SIMON MEWSE FROM KIRK ELLA JAILED FOR CHILD SEX OFFENCES NEAR SELBY AND YORK

In September 2020, Simon Leonard Mewse, a 36-year-old man from Kirk Ella, was sentenced to over five years in prison after a disturbing series of online and offline attempts to engage in sexual activities with an eight-year-old girl near Selby, North Yorkshire, and York. The case revealed a pattern of heinous behavior involving premeditated plans to abuse a young child, with Mewse traveling from his home in Hull to meet the girl and her uncle, with the intent to commit sexual assault.

Prosecutors detailed how Mewse, who also performs as a DJ under the stage name Vinylizer, made a two-hour journey to a secluded location at Skipton Common nature reserve, armed with condoms, a tent, and cannabis, in anticipation of the illicit meeting. His arrival was thwarted when police officers, acting undercover, arrested him at the scene. Mewse’s vehicle, a Vauxhall Corsa, was found to contain the items he intended to use during the planned assault.

The investigation uncovered a series of disturbing online communications over nine days in July, during which Mewse engaged with undercover officers posing as a perverted uncle and a father with similar deviant interests. In these chats, Mewse expressed a desire to sexually abuse the eight-year-old girl, even changing his online profile to “You and Your Daughter” and explicitly stating his interest in younger children. He discussed the possibility of involving others in the abuse and sent numerous indecent images, including videos depicting children as young as three being sexually abused. One particularly shocking video showed a man raping a child.

The court heard that Mewse had also exchanged messages with an undercover officer posing as a father of two, asking about the sexual history of a supposed 10-year-old daughter and sharing indecent images of children, some rated as Category A, the most severe classification. These images included explicit videos involving children aged between three and eight, with some scenes depicting sexual assault and rape.

Throughout the proceedings, Mewse admitted to multiple charges, including two counts of intentionally arranging to meet a child for sexual purposes, attempting to meet a girl for sex, and distributing indecent images of children. He also pleaded guilty to possessing a Class B drug, cannabis, found in his possession during the arrest.

Judge Simon Hickey, presiding over the case, described Mewse’s actions as “shocking” and expressed disappointment that his own father’s recent conviction for child sex offences did not serve as a warning. The judge emphasized that Mewse’s intentions towards the young girl were serious, stating that he had “effectively” talked about raping her and that he attended the meeting point with the clear purpose of abusing her. The judge sentenced Mewse to five years and three months in prison, with an additional two-year license period upon release, citing the high risk of reoffending. Mewse was also ordered to register as a sex offender for life and was subject to a sexual-harm prevention order.

In a related case from August 2020, Mewse, also from Kirk Ella, faced similar charges after attempting to meet an eight-year-old girl near Selby for sex. He pleaded guilty to multiple counts, including attempting to meet a child for sexual purposes and distributing indecent images. He was remanded in custody and the sentencing was scheduled for September 9, with the court ordering a pre-sentence report to assess his dangerousness and determine the appropriate sentence.