A 30-year-old police officer based at Harrogate has been charged with sexual assault.

Christopher Hudson will appear at York Magistrates Court tomorrow.

North Yorkshire Police said in a statement that Hudson was based in Harrogate at the time of the allegation and was currently suspended.

No further details are available.

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A Harrogate child abuser and online groomer has been sentenced to six years and 11 months in jail.

Wenxiong Jiang, 26, was also made subject to a 20-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order and will remain on the Register of Sex Offenders indefinitely.

Jiang was convicted at York Crown Court on Friday of the following offences that he committed between February 2017 and December 2020:

• sexual assault on a two-year-old boy
• three counts of causing a child to engage in sexual activity
• engaging in sexual communication with a child
• taking an indecent image of a child
• five counts of making an indecent image of a child
• possessing an extreme pornographic image involving an animal
• possessing a prohibited image of a child

Detective Constable Rebecca Townsend, of Harrogate CID, led the intensive investigation into Jiang’s offending following his arrest on December 15, 2020.

Posed as 15-year-old boy

The inquiry uncovered that he had added a 12-year-old girl on Snapchat and engaged her in conversations while he was posing as a 15-year-old boy.

Jiang pressured and then eventually threatened the girl to send him naked pictures of herself engaging in penetrative sexual activity.

When he was arrested, officers recovered 250,000 images from his devices including a video of himself sexually assaulting a two-year-old boy.

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The Digital Forensic Unit examined all the material to help identify offences and possible victims.

DC Townsend said:

“Wenxiong Jiang is clearly a very disturbed and perverted individual who poses a danger to children.

“He has rightfully been brought to justice and is now facing the full consequences of his depravity with a significant prison sentence.

“As a registered sex offender, he is subject to robust public protection measures for the rest of his life. He will also have to comply with a Sexual Harm Prevention Order lasting 20 years which is designed to severely limit his ability to reoffend in the future.”

Reporting suspected crimes involving indecent images of children and sexual abuse

You can contact:

• North Yorkshire Police on 101 or make a report via www.northyorkshire.police.uk. If you are in immediate danger, always dial 999 for an emergency response
• Child Exploitation Online Protection command (CEOP)
• Internet Watch Foundation – report suspected abuse of children online
• Stop It Now! – seek anonymous and confidential help if you or someone you know could be a sexual risk to children
• Supporting Victims in North Yorkshire online or by calling 01609 643100
• NSPCC Helplines: Help for adults concerned about a child – call 0808 800 5000
• Childline: Help for children and young people – call 0800 1111

Victims who would prefer not to go direct to the police and are not in immediate danger, can contact Bridge House, North Yorkshire’s Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC), on 0330 223 0362, email bridgehouse.sarc@nhs.net or go to www.bridgehousesarc.org/

Police in the Harrogate district have increased patrols to help people get home safe over the festive period.

North Yorkshire Police has partnered with Harrogate Borough Council as part of an annual Get Home Safely from bars, nightclubs and restaurants campaign.

The key message of the campaign is for people to plan their journeys home in advance, look-out for one another, and look after their drinks and possessions.

Statistics show that domestic abuse incidents increase during bank holiday periods, and the campaign also aims to highlight emotional and practical support available through the charity IDAS.

Revellers will notice posters and digital boards with advice across the district. They will also notice more police on the streets.

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Cllr Mike Chambers, Harrogate Borough Council’s cabinet member for housing and safer communities, said:

“The festive period is often a time when people catch-up with friends and enjoy themselves in pubs and restaurants, and we want them to be able to do so safely.

“For many, this will be the first festive period since before the pandemic, that they have celebrated the festivities and we want them to remember it for all the right reasons by staying safe, and following the latest vovid guidance and advice.”

Chief Inspector Andy Colbourne, from North Yorkshire Police, said:

“The police and council continue to work in partnership to make the Harrogate district a safe place for all to enjoy the Christmas and New Year festivities.

“The support of licensed premises in the Get Home Safely annual campaign is particularly prevalent this year and we hope that everyone enjoys a safe night out.”

Lauren Doherty, from Road Safety Talks was left paralysed during a night out with friends. She said:

“A moment of distraction during a night out can change your life forever. Have fun, enjoy yourselves and get home safely.”

North Yorkshire Police has launched its Christmas campaign to tackle drink and drug driving.

The campaign, which runs until January 1, will see traffic officers conduct around the clock patrols and breath testing.

Every year, about 1,400 people are arrested across the county for drink and drug driving. The number increases during the festive period.

Sergeant Andy Morton said:

“A lot of people think police are just interested in catching and arresting as many people as possible for drink or drug driving over the festive period. And whilst this is true to an extent, the main priority for us is to keep people alive.

“We want to catch people who take serious risks by breaking the law in this way. Drink and drug driving kills. It’s that simple. We want you to live and be at home with your loved ones this Christmas.”

According to a police press release, there are often misconceptions about how much you can legally drink and drive. The legal limit is different for everyone, depending on factors such as age, size and the type and amount of alcohol being consumed.

In England, the blood limit is 80 milligrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood. But police advise people not to drink and drive at all.

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York and North Yorkshire Road Safety Partnership is working with the police, North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service and other partner agencies to warn motorists of the dangers of driving whilst under the influence of alcohol and drugs.

North Yorkshire County Councillor Don Mackenzie, executive member for access, said:

Police have appealed for information about the whereabouts of three men with links to Harrogate.

Eighteen-year-old Harrogate man Luke Gibson and 20-year-old Leeds man, Ainsley West, who has strong links with Harrogate, are wanted in connection with a serious assault in Boroughbridge this month.

William Smythe, 19, from Harrogate, is wanted for failing to attend court for drug offences.

North Yorkshire Police said in a statement today it believed the three men could be in the Harrogate area, although West could be in Leeds.

It added:

“Significant enquiries have been ongoing to locate the trio and so we are now issuing an appeal to anyone who has seen them or know where they are to come forward with information.”

The police asked people to report sightings or information about their whereabouts by calling 101 and quoting reference number 12210245826 for West and Gibson or 12210248895 for Smythe.

Alternatively, you can pass on information anonymously through the charity Crimestoppers by calling 0800 555 111 or via its website.

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Police have released CCTV footage of convicted murderer Daniel Ainsley’s final movements before he killed Mark Wolsey.

Ainsley was sentenced to life in prison yesterday for murdering Mr Wolsey, 48, on Mayfield Grove on March 5.

Following sentencing, North Yorkshire Police has released footage used to prosecute Ainsley.

The three-minute clip, which can be played below, shows the 24-year-old going into Asda supermarket on Bower Road to purchase a set of kitchen knives with his own bank card.

He later goes outside the store to dispose of all but one of them before walking back to 38 Mayfield Grove where he stabbed Mr Wolsey multiple times.

At Leeds Crown Court last month, Ainsley pleaded not guilty to murder on the grounds of diminished responsibility but admitted manslaughter.

However, Mark McKone QC, prosecuting, said the CCTV footage demonstrated that Ainsley knew what he was doing and that the killing was premeditated.

He told Leeds Crown Court:

“There can be no doubt that the defendant intended to kill Mark.

“The defendant knew exactly what he was doing and did it in a calm and calculated way.”

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The defence’s case that Ainsley was suffering from a personality disorder which “impaired his ability to form a rational judgement” did not convince a jury.

He was convicted of murder on October 22 and sentenced to a minimum of 22 years in prison yesterday.

Speaking after sentencing, Detective Superintendent Fran Naughton, head of crime at North Yorkshire Police, said: 

“I am pleased with today’s sentence and that the court previously agreed with the prosecution that this was clearly a case of murder, and nothing less.

“My thoughts remain with Mark’s mother, children and his wider family who have had to sit through the trial and listen to the horrific details of his death. Nothing can bring Mark back, but I hope that his loved ones can take some comfort in the knowledge that justice has now been done.”

North Yorkshire Police has appealed for information to identify a woman spotted on CCTV in a Harrogate shop after a fraud was committed.

Cash was taken from the One Stop on Crab Lane Harrogate at 10.30am on October 22.

The woman entered the shop and asked for cash to be changed into different notes and coins. The scam known as ‘ringing the change’ involves the scammer asking for various different notes and coins to confuse the cashier into giving them extra money.

Anyone who recognises the woman in the image is asked to contact the police.

If you have information contact North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option 2 and ask for Brendon Frith or email Brendon.Frith@northyorkshire.police.uk. Quote reference number 12210226719.

To remain anonymous call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

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Three men were arrested after stealing a laptop worth thousands of pounds from the Apple iStore on James Street in Harrogate.

Officers were called at 4pm yesterday after two men entered the shop and left with a MacBook Pro worth £1,899 making no attempt to pay.

Owners of the store reported to police that the men had left the area in a car.

North Yorkshire Police used CCTV to search for the car and the men were arrested on the outskirts of York just before 4.45pm, less than 45 minutes after from the initial report.

Two men, one aged 18 and another aged 20, were arrested on suspicion of theft and electrical items that were believed to be stolen were recovered.

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Both were charged with theft and the driver was also charged for driving without insurance.

A third man was released without charge.

A North Yorkshire Police spokesman said: 

“This is a great result, the speedy work of our officers on the ground has resulted in us returning this high-value item back to the shop.

“As we enter the Christmas period, we often see an increase in retail theft. I would urge all shop owners and members of the public who are out shopping to be vigilant and to alert police to any suspicious activity.”

A wanted man who breached his conditions of release from prison could be Harrogate.

North Yorkshire Police is seeking information on the whereabouts of 24-year-old Joshua David Greaves.

Greaves was jailed in September 2020 for stealing motorbikes and bicycles worth £12,000.

Police say he could be in Scarborough, but also has links to Harrogate and Eastfield.

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Greaves is about 6ft 2, of slim build and has dark brown hair and blue eyes.

A police statement added:

“If you see him, or have any info about his current whereabouts, please call North Yorkshire Police on 101, quoting reference number 12210238354.”