Kaitlin pictured aged nine - Heart pounding, Kaitlin Womack stared in shock at a Facebook post on her phone. In that moment, a horrifying memory from her childhood came flooding back. It was 2016, and her former neighbour, Kert Birtwistle, 29, had been convicted of child sexual offences. Seeing his face on her screen knocked Kaitlin, 25, for six. Because what nobody knew was that she’d been harbouring an awful secret since the age of nine. Birtwistle had subjected Kaitlin to three sickening sexual assaults while she played at his house as a child, including touching her privates under her swimming costume. Three years later, in 2019, Kaitlin, from Preston, reported Birtwistle to the police. When she did, six other victims also bravely came forward. In October 2024, Birtwistle, from Blackpool, was convicted of 14 charges, including rape and sexual assault. He was jailed for 12 years at Preston Crown Court. His brother, Jordan Wright, 28, also pleaded guilty to 18 sexual offences and was jailed for over 16 years. Now, Kaitlin is courageously waiving her right to anonymity to help encourage other survivors to report their abusers to the police.
Balanced on one leg, a frog assumes the crane kick martial arts stance made famous in the movie The Karate Kid .
WITHOUT A care in the world, this little snow monkey puts his feet up and settles in for a snooze .
LOCATIONS bursting with vibrant greens and chestnut browns, these photographs capture the peaceful English countryside in all its glory .
BREATHING life back into old photographs, these black and white images are transformed by colour .
EAGERLY BITING his nails, this little squirrel is clearly nervous of looming predators as he searches for his meal .
Throwing a right hook as he launches onto his opponent with his gnarling teeth at the ready, this is the OTTER-LY ruthless showdown between two otters .
Clinging on to their furry backs, mischievous monkeys appeared to enjoy the free transport as they rode around on a perturbed Capybara .
BEHIND the doors of this building, with its stacks of mattresses and discarded remains of wheelchairs, lies another victim of austerity cuts .
THIS ONE of a kind experience brings a whole new meaning to the phrase 'a coffee to go' .
STOOD side by side next to a busy road, these buildings were once bustling with life .
This longhorn beetle demon-strates a dark side as it looks just like the devil .
STRETCHING his little legs in the air, a smiley leaf-tailed gecko breaks free from his old, scaly skin .