image: Devon & Cornwall Police)

A dangerous paedophile shared sick sexual videos with an undercover police officer soon after being released from prison for identical offences. Daniel Keenor, from Paignton[1], has a long history of paedophile behaviour and has been in and out of prison several times in recent years. He boasted in online chats about watching horrific child abuse videos and shared rape fantasies with someone he thought was another paedophile.

He did not know the other person was actually a decoy undercover officer. Keenor was arrested at an approved bail hostel in Southampton in March 2021 but the offences have only just come to court. In the meantime, he has has been convicted of later offences and is currently serving a long jail sentence.

His new sentence will not add any extra jail time.

Jason Black has been jailed at Exeter Crown Court (Image: Devon & Cornwall Police)

A Torquay[3] paedophile was jailed for making indecent images of children and breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order. Jason Black, 51, has a history of similar offending and was subject to a range of court orders and monitoring measures when he committed his latest crimes.

He ignored restrictions banning him from the internet and was caught after downloading vile images of children being abused. The 51-year-old has been jailed for three years after admitting multiple offences at Exeter[4] Crown Court. Prosecutor Ms Kelly Scrivener said police arrested Black in February after his email was linked to suspicious activity on a child-based image-sharing platform.

Police were worried he was once again accessing indecent images.

Benjamin Holt has been jailed for paedophile offences (Image: Devon & Cornwall Police)

A depraved Exeter[6] paedophile has been jailed for trying to meet a 13-year-old boy for sex. Benjamin Holt teamed up with another sex offender in a serious attempt to persuade the youth to meet them.

It was only because the teen became scared of the danger he was in and backed out that the meeting did not happen. Holt, 37, also shared sick sexual fantasies about abusing boys on a social media chat. The defendant, of Old Market Close, was branded a dangerous offender by a judge at Exeter Crown Court[7].

He was sentenced to three years and four months in prison with an extra two years and eight months on licence.

Aaron Bennett from Chudleigh has been jailed for sex offences against children (Image: Devon & Cornwall Police)

A child rapist from Devon has been jailed for the sexual abuse of three girls. Aaron Bennett, 33, was convicted of eleven serious sexual offences at a trial in October.

The paedophile returned to Exeter[9] Crown Court on Tuesday (November 21) to be sentenced for his crimes. Judge Stephen Climie imposed a 28-year sentence with an extension of eight years due to the danger he poses. The judge said the offending had a significant psychological effect on the victims.

He told Bennett: “This for you is the end of a chapter in your life and the beginning of your time in custody. “Observing the evidence of the three victims in this case was a matter which caused significant upset among jurors who had to try this case.

Paedophile James Pidgeon from Devon has been jailed (Image: Devon & Cornwall Police)

A self-confessed “dirty old paedo” has been locked up for arranging to rape what he thought was a 10-year-old girl.

James Pidgeon shared sick child abuse images and vile fantasies during online chats, a court heard.[11] He thought he was talking to a fellow paedophile. In reality, he was communicating with an undercover police officer and the ‘child’ was just a decoy.

Pidgeon travelled to Torquay[12] and paid for accommodation where he planned to meet the ‘girl’ for sex. He said he was so excited his “teeth hurt”. But he was arrested and admitted an entrenched sexual interest in children.

He blamed the pandemic for making his problems worse and allowing him the time to explore to explore his sick interests. The 57-year-old was jailed for five and a half years at Exeter Crown Court. The judge labelled him a dangerous offender and added an extra five years which must be served on licence when released.

Nicholas Craig has been jailed (Image: NCA)

A Devon paedophile who set up an online forum for sharing indecent images of children has been sentenced to three years in jail. Nicholas Craig, 38, from Sidmouth[14], was arrested by National Crime Agency investigators after he was identified as an administrator of a group on the online chat platform Kik. Craig monitored the forum, verified new members and removed those who were not active enough or failed to supply indecent images of children as per group rules.

After arresting Craig at his home in February 2022, NCA officers seized five devices. Forensic examination found them to contain 1,518 indecent images of children in categories A-C (A being the most severe). Further enquiries showed that Craig had used a number of alias accounts in the names of teenage boys and girls to engage children in sexualised chats on Twitter and Telegram.

The youngest person he contacted was aged 10. When interviewed, Craig admitted being one of the group administrators and claimed he had collected indecent images of children in order to report it to Kik and Twitter. However, he had made no such reports.

Craig admitted three counts of attempting to engage a child in sexual communication and 16 indecent images of children offences at Exeter Crown Court on 12 May this year.

Keith Barons has been jailed for raping a child (Image: Devon & Cornwall Police)

A 66-year-old Cullompton[16] man has been jailed for raping a child more than 20 years ago. Keith Barons, a retired housing association manager, gave the girl alcohol before subjecting her to a terrifying ordeal.

He was aged in his early 40s at the time and the child 12 or 13 years old, Exeter Crown Court[17] was told. She lived with the trauma of what he did to her for years before going to the police in 2019. When questioned Barons denied doing anything wrong and claimed she was making up the story.

But just before the case was due to go to trial he confessed and now says he is ashamed and sorry for what he did. The judge said the actions of the former Sanctuary Housing manager had been “wicked” and that he had repeatedly lied when confronted with the truth. Recorder Don Tait also praised the courage of the victim who read a statement in court describing the psychological price she has had to pay.

Martin Smith has been jailed for sexual assault (Image: Devon & Cornwall Police)

A chef from Torquay[19] has been jailed for sexually abusing a child. Martin Smith, aged 36, was convicted of four charges during a trial at Exeter Crown Court[20] in February. He returned to court on Friday (April 21) to be sentenced for the offences.

He was locked up for eight years with an extra 12 months on licence when he is released. The offences came to light when the child told an adult that Smith had touched her sexually. He denied doing anything wrong but the jury found him guilty after hearing the evidence.

Christopher Houghton has been jailed for sex offences (Image: Devon & Cornwall Police)

A 26-year-old Exeter[22] man has been jailed for raping a 12-year-old boy. Christopher Houghton committed multiple sex assaults on the child and tried to buy his silence by offering gifts. He also took indecent photos of his victim and shared them with another paedophile.

The boy told his parents about what had happened and Houghton was arrested. The defendant, of Brunswick Street, pleaded guilty to two charges of sexual assault against a child under 13, four charges of raping a child, and one each of making and distributing indecent images. He was jailed for eight years.

Jason Hicks has been jailed in Exeter (Image: Devon & Cornwall Police)

A former Devon and Cornwall Police student officer posed as a schoolboy online to trick a nine-year-old girl into exchanging explicit sexualised photos. Jason Hicks, 31, used Tik Tok and Snapchat to talk and groom four other girls aged under 13. He gained their trust by first appearing genuinely friendly before quickly turning the conversations sexual.

His real purpose was to receive naked and sexual images. Hicks was in training as a student police officer at the time of the offences. Police believe he may have been behaving as a online predator for a number of years.

When he was arrested at his home in Bishopsteignton near Teignmouth[24] in Devon, officers discovered more than 1,200 indecent images of children on his devices. The defendant, of Canons Close, searched the internet to find child sexual abuse material.

Anthony Moncrieff has been jailed for possessing indecent pictures (Image: Devon & Cornwall Police)

A paedophile from Sidmouth has been jailed for possessing indecent images of children.

Anthony Moncrieff was given an extended sentence at Exeter Crown Court[26] due to the danger he poses of committing more offences. The 43-year-old had possession of more than 300 images, with 58 depicting the most serious kind of child abuse. He admitted three possession offences and was jailed for four years and two months with an extra five years to be served on extended licence when he is released.

The offences related to images seized in Sidmouth[27] in June 2021. Judge Stephen Climie said Moncrieff has an ‘enthusiasm for paedophile activity online’.

Graham Parkinson has been jailed for indecent images (Image: Devon & Cornwall Police)

Police arrested a paedophile pensioner at his home and found camera footage of a child getting changed at the seaside.

Churchgoer Graham Parkinson, aged 71, said he could not remember taking any pictures but admitted being addicted to searching the internet for child sex abuse material. Police discovered almost 1,500 sickening images and videos on his laptop and phone. Parkinson used the devices to seek out the images online, many depicted the most serious and cruel abuse of babies and young children.

They also found a film of a family with two children unknowingly being watched on Seaton beach.

Parkinson, of Lower North Street, Exeter[29], has been jailed for 20 months at Exeter Crown Court[30].

References

1. ^ Paignton (www.devonlive.com)
2. ^