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.
IN THE not so MISTY MOUNTAINS of Wiltshire, there lies an abandoned hobbit house .
STRIKING photos capture nature at its most raw and powerful during Earth’s most electrifying event .
BASKING in smug satisfaction, a confident squirrel gives a wink to the camera .
FULLY equipped with a kitchen and lounge, it's hard to believe this modern holiday let is actually a BUS .
Sprawled out on top of a log, this sleeping leopard takes a relaxing break from his daily routine .
LIKE SUPERMAN carrying a slimy Lois Lane through the air this frog is treating its mate to a flying lesson .
SOME OF the sea’s most terrifying creatures show their softer side as they join a group of diners for lunch .
A BABY-faced burglar is starting a seven year stretch in custody after being nabbed by a Jaffa Cake .
A cheeky chipmunk offers some of his spare food, before deciding against the idea and shoving the extra peanut into his already crammed mouth .
A pair of adorable polar bear cubs play-fight with each other in the Alaskan snow .
BRAIDED, sculpted and beaded, these are the eye-catching hairstyles worn by the tribal women of Angola .
