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.
SEA LIFE and greenery in one shot show nature at its very best .
WITH STUNNING colours and serene scenes, these photographs capture the otherworldly beauty of the English coast .
A BLIND man was battered with a brick in a sickening attack by two thugs .
HOTSPOT MEDIA - BACK TO THE FUTURE WITH AR' KID: A POSTAL SORTER has perfected the art of time travel by delivering images that are from the past .
A TAXIDERMY truck spotted in America’s Deep South could be the most gruesome wagon on the road .
This is the moment a nimble red fox and a lumbering Alaskan brown bear were locked in a tense stand-off .
WEARING tiny Christmas accessories, these adorable babies get into the spirit of the season .
A little caterpillar fearlessly scampers down a branch and confronts a praying mantis .
Here's a collection of art for the DIGIT-AL age as these fascinating illusions of landmarks, places and even a banana are made using just a pair of hands .
Scurrying along the branch of a tree, a little squirrel pushes a pram packed full of Easter treats .
THIS incredible shimmer of silver fish mirrors the image of that of an underwater tornado .