Latest news with #John
Sky News
3 hours ago
- Sky News
'My world crumbled': The teenage girl who found out her dad was a child sex offender
Ava was heading home from Pizza Hut when she found out her dad had been arrested. Warning: This article includes references to indecent images of children and suicide that some readers may find distressing It had been "a really good evening" celebrating her brother's birthday. Ava (not her real name) was just 13, and her brother several years younger. Their parents had divorced a few years earlier and they were living with their mum. Suddenly Ava's mum, sitting in the front car seat next to her new boyfriend, got a phone call. "She answered the phone and it was the police," Ava remembers. "I think they realised that there were children in the back so they kept it very minimal, but I could hear them speaking." "I was so scared," she says, as she overheard about his arrest. "I was panicking loads because my dad actually used to do a lot of speeding and I was like: 'Oh no, he's been caught speeding, he's going to get in trouble.'" But Ava wasn't told what had really happened until many weeks later, even though things changed immediately. "We found out that we weren't going to be able to see our dad for, well we didn't know how long for - but we weren't allowed to see him, or even speak to him. I couldn't text him or anything. I was just wondering what was going on, I didn't know. I didn't understand." Ava's dad, John, had been arrested for looking at indecent images of children online. We hear this first-hand from John (not his real name), who we interviewed separately from Ava. What he told us about his offending was, of course, difficult to hear. His offending went on for several years, looking at indecent images and videos of young children. His own daughter told us she was "repulsed" by what he did. But John wanted to speak to us, frankly and honestly. He told us he was "sorry" for what he had done, and that it was only after counselling that he realised the "actual impact on the people in the images" of his crime. By sharing his story, he hopes to try to stop other people doing what he did and raise awareness about the impact this type of offence has - on everyone involved, including his unsuspecting family. John tells us he'd been looking at indecent images and videos of children since 2013. "I was on the internet, on a chat site," he says. "Someone sent a link. I opened it, and that's what it was. "Then more people started sending links and it just kind of gathered pace from there really. It kind of sucks you in without you even realising it. And it becomes almost like a drug, to, you know, get your next fix." John says he got a "sexual kick" from looking at the images and claims "at the time, when you're doing it, you don't realise how wrong it is". 'I told them exactly what they would find' At the point of his arrest, John had around 1,000 indecent images and videos of children on his laptop - some were Category A, the most severe. Referencing the counselling that he since received, John says he believes the abuse he received as a child affected the way he initially perceived what he was doing. "I had this thing in my mind," he says, "that the kids in these were enjoying it." "Unfortunately, [that] was the way that my brain was wired up" and "I'm not proud of it", he adds. John had been offending for several years when he downloaded an image that had been electronically tagged by security agencies. It flagged his location to police. John was arrested at his work and says he "straight away just admitted everything". "I told them exactly what they would find, and they found it." The police bailed John - and he describes the next 24 hours as "hell". "I wanted to kill myself," he remembers. "It was the only way I could see out of the situation. I was just thinking about my family, my daughter and my son, how is it going to affect them?" But John says the police had given information about a free counselling service, a helpline, which he called that day. "It stopped me in my tracks and probably saved my life." 'My world was crumbling around me' Six weeks later, John was allowed to make contact with Ava. By this point she describes how she was "hysterically crying" at school every day, not knowing what had happened to her dad. But once he told her what he'd done, things got even worse. "When I found out, it genuinely felt like my world was crumbling around me," Ava says. "I felt like I couldn't tell anyone. I was so embarrassed of what people might think of me. It sounds so silly, but I was so scared that people would think that I would end up like him as well, which would never happen. "It felt like this really big secret that I just had to hold in." "I genuinely felt like the only person that was going through something like this," Ava says. She didn't know it then, but her father also had a sense of fear and shame. "You can't share what you've done with anybody because people can get killed for things like that," he says. "It would take a very, very brave man to go around telling people something like that." And as for his kids? "They wouldn't want to tell anybody, would they?" he says. For her, Ava says "for a very, very long time" things were "incredibly dark". "I turned to drugs," she says. "I was doing lots of like Class As and Bs and going out all the time, I guess because it just was a form of escape. "There was a point in my life where I just I didn't believe it was going to get better. I really just didn't want to exist. I was just like, if this is what life is like then why am I here?" 'The trauma is huge for those children' Ava felt alone, but research shows this is happening to thousands of British children every year. Whereas suspects like John are able to access free services, such as counselling, there are no similar automatic services for their children - unless families can pay. Professor Rachel Armitage, a criminology expert, set up a Leeds-based charity called Talking Forward in 2021. It's the only free, in-person, peer support group for families of suspected online child sex offenders in England. But it does not have the resources to provide support for under-18s. "The trauma is huge for those children," Prof Armitage says. "We have families that are paying for private therapy for their children and getting in a huge amount of debt to pay for that." Prof Armitage says if these children were legally recognised as victims, then if would get them the right level of automatic, free support. It's not unheard of for "indirect" or "secondary" victims to be recognised in law. Currently, the Domestic Abuse Act does that for children in a domestic abuse household, even if the child hasn't been a direct victim themselves. In the case of children like Ava, Prof Armitage says it would mean "they would have communication with the parents in terms of what was happening with this offence; they would get the therapeutic intervention and referral to school to let them know that something has happened, which that child needs consideration for". We asked the Ministry of Justice whether children of online child sex offenders could be legally recognised as victims. "We sympathise with the challenges faced by the unsuspecting families of sex offenders and fund a helpline for prisoners' families which provides free and confidential support," a spokesperson said. But when we spoke with that helpline, and several other charities that the Ministry of Justice said could help, they told us they could only help children with a parent in prison - which for online offences is, nowadays, rarely the outcome. None of them could help children like Ava, whose dad received a three-year non-custodial sentence, and was put on the sex offenders' register for five years. "These children will absolutely fall through the gap," Prof Armitage says. "I think there's some sort of belief that these families are almost not deserving enough," she says. "That there's some sort of hierarchy of harms, and that they're not harmed enough, really." 'People try to protect kids from people like me' Ava says there is simply not enough help - and that feels unfair. "In some ways we're kind of forgotten about by the services," she says. "It's always about the offender." John agrees with his daughter. "I think the children should get more support than the offender because nobody stops and ask them really, do they?" he says. " Nobody thinks about what they're going through." Although Ava and John now see each other, they have never spoken about the impact that John's offending had on his daughter. Ava was happy for us to share with John what she had gone through. "I never knew it was that bad," he says. "I understand that this is probably something that will affect her the rest of her life. "You try to protect your kids, don't you. People try to protect their kids from people like me."
Boston Globe
5 hours ago
- Politics
- Boston Globe
John MacArthur, firebrand preacher and culture warrior, dies at 86
Advertisement His church's growth defied conventional wisdom about 'seeker-sensitivity,' a model that emphasized appealing to non-churchgoers. Rev. MacArthur rejected a more accessible evangelical preaching style that favored ostensibly real-life anecdotes and practical applications. His dogged emphasis on expository preaching -- narrowly focused on the meaning and historical context of a particular piece of Scripture -- influenced thousands of conservative Protestant pastors who studied at the seminary he led, or simply listened to his sermons on the radio or online. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up 'Evangelicalism is a pulpit-driven movement, and John has driven the most influential pulpit in evangelical Christianity for more than a half a century,' R. Albert Mohler Jr., the president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, in Louisville, Ky., said in an interview this year. In recent years, Rev. MacArthur increasingly waded into political and cultural skirmishes. He denounced critical race theory and became a leading Christian critic of 'wokeness.' After his church closed for several months at the onset of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, it defied state public health orders and began holding indoor in-person services. The church later received an $800,000 settlement from the state and Los Angeles County, after suing on the grounds that the restrictions impinged on religious freedom. Advertisement In August 2020, Rev. MacArthur told an interviewer for a podcast associated with Liberty University that President Trump had called him to thank him for 'taking a stand' on church closures. The two men discussed why 'Christians could not vote Democratic,' MacArthur said. 'There's no way that a Christian could affirm the slaughter of babies, homosexual activity, homosexual marriage, or any kind of gross immorality.' Rev. MacArthur didn't just clash with secular authorities and liberal politicians. More often, he took on perceived enemies within Christianity. He preached on the errors of Roman Catholicism and published multiple books on the dangers of charismatic theology and the prosperity gospel -- strains of Protestantism that emphasize miraculous healing and promises of wealth, and that flourished over the course of his lifetime. He attacked popular evangelical figures including the Bible teacher Beth Moore and various pastors, including televangelists Robert Schuller and Joel Osteen, always citing specific Bible verses in his critiques. His interest in threats to Christianity from within was evident early on: He wrote his graduate thesis on Judas Iscariot, the apostle who betrayed Jesus in the Gospels' account. Rev. MacArthur's preaching style was deceptively simple. He would speak for about 45 minutes, walking his congregation line by line through a single Bible passage. He also produced a popular study Bible and a 33-volume set of New Testament commentaries, among many other books. Advertisement His critics said that he misled listeners by insisting that even the thorniest passages in the New Testament had a single clear, true meaning. To his supporters, this was exactly the point. Unlike liberal pastors and academics, Rev. MacArthur believed that 'there's a historical, grammatical, literal sense to the text that can be derived through study,' said Austin Duncan, the director of the MacArthur Center for Expository Preaching at the Master's Seminary in Sun Valley, Calif., which Rev. MacArthur had founded in 1986. 'It isn't a subjective thing, it's an objective reality.' In 1985, Rev. MacArthur became president of the former Los Angeles Baptist College, now known as the Master's University. He opened the Master's Seminary soon afterward to train men -- and only men -- to become pastors. Unlike many pastors who ascend to a national platform, Rev. MacArthur never gave up his local role: He was the head pastor at Grace Community Church for more than 56 years. An online archive of his sermons includes more than 3,000 recordings. Known in many evangelical circles as simply 'JMac,' he had a preaching approach that translated well overseas, where it required little cultural interpretation. His books have been translated into at least 40 languages. And even his older sermons have not aged as noticeably as more recent ones from other pastors, who make frequent reference to pop culture or newspaper headlines. Rev. MacArthur 'inspired thousands of pastors to believe that explaining what the Bible means honors God, saves people, and is just plain interesting,' John Piper, a retired pastor and popular theologian in Minnesota who was a longtime friend, said in an email. 'To this day, from Dallas to Dubai, young people (especially men) come up to me and say that they listen to John MacArthur.' Advertisement John Fullerton MacArthur Jr. was born June 19, 1939. He was the eldest child of Jack MacArthur, a Baptist pastor, and Irene (Dockendorf) MacArthur, who managed the home. The family lived briefly in Philadelphia and Chicago during his childhood, but he was raised primarily in Southern California, where he would spend the rest of his life. He spent a few years at the fundamentalist Bob Jones University, following his father's prodding, and then transferred to Los Angeles Pacific College to play football and other sports. Rev. MacArthur was a fifth-generation preacher. His grandfather, Harry MacArthur, had a live weekly radio and television program in the 1940s, 'The Voice of Calvary.' His father eventually took it over, and Rev. MacArthur began preaching occasionally on Sunday evenings. He married Patricia Sue Smith, whom he met at his father's church, in 1963. In addition to his wife, he leaves their four children, Matthew, Marcy Gwinn, Mark, and Melinda Welch; two sisters, Jeanette DeAngelis and Jane Walker; 15 grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren. He arrived at Grace Community Church in February of 1969. On his first Sunday, the 29-year-old preached to his new congregation on three verses from the Sermon on the Mount in the Gospel of Matthew. In the passage, Jesus says that not everyone who professes faith will enter the kingdom of heaven. Most American church members, Rev. MacArthur told his congregants, were likewise 'dead spiritually.' Advertisement He intended to nurture Grace as a living church, which to him meant one that boldly proclaimed the truth, no matter if it led to conflict. 'The church must be the conscience of the world,' he said. 'The church must be so well defined that it becomes the antagonist of the world.' This article originally appeared in
Scottish Sun
5 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Die-hard Oasis fan who posed as litter picker to sneak into gig, amazed by security lapse
Read on to find out the props he used to march through security unchallenged WONDERWALL WIN Die-hard Oasis fan who posed as litter picker to sneak into gig, amazed by security lapse Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) AN Oasis fan who snuck into one of their gigs posing as a litter picker says he was surprised at how easy it was. We revealed yesterday John Spilsbury marched through the gates in a hi-vis vest on Saturday. Sign up for the Entertainment newsletter Sign up 3 John Spilsbury posed as a litter picker to see Oasis at Heaton Park Credit: Facebook 3 Once inside he removed his disguise to enjoy the show Credit: Facebook 3 John borrowed a yellow high vis vest and litter grabber from work Credit: Facebook He didn't have a ticket for the reunion concert in Manchester's Heaton Park. Transport planner John, 42, said he had arrived in Manchester ticketless but with a "master plan' after borrowing a yellow high vis vest and litter grabber from work. 'I took it with me as a last resort. 'They'd been lying around in one of the warehouses so I borrowed them for a bit,' said the transport planner from Alfreton, Derbyshire. 'I was quite lucky. 'It was just unbelievable really. 'From a security point of view, it was easy to get in and they didn't check for any tickets. 'I was acting very casual and when I saw the security guys I started picking up litter around them, saying 'Mind if I grab that mate' and I walked through. 'I did a half hour shift of picking, filling a bag with beer cans and plates. 'It was well worth it. Oasis kick off first Manchester homecoming gig after 16 years away 'I didn't get paid for the work but I got a free concert.' Amazingly, the entrance John decided to infiltrate was front standing, meaning he was just feet from Liam and Noel Gallagher on stage. Oasis kicked off their Live '25 tour in Cardiff last week before travelling to Manchester for five homecoming shows. Three further gigs are set to take place at Heaton Park this week - on Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday - before Oasis travel to London to perform for five nights at Wembley Stadium.
The Irish Sun
5 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Die-hard Oasis fan who posed as litter picker to sneak into gig, amazed by security lapse
AN Oasis fan who snuck into one of their gigs posing as a litter picker says he was surprised at how easy it was. We revealed yesterday John Spilsbury marched through the gates in a hi-vis vest on Saturday. Advertisement 3 John Spilsbury posed as a litter picker to see Oasis at Heaton Park Credit: Facebook 3 Once inside he removed his disguise to enjoy the show Credit: Facebook 3 John borrowed a yellow high vis vest and litter grabber from work Credit: Facebook He didn't have a ticket for the reunion concert in Manchester's Heaton Park. Transport planner John, 42, said he had arrived in Manchester ticketless but with a "master plan' after borrowing a yellow high vis vest and litter grabber from work. 'I took it with me as a last resort. 'They'd been lying around in one of the warehouses so I borrowed them for a bit,' said the transport planner from Alfreton, Derbyshire. Advertisement READ MORE ON OASIS 'I was quite lucky. 'It was just unbelievable really. 'From a security point of view, 'I was acting very casual and when I saw the security guys I started picking up litter around them, saying 'Mind if I grab that mate' and I walked through. Advertisement Most read in News TV Exclusive 'I did a half hour shift of picking, filling a bag with beer cans and plates. 'It was well worth it. Oasis kick off first Manchester homecoming gig after 16 years away 'I didn't get paid for the work but I got a free concert.' Amazingly, the entrance John decided to infiltrate was front standing, meaning he was just feet from Advertisement Oasis kicked off their Live '25 tour in Cardiff last week before travelling to Manchester for five homecoming shows. Three further gigs are set to take place at Heaton Park this week - on Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday - before Oasis travel to London to perform for
Scottish Sun
5 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
How ‘heartbroken' & ‘blindsided' MasterChef star John Torode learned BBC had sacked him over ‘racism at work' revealed
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) MASTERCHEF presenter John Torode learned yesterday that he had been sacked by reading about it on the BBC News website. The star, 59, was said to be heartbroken after the BBC and production firm Banijay confirmed his dismissal for racist language following the Gregg Wallace scandal. 6 John Torode was said to be heartbroken after his dismissal from Masterchef was confirmed Credit: Alamy 6 John was dismissed for racist language following the Gregg Wallace scandal Credit: BBC 6 John pictured with his wife Lisa Faulkner Credit: PA 6 John Torode's statement in full Credit: instagram A source said: 'John had no idea. 'He was blindsided.' His axing came after Beeb chief Tim Davie said no presenter was bigger than the show. BBC's MasterChef meltdown The Corporation said: 'John Torode has identified himself as having an upheld allegation of using racist language. 'This allegation — which involves an extremely offensive racist term being used in the workplace — was investigated and substantiated by the independent investigation led by law firm Lewis Silkin. John's agent received a call 11 minutes before the statements went out and hadn't had a chance to call him. Source 'John Torode denies the allegation. 'We will not tolerate racist language of any kind and, as we have already said, we told Banijay UK, the makers of MasterChef, that action must be taken. 'John Torode's contract will not be renewed.' A source said: 'John's agent received a call 11 minutes before the statements went out and hadn't had a chance to call him. 'He read about it on the BBC News website. What did the report find? FORTY-five allegations made against Gregg Wallace during his time on MasterChef, including one of "unwelcome physical contact", were found to have been substantiated. An independent report commissioned by production company Banijay assessed 83 allegations against Wallace. The report substantiated: - Twelve claims he made inappropriate jokes and innuendo; - Sixteen reports he made sexually explicit comments; - Two allegations that he made sexualised comments to or about someone; - Four complaints that he made culturally insensitive or racist comments; - Three claims that he was in a state of undress; - Seven allegations of bullying; - One allegation of unwanted touching. The allegations span from 2005 to 2024. 'Devastated' Gregg Wallace FIRED by BBC over MasterChef sexual comments 'Obviously he's heartbroken. 'He feels he's been made a scapegoat off the back of the Gregg Wallace report.' Another source told The Sun the Australian chef planned to quit at the end of this week. In an Instagram post John said: 'Although I haven't heard from anyone at the BBC or Banijay — I am seeing and reading that I've been 'sacked' from MasterChef and I repeat that I have no recollection of what I'm accused of. 'I have loved every minute working on MasterChef, but it's time to pass the cutlery to someone else.' The report into the behaviour of MasterChef co-host Gregg Wallace, 60, upheld 45 of 83 complaints from 2005 to 2024, leading to his sacking. Mental health issues Torode was cited in the report — but not named — over a racist remark allegedly made during a private conversation. We revealed yesterday that BBC bosses had asked Torode to resign at the weekend and claim he had mental health issues. He refused to do so. No decision has been made as to whether the next MasterChef series will be aired. Mr Davie insisted the show 'absolutely' had a future and was 'much bigger than individuals'. 6 Torode learned that he had been sacked by reading about it on the BBC News website Credit: Getty 6 John 'feels he's been made a scapegoat off the back of the Gregg Wallace report' Credit: PA
