Child sex offender Giorgos Lagji jailed for horrific crimes

A man convicted of a series of severe child sex offences, including rape, has been sentenced to 21 years in prison. Giorgos Lagji, aged 38, was found guilty of 28 charges, some involving creating indecent images of a child, in what police described as one of the most serious cases they had encountered. The sentence was handed down at Newcastle Crown Court on Wednesday, and he will be subject to lifetime registration on the sex offenders' register. Police have praised the victim for her bravery, detailing that she reported the abuse in 2022 after being attacked multiple times by Lagji. Lagji, who had no fixed address, was also convicted of attempted rape and sexual activity with a child. Jurors were said to have seen through his lies and convicted him of all counts. The victim, recalling the impact of the abuse, stated: "He made me feel helpless. I was only a child when the abuse began. I didn’t understand what was happening to me. I knew that the behaviour wasn’t normal but this was all I knew. My childhood and innocence have been ripped from my heart. I feel like I can never behave normally again. I have become good at masking how I am feeling as I have had to hide my emotions for so long and put on a front for other people. I put a smile on my face and tell people I’m fine, but inside I am broken." Det Con Lisa Herron of Northumbria Police described the case as one of the worst and longest spanning cases of abuse she had encountered and referred to Lagji as a "predatory monster." She emphasized that the prison sentence ensures Lagji will be closely monitored for life and reassured the community’s safety. Authorities expressed confidence that the community will feel safer knowing he is behind bars, crediting the victim's heroism for bringing him to justice.