'MONSTROUS' FERRYHILL CHILD RAPIST BRAGGED ABOUT ABUSE ON DARK WEB
A "monstrous" child rapist who boasted about his sickening abuse on the dark web will spend nearly three decades behind bars.A judge described Ryan Bird's offending as one of the "most grotesque” cases she has dealt with.
Durham Crown Court heard the Ferryhill defendant boasted on the dark web about his sick offending, taking sexual gratification at the distribution of images of his activities, in the hope of receiving similar images in return.
Bird was caught after communicating with an undercover police officer posing as a like-minded paedophile.
Shaun Dodds, prosecuting, said Bird sent images of his abuse and disclosed details of his sexual activity, telling the officer he had to crop his face out of the images so he would not be recognised.
Police arrested him in July last year seizing his phone which was analysed.
Mr Dodds said the defendant was co-operative pointing out where his phone was and giving the officers the pin code.
He told the officers: “I’m going to prison” admitting that his victims did not deserve what he had done, adding: “I need help”.
Despite those apparent admissions no plea was taken while the defendant underwent psychiatric examination to assess his fitness to plead.
When he was ruled to be fit to plead, he denied the offences until the date of his trial, in January, when he changed pleas and made admissions, with one of the young victims on standby to give evidence that day.
Among the offences admitted by 30-year-old Bird, of Kitchener Street, were six of rape, one of attempted rape, two of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, and one of sexual assault, plus offences of taking indecent images and possessing prohibited images of children.
Robin Patton, for Bird, said there was nothing he could say by way of mitigation.
“The offences are beyond the pale.
There’s a lot of work that needs doing to satisfy anyone that he will not be a risk to anyone.” Mr Patton said the defendant is on the autistic spectrum which left him socially isolated.
Judge Jo Kidd said when first arrested he made comments to police which, “on the face of it seemed to suggest you fully accepted what you had done.” But he backtracked on that until the day of trial, in January.
The judge said it was the most grotesque set of facts in a case she has ever had to read.
She said the defendant’s use of the dark web was an attempt to conceal his activities and to enable him to converse with like-minded paedophiles.
The judge said she had come to the conclusion the defendant poses a serious risk of serious harm, particularly to young children.
Imposing the total 27-year extended sentence she said the defendant must serve at least 18 years behind bars before being eligible for consideration for release by the Parole Board.
But he may have to serve the full 27 years before being released.
Upon his eventual release he will be subject to eight years’ extended licence period.
He will also be subject of Sexual Harm Prevention Order and registration as a sex offender, both “indefinitely” restraining orders were put in place relating to each abused child, also indefinitely.
Speaking after the hearing, Detective Chief Inspector Mel Sutherland, from Durham Constabulary, who led the investigation, said: “The monstrous offences committed by Ryan Bird against these children are the worst I have ever seen in my 22-year career in policing.
The investigation has been extremely challenging and traumatic for all involved.
However, the professionalism and skill of the team, in particular, OIC Detective Constable Gary Tinkler, and their never-ending pursuit of justice for the children has been truly humbling.”
