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.
BOXING DAY has come early for this pair of feisty squirrels, as their Christmas party quickly turns sour .
A man who conned tax officials out of £34 million and funded a lavish lifestyle of luxury hotels and restaurants has been jailed for one of the longest sentences in British criminal fraud history .
In the calm waters of Greenland, gigantic icebergs dwarf everything around them .
What lies beneath this building site? Britain's great hope of winning the pre-WW2 arms race against Nazi Germany .
A brave praying mantis makes an unusual friend in an Oriental garden lizard .
TUGGING at his exhausted mum's ears, a beautiful baby orangutan refuses to settle for a nap as he begins a game of peek-a-boo .
MOUTH OPEN wide, this little stoat appears to be in mid-song as he belts out a tune for his onlookers .
CAMPED out in the middle of a forest, these unusual hut hotels take you back to basics .
SNEAKING slowly into the water, this Bengal tiger plans a vicious attack on three unsuspecting deer .
DIPPING his head into the vase of water, this little squirrel takes a refreshing break from an afternoon of eating .
USUALLY full to bursting, these London Underground stations stand silent and completely commuter free .