Latest Offenders

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A man has been jailed for a year and banned from UK tanning salons after police found upskirting videos on his phone.

Thomas Hampton, 33, from Mexborough, was arrested after a woman in a salon reported someone trying to film her while she was using a sunbed.

He pleaded guilty to two counts of operating equipment beneath clothing of another without consent and observing a person doing a private act and was sentenced at Sheffield Crown Court on Friday.

Det Insp Lucy Garside, of South Yorkshire Police, said Hampton was a "dangerous individual who has a preoccupation with filming and following lone women in public".

Officers said Hampton was found to be using the room next door to the woman on the sunbed when he tried to film her.

After his arrest, police discovered dozens of self-recorded videos and photos of women in public, including upskirting videos.

Det Insp Garside said: "He regularly recorded women without their consent, concealing the fact that he was filming."

She said the victim whose actions led to Hampton's arrest had undergone "a frightening experience in a place she should feel safe and I know it has affected her greatly".

Hampton was also banned from owning any device capable of taking photos without notifying police and banned from entering any unisex changing areas and tanning salons in the UK, as part of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order lasting for seven years.

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A SEX offender who was challenged by a woman after he walked into a house he was banned from reacted angrily, spitting into her face. 

The violent behaviour on January 9 of 32-year-old Carlisle man Leighton Lewis and his decision to flout his sexual harm prevention order led to his arrest and a remand in custody, the city’s crown court heard.

The defendant, of Lediard Avenue, Carlisle, admitted two breaches of his sexual harm prevention order, a common assault, and the theft of a mobile phone.

Prosecutor Matthew Hopkins outlined the offending.

He explained that Lewis was given the sexual harm prevention order in June of 2024 after he was convicted of attempting to cause a child to engage in sexual activity.

The defendant was charged after he fell for an online sting, sending lewd sexual images to a person he believed to be a 13-year-old girl. She was actually an adult decoy, working for a paedophile hunter group.

Lewis later blamed his sordid behaviour on being “off his head” on cocaine.

Mr Hopkins described how Lewis agreed to meet a woman for a meal in Workington on January 8, and at the end of the evening he was drunk. Going into the property from which he was banned, he challenged a woman who was there.

He verbally abused her, prompting the woman to tell him to leave and point out that his presence at the property was a breach of his sexual harm prevention order because there were children in the house.

“The defendant ignored this and said he would hit her,” said Mr Hopkins. Lewis then pinned the woman on to the sofa, straddled her with his knees, and spat in her face.

When she then tried to call the police, he grabbed her mobile phone, and asked her: “Do you think I’m scared?” As he left the property, Lewis took another phone that was in the property and left with it.

He returned to the address at 2am, banging on the door and again being verbally abusive.

When police arrested the defendant at his home in Carlisle, they found he had a tablet device which he had not declared to the police, as required by his court order.

Marion Weir, defending, said Lewis had felt as though the woman had interfered with his personal life, though he accepted this did not give him the right to behave as he had.

He had spent the equivalent of a 12-month sentence on remand.

Referring to the undeclared tablet, Miss Weir said it was given to Lewis by his father and not declaring it was an “oversight.”

“There was nothing untoward found on the tablet,” she added.

Judge Michael Fanning pointed out that the failure to declare the tablet was a serious offence because it meant police were unable to fit it with monitoring software and keep track of what it was being used for.

The judge then referred to the assault: “You straddled her and spat in her face, one of the worst forms of common assault,” said Judge Fanning, adding that this was the "most gross form of common assault.

The offending had to be marked be marked by custody. He jailed the defendant for 18 months.

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James Wadhawan has been jailed for sexual offences involving a teenage girl in Lancing.

Wadhawan, 35, of Penalverne Crescent in Penzance, was issued with a Child Abduction Warning Notice (CAWN) in January, 2024, following reports of inappropriate contact with teenager.

On Saturday, 9 March, 2024, police received a report of Wadhawan having been seen with the victim in Lancing.

Officers engaged with the girl and her family, while Wadhawan was arrested later that evening. He was released on bail with strict conditions while further enquiries were carried out.

On Wednesday, 13 March, 2024, Wadhawan was found again with the girl on a bridge in Lancing and arrested.

He was charged with two counts of engaging in penetrative sexual activity with a girl aged 13-15 and one count of child abduction, and remanded in custody.

Wadhawan pleaded guilty to all charges at Lewes Crown Court on 12 May and, at Hove Trial Centre on Tuesday (1 July), was jailed for 10 years, given an indefinite restraining order against the victim and will be a registered sex offender for life.

Detective Chief Inspector Mehdi Fallahi said:

“James Wadhawan is a predatory offender who targeted a young girl for his own vile gratification”.

“I would like to express my deep gratitude to the victim and her family for their bravery and unwavering commitment throughout the investigation, which played a vital role in putting a dangerous man behind bars. I would also like to commend Investigator Sophie Williams on her diligent investigation.

“Sussex Police remains committed to protecting women and girls, which includes close work with our partners to ensure young people are safe from grooming and exploitation."

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A “PREDATORY” rapist who attacked a highly vulnerable woman at night in the playground of a Bradford park has been sentenced to 12 years in jail.

A judge ruled that 35-year-old Ifzal Hussain posed a significant danger to the public and also imposed an extended licence period of six years.

Judge Christopher Smith said Hussain, formerly of Lynfield Drive, Bradford, would have to serve at least two-thirds of his 12-year sentence before the Parole Board would consider whether it was safe to release him.

The judge said he had no hesitation in concluding that Hussain posed a significant risk of causing serious harm due to the “predatory” nature of his crime.

Bradford Crown Court heard that Hussain, who had no previous convictions, had first met the woman in May last year when he got into the back of a taxi with her and sexually assaulted her.

Five months later the woman, who must not be identified for legal reasons, was waiting alone at a bus stop at night when Hussain went by in a friend’s car.

“You were emboldened, in my judgement, by how there had been no consequences for your behaviour in May,” the judge told Hussain.

“No sooner was your friend’s car out of sight than you decided to retrace your steps on foot to make for the bus stop.

“I’m satisfied that your journey towards the bus stop was a deliberate series of steps you took to once again see your victim.”

The judge said the woman had followed Hussain into the park where in the dark he raped her against the children’s play equipment.

Hussain was found guilty by a jury on Wednesday of rape and sexual assault charges in relation to the two separate incidents, and Judge Smith said he was entirely satisfied that the complainant had suffered severe psychological harm.

“I’m satisfied that you specifically targeted someone you knew to be particularly vulnerable when you raped her,” he told Hussain.

The judge noted that such an offence would also have had a “profoundly unsettling” effect on the community as a whole when they learned that a serious sexual offence had been committed in a park near their homes.

Hussain will now have to register as a sex offender with the police for the rest of his life.

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A man who indecently assaulted a young girl in the 1980s has been brought to justice following an investigation by specialist safeguarding officers in Leeds.

Richard Brown, aged 60, of Kelmscott Avenue, Manston, was convicted of two counts of indecent assault against the victim after being found guilty by unanimous jury verdicts following a trial at Leeds Crown Court, which concluded on June 18.

The victim came forward in 2022 to disclose the abuse after hearing Brown was being investigated by the police on suspicion of possession of indecent images. The images investigation was not able to progress to charge.

Specialist officers at Leeds District Safeguarding Unit obtained a detailed account with the victim in a video recorded interview as part of a comprehensive investigation into the offences. Brown was arrested and subsequently charged with two counts of indecent assault against a girl aged under 14.

The victim was granted special measures for the trial, which meant her video interview was considered as her main evidence and screens were used in the courtroom to keep her out of view of the offender and the public gallery.

Today, Brown was sentenced to two years and four months in prison and given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order preventing any unsupervised contact with a female child under 16.

He was also placed on the Sex Offenders Register and the victim was granted an indefinite Restraining Order banning Brown from having any contact with her.  

Detective Inspector Thomas Crosfill, of Leeds District Safeguarding Unit, said:

“The victim in this case has had to live for many years with the knowledge of what Brown did to her as a child and the traumatic impact that has had on her life.

“When she was ready to come forward and disclose what had happened, specialist safeguarding officers were able to give her all the support necessary to give a detailed account and obtain the best evidence possible to secure these convictions against Brown.

“We hope it will give her some degree of comfort to know that he has now had to answer for his actions and been held criminally responsible for the harm he caused.

“We will always treat any reports of offences of this nature very seriously and do everything we can to get justice for victims and protect others from harm.

“We hope the successful outcome of this case will help other victims of similar offences to have the confidence to come forward, knowing they will be supported throughout the investigation and the court process.” 

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A child rapist from Birmingham has been jailed for 25 years.

Andrew Speers, 53, was found guilty of multiple offences including raping a child and possession of child sexual abuse material.

Speers was arrested in July last year after police raided his home address and a substantial amount of child sexual abuse material was recovered from his digital devices.

Following an investigation, police discovered he had also raped a child.

Speers, of Bell Court, Birmingham, pleaded guilty to making indecent images of children but denied multiple offences of raping a child.

He was found guilty following a trial at Birmingham Crown Court in March.

He was sentenced to 25 years at the same court on July 10.

Speers will remain on the sex offender register for the rest of his life.

A West Midlands Police spokesperson said:

"This was a truly horrendous case, but thankfully due to the bravery of the victim coming forward, we were able to ensure Speers has now been jailed.

"We would encourage anyone who has suffered sex offences to come forward and tell their story.

"We know reporting rape, sexual assault or another sexual crime like indecent exposure or upskirting can be daunting.

"We're here to support you whether you're ready to report it to us or if you'd prefer to talk to someone else.

"If you want to talk it through before deciding whether to report to us, you can talk to a Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC), an Independent Sexual Violence Advisor service (ISVA) or another support service."

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A rapist from Dundee subjected a partner to months of violent torment and coercive control.

John Williamson choked the woman to the point of unconsciousness, took control of her money and isolated her from loved ones.

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An "extremely dangerous" predator is facing a long prison sentence after being convicted of raping a child. Daniel Carter was also found guilty of a string of other sexual offences against the victim.

Chester Crown Court was told Carter abused the girl - who was under 13 - over three years. He had denied all the allegations but was found guilty after a four-day trial.

Carter was found guilty by unanimous verdict of 10 counts of child sexual offences, including rape of a child under 13, exposure, sexual assault, engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child, and causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.

Police began an investigation in November 2022 following a disclosure made by the victim. Carter, aged 28, of no fixed abode but from the Macclesfield area, has been remanded in custody and is set to be sentenced on September 12.

Following the verdict, Detective Constable Steph Darbyshire said: “Firstly, I want to commend the victim for her bravery and courage shown throughout this investigation and trial. Sadly, there are no winners in this case, however I truly hope this result will provide her closure.

"I would like to thank the victim’s family who have whole-heartedly supported her and the investigation throughout. I would also like to thank my team and all those involved in securing this verdict – an immense amount of work has gone into ensuring the victim and other innocent children are safeguarded from what is an extremely dangerous sexual predator.

“Carter has shown no remorse for the horrific acts of abuse he subjected his victim to, and denied everything throughout the investigation, traumatising his victim further by putting her through a trial.

“Thankfully, the jury were able to see through his lies, and he will finally be held accountable for what he’s done.

“I hope this result will enable the victim to move past this part of her life, with the comfort of knowing Carter will never be able to hurt her again.”

As well as his sentence, Carter has also been ordered to sign the sex offenders’ register for life.

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A convicted sex offender who had online chats about sex with volunteers from four paedophile hunter groups posing as schoolgirls has been jailed for three years.

Sentencing Daniel Gibbs, Recorder Emma Nash described him as a danger to children and said if the decoy children had been real they would have been caused significant trauma.

She said that in the chats Gibbs had told the decoy girls to delete the messages he had sent them because he knew what he was doing was wrong and that he could go to prison.

“You don’t consider yourself a danger to children. I disagree with you,” said the judge.

 Gibbs,  33, of Crown Street, Stowmarket admitted three offences of attempted sexual communication with a child, attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity and sending naked pictures of himself.

In addition to jailing Gibbs, Recorder Nash made him the subject of a sexual harm prevention order for 20 years and ordered him to sign the sex offenders’ register for the rest of his life.

Marc Brown, prosecuting at Ipswich Crown Court , said Gibbs  was arrested after he had online chats about sex with volunteers from paedophile hunter groups “Angels of Innocence” and “Justice Reborn” who were posing as schoolgirls.

In the chats Gibbs had claimed to be a swimming coach and after telling one of the girls he believed to be 13 that she was cute he had sent her a naked picture of himself and asked her about her school uniform and her underwear.

Gibbs had told another decoy child who told him she was ten that he wanted to see her vagina, knickers and school uniform.

When the girl said she was in the bath he had persistently tried to video call her and then accused her of wasting his time.

In chats with a decoy posing as another 13-year-old girl he had sent a picture of his erect penis and had encouraged to touch herself in a sexual way.

The court heard that in 2007 when he was 15 Gibbs had sexually assaulted a girl under 13 and later that year he had raped a boy under 13.

The court was told  Gibbs was genuinely remorseful and had been lonely and bored at the time of the recent offence which were committed after he had kept out of trouble for 17 years.

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A man has been sentenced to twenty years in prison for multiple counts of rape following a South Wales Police investigation.

Aaron Gaughan, 45, of Barry, was sentenced to 20 years - 15 years in custody and a five-year extended sentence - at Cardiff Crown Court on Monday July 14, 2025. He has also had an indefinite restraining order imposed against him to protect his victim.

The trial followed not guilty pleas entered on November 26, 2024 to the offences of three counts of rape, engaging in controlling/ coercive behaviour, two counts of assault and stalking involving serious alarm and distress. He was found guilty of all counts following an eight day trial.

He had previously pleaded guilty to driving whilst disqualified and driving a motor vehicle without insurance.

DC Brittany Brewer said:

“Aaron Gaughan is a dangerous individual who controlled every aspect of his victim’s life. He has shown no remorse or empathy for the campaign of abuse he has inflicted.

We applaud the courage of the victim in this case who has shown remarkable strength in attending court and providing evidence to the jury.

We hope they can finally achieve some peace and rebuild their life following the significant sentence passed by HHJ Lucy Crowther today”.

The victim read out the following impact statement in court:

“I am starting to feel like a different person since all the trauma Aaron Gaughan has put me through.

However, that doesn’t take away from the overwhelming anxiety and stress I have suffered over the last couple of years. I find it very difficult to sleep and as a result of this I am on different and more medication. I have continuous nightmares and a massive fear of leaving my home.

When I was in a relationship with Aaron Gaughan, I felt like a prisoner in my own home which I shall be receiving counselling for, I am still in fear of him to this day. Throughout the relationship Aaron has made me feel worthless and controlled my mind.

I just hope that now Aarons is sentenced that myself and my daughter can go on to have a normal life without living in fear. I can focus all my attention on my daughter and giving her the up bringing she deserves.”

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A man groomed a 12-year-old child in Lancaster and then tried to cover his tracks by asking his victim to delete pictures, chats and videos.

Thomas Freret, 39, is now behind bars after pleading guilty to several offences. 

The offences, which happened in Lancaster, date back to 2020 when the victim was just 12-years-old.

Freret groomed the victim for sexualised chats, pictures and videos and told the victim to delete the messages in a bid to cover his tracks.

Enquiries found that Freret, who lived at an address in Elche, Spain, until his arrest on November 10, had been issued with a sexual offences prevention order in 2013. This banned him from using the internet to contact or attempt to contact any child known or believed to be under the age of 16, which this latest offending put him in breach of.

On July 14, he was jailed for six years at Preston Crown Court after pleading guilty to sexual communication with a child, inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and breach of a sexual offences prevention order.

During yesterday’s sentencing hearing, Freret was also put on the sex offenders register for life and made subject of a 10-year sexual harm prevention order.

DS John Barton, from the police’s west internet child exploitation team, said: “Freret groomed and exploited a vulnerable child for his own sordid sexual interests. Despite residing in Spain, officers worked tirelessly to ensure he faced justice back here in Lancashire and now he is behind bars where he belongs.”

“Freret is one of a growing number of offenders we’ve put before the courts and I hope this case sends a strong message that our team will continue to relentlessly pursue those who prey on vulnerable young children online.”

The man pictured is 39-year-old Thomas Freret and he is a sex offender.

Yesterday (14th July) he was jailed for six years at Preston Crown Court after pleading guilty to sexual communication with a child, inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and breach of a Sexual Offences Prevention Order.

The offences, which happened in Lancaster, date back to 2020 when the victim was just 12 years old.

Freret groomed the victim for sexualised chats, pictures and videos and told the victim to delete the messages in a bid to cover his tracks.

Enquiries found that Freret, who lived at an address in Elche, Spain, until his arrest on 10th November 2024, had been issued with a Sexual Offences Prevention Order in 2013. This banned him from using the internet to contact or attempt to contact any child known or believed to be under the age of 16, which this latest offending put him in breach of.

During yesterday’s sentencing hearing, Freret was also put on the Sex Offenders Register for life and made subject of a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

DS John Barton, from our West Internet Child Exploitation Team, said:

“Freret groomed and exploited a vulnerable child for his own sordid sexual interests. Despite residing in Spain, officers worked tirelessly to ensure he faced justice back here in Lancashire and now he is behind bars where he belongs.”

“Freret is one of a growing number of offenders we’ve put before the courts and I hope this case sends a strong message that our team will continue to relentlessly pursue those who prey on vulnerable young children online.”

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A RAPIST ‘laughed wickedly’ before throwing scalding tea at a woman, leaving her with burns that required hospital treatment.

Kyle Hazeley only stopped with his ‘appalling and cruel’ serious sexual assault as the woman’s tears were ‘putting him off’.

The 34-year-old dad was later convicted of charges of rape, causing grievous bodily harm with intent, and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

Having initially denied the charges and other offences, he pleaded guilty to the aforementioned counts on the day of his trial.

These were accepted by the crown, with remaining charges to lie on his file, and his sentencing at Liverpool Crown Court was adjourned to Monday for reports to be prepared.

The offences were all committed in Warrington last year, the court heard from David Birrell, prosecuting.

Hazeley was in the kitchen of an address in the town with the victim. The pair were arguing and the defendant was told to leave, but he refused.

Instead, he asked her for sex a number of times, but she refused and made it clear that she was not interested.

However, Hazeley refused to take no for an answer, grabbing her by the hair, removing her jeans and underwear, and pushing her head down on the cooker, preventing her from moving away.

“She told him to stop and that she did not want to have sex, but this was to no avail,” Mr Birrell said.

It was said that she was crying during the incident and repeatedly told Hazeley to stop, but he ‘laughed wickedly and carried on’.

The court heard that he became rougher each time she told him to stop, that the victim felt that the incident ‘carried on for ages’, and that the defendant only stopped when he said that he ‘couldn’t carry on as her crying was putting him off’.

The assault occasioning actual bodily harm involved him pushing her into the kitchen units and kicking her, causing scratches and bruising.

Kyle Hazeley was jailed at Liverpool Crown Court

In terms of grievous bodily harm, this was caused by Hazeley after he threatened to ‘teach her a lesson’.

He ‘smashed’ her head on kitchen units a number of times, stood over her after she fell to the floor, and said: “Stay on the floor like the dog you are.”

The defendant then boiled the kettle, made himself a cup of tea with sugar in it, did another ‘wicked laugh’ and threw the scalding tea over her.

This caused scalding and burning through her jacket, which she instantly tried to remove, but he stopped her from doing so and ‘pushed the jacket down to make it stick to her skin’.

“He said that she deserved it and that it was not his fault, but hers,” Mr Birrell said, adding that Hazeley stopped her from seeking immediate medical attention.

When she did later attend A&E at Warrington Hospital, a doctor observed her 2” by 3” burn and referred her to the plastic surgery burn clinic at Whiston Hospital.

Here, her wound was cleaned and treated, and she was prescribed antibiotics.

In an impact statement, the victim said that she could not move her arm to brush her hair or have a shower after the tea incident, and that she did not want to go out in case anyone saw her injuries from the assault – or the defendant again.

She said that she was left fearful and anxious, has trouble sleeping still and has flashbacks, and is still uncomfortable when she hears the kettle.

“I feel like my life will not be the same again,” she said.

When Hazeley was arrested by Cheshire Police, he was interviewed twice and answered ‘no comment’ to questions put to him.

Mr Birrell revealed to the court that the defendant has nine previous convictions for 13 offences, with his most recent being for battery in 2009.

The court heard that the offences caused ‘severe psychological harm’ and permanent injury or scarring through the use of a weapon in the boiling tea.

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A sex offender has been jailed for more than a decade after subjecting a young child to abuse over the course of two and a half years in Tunbridge Wells.

A jury unanimously found Benjamin Edgell guilty after he repeatedly sexually assaulted the vulnerable victim between 2018 and 2020.

Investigating officers arrested Edgell on 30 June 2020 and seized his mobile phone and devices.

Forensic analysis of his phone revealed it contained illegal images and a video of the victim.

Edgell, 43, of Longleat Road in Radstock, Somerset, was later charged with four counts of sexual assault of a child and three counts of making indecent images of a child.

Sentenced

He pleaded not guilty but was convicted after a trial at Maidstone Crown Court.

On 11 July 2025, Edgell was sentenced to 14 years’ imprisonment, of which he must serve at least two thirds before consideration for parole.

Upon his release, he will serve a four year extended licence and be subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Investigating officer, Detective Constable Wendy Thatcher, said:

‘Edgell committed the most vile and heinous acts against a child for his own gratification, without a single thought for their emotional, physical, nor psychological wellbeing.

‘Edgell denied the charges and subjected the victim and their family to a lengthy trial, during which they were forced to relive abhorrent events. I am grateful for their bravery, support, and perseverance in helping to secure a conviction against the offender.

‘It is right that Edgell has been handed such a lengthy custodial sentence and I hope it is of some comfort to the victim and their family.’

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Orme appeared in Liverpool Crown Court on Wednesday, July 2, after he was found guilty of the rape of a child under the age of 13 following a five day trial at the end of April. 

Orme, 37, was sentenced to six-and-a-half years in prison after being found guilty of three counts of rape of a child under the age of 13, one count of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, and one count of indecency with a child.

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Today, Monday 14 July, a man from Newsham Park has been jailed for the rape of a woman in Liverpool.

James Anthony Elliott , 30 years, was sentenced to eight years in prison and issued with an indefinite restraining order at Liverpool Crown Court today.

Elliott, of Newsham Drive, was found guilty following a three-day trial which commenced on Monday 7 July.

The court heard that Elliot raped an 18-year-old woman inside a house in August 2022. The woman has been supported by specially trained officers.

Detective Constable Andy Littler from Merseyside’s Unity Team who specialise in Rape and Serious Sexual Assault Offences, said: “This has been an extremely lengthy and complex investigation. Elliott then put his victim through the trauma of having to relive the experience by way of a trial.

“And while no sentence will repair the damage Elliot inflicted on his victim, I hope this conviction has secured some justice for her.

“I would like to praise the dignity she has shown throughout the investigation. Today’s results shows that violence against women and girls will simply not be tolerated and we will work tirelessly to bring perpetrators to justice.”

Detective Constable Littler added:

“We are committed to protecting victims of sexual offences, and anyone who reports an incident to us will be safeguarded and supported throughout the investigation by Specially Trained Officers and Sexual Violence Advocates who will provide all the relevant support.

“Anyone that has been a victim of a sexual offence, is concerned for the safety of someone they know or suspects someone to be engaging in this criminal activity, should come forward and speak to us.

“We have a team of dedicated staff who will expertly and compassionately deal with your reports and we will do everything we can to bring offenders to justice.”