Latest Offenders

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A man has been jailed for ten years for raping a man in a Norwich park.

Idrees Jaff, aged 39, of Berners Close, Norwich was sentenced today (Wednesday 19 February 2025)  at Norwich Crown Court.

It follows a trial at King's Lynn Crown Court in December 2024 where a jury found him guilty unanimously of two counts of rape of a male.

Jaff was sentenced to ten years in prison and a further four years on extended licence.  He was also placed on the Sex Offenders Register for life and will be deported.

During the trial the court heard how the victim had been walking near Chapelfield Gardens on the night of 10 June 2024, when he was spotted by Jaff. 

Jaff, who was unknown to the man,  then followed him into the park and raped him.

In a statement read in court the victim described the impact the attack has had on him and his family as 'unbearable'.

"At times I feel like I have lost my mind. This is not the life I want to lead and wasn't the life I was living before this happened.

"I have had terrible nightmares about this incident, mainly of seeing the suspect in court smirking. I will now never forget his face.

"The impact this has had on my family is unbearable. I don't know where I would be if I didn't have support around me. This is something no family should have to go through"

Speaking after the sentencing, Detective Constable Hayley Green, from Norfolk Constabulary's Safeguarding and Investigation unit said: "This was a very harrowing incident where a man was targeted in public by a stranger.

"Jaff is clearly a dangerous individual who showed predatory behaviour taking advantage of someone who was very vulnerable late at night.

"I would like to commend the victim for his incredible bravery and strength throughout the investigation and trial.

"Unsurprisingly he has been left struggling to come to terms with what happened, but I hope knowing that Jaff will be in prison for a considerable time will allow him to try and move forward from this devastating ordeal and start to rebuild his life".

Description

A teenager who committed serious sexual offences against three children in Kirklees has been jailed.

Eshea Sullivan, aged 18, was a child himself when he carried out the attacks on the three girls in Huddersfield and Holmfirth between June 2021 and June last year.

He was convicted of 10 sexual offences in relation to his victims after a trial at Leeds Crown Court last month. 

These included two counts of rape, two counts of sexual assault by penetration and one count of sexual assault against one victim; one count of rape, one count of sexual assault by penetration and one count of sexual assault against a second victim; and one count of sexual assault by penetration and a further count of sexual assault against a third victim.  

Appearing before Leeds Crown Court for sentencing on Tuesday (18/2), Sullivan, formerly of York Avenue, Huddersfield, was jailed for nine years. 

He must also remain on licence for a further five years upon his release. Sullivan was also handed an indefinite restraining order not to contact his victims and must register as a sex offender for life.  

He will also never be allowed to volunteer with or work with children.

Description

A child sex offender who committed non-recent offences against a number of victims in Staffordshire has been jailed for 14 years.

Martin Wynne, 50, of Newcastle-under-Lyme, was convicted of his crimes following a four-week trial which concluded last November at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court.

The offences happened in the 1990s and early 2000s.

Wynne was reported to us in 2020. Since then, we’ve been working hard to gather all of the evidence needed to charge him for his crimes and to support the survivors.

Wynne was charged with 18 offences, including 15 counts of indecent assault on a boy, two counts of inciting a boy to commit an act of gross indecency and one count of gross indecency with a boy.

A jury found him guilty of all 18 offences.

On Tuesday (18 February), Wynne was sentenced at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court to 14 years imprisonment.

Description

A rapist who blackmailed his victim out of almost £2,000 so he would not disclose intimate pictures of her has been given a sentence totalling 16 years.

Umar Farooq, from Nelson, who committed the offences against the victim in June and took the intimate photos without her consent during a meeting last year, has also been banned from a North Yorkshire town until further notice.

Farooq, 21, said he was going to "ruin" the woman's life and bombarded her with messages and phone calls, threatening to publish the pictures.

His barrister when the sentencing hearing was opened at Preston Crown Court earlier this month, Wayne Jackson, also said Farooq threatened to send the pictures to the woman's family, neighbours, and work colleagues, and stick them on the windows at her family home.

Farooq was due to be sentenced on February 7 when the case was opened and mitigated, but Judge Ian Unsworth said he required more information regarding a possible restraining order to be imposed and adjourned the hearing until Tuesday, February 18.

The case did not proceed on that date due to time constraints with other cases in the court, but was finally heard on Wednesday, February 19, where Judge Unsworth handed down the 16-year sentence, made up of a 12-year custodial term and a four-year extended licence period.

Judge Unsworth said: "These offences were committed against a vulnerable young woman.

"You threatened to publish nude photographs of her. This was cruel in the extreme.

"You told her you were going to send them around to her family. Understandably she was terrified of this.

"You said you would stick them to the windows of her family home.

"This behaviour went on for several months but you didn't end there. You made demands of money.

"You said if she paid up you wouldn't publish the photos. Your financial demands escalated. She didn't have the funds to pay you off.

"You continued to menace her, threaten her, and apply pressure to her, by taking a photo of yourself outside her address and sending it to her in a chilling way.

"It was designed to cause her extreme fear and that is what you did.

"There was an occasion where you met up with her and you demanded she perform oral sex on you.

"This occasion was at a time when you were already threatening and blackmailing her. She was in no position to freely give consent."

Farooq, of Smith Street, pleaded guilty to counts of blackmail, putting a person in fear of violence by harassment, sharing a photo of a person in an intimate state, and threatening to do so.

He was found guilty by a jury at Preston Crown Court of the count of rape.

Judge Unsworth said Farooq "steadfastly refused to accept the rape" and noted a lack of remorse.

He said: "The actions you deployed were deliberate and intended."

Michael Goldwater, in mitigation for Farooq at the previous hearing, conceded the victim had suffered "significant psychological difficulties" as a result of the offending.

He said Farooq plans to leave the country once he has served his sentence.

As well as the 16-year sentence, a restraining order was also imposed preventing Farooq from contacting the victim in any way and from entering the town of Settle, North Yorkshire, indefinitely.

A sexual harm prevention order was imposed to run for 20 years, and he will be subject to sex offender notification requirements for life.

Det Con Sarah Whittaker, of Burnley Police, said: “Umar Farooq’s crimes are utterly despicable. He took advantage of a vulnerable teenager by raping her and then compounded his appalling actions by going on to make threats and blackmail her.

“I would like to commend the victim for her bravery in coming forward to report what happened to her – that must have taken a huge amount of courage, and I am pleased that her bravery has been rewarded with the guilty verdicts and sentence given today. I hope this gives her some sense that justice has been done.

“I also hope that the sentence delivered today may give others who have suffered similar abuse the courage to come forward and report what has happened, confident in the knowledge that we will investigate sensitively and professionally.”

Description

A former police officer has been jailed for sending "inappropriate" and "sexualised" messages to a vulnerable woman whose case he was investigating.

Stuart Trentham, 41, was a South Yorkshire Police officer based in Doncaster when a woman reported that sexual images of her had been posted on the internet without her consent.

Sheffield Crown Court heard that Trentham was in charge of the investigation and lied to the victim, telling her that a suspect was being interviewed when in fact the case had been closed.

The prosecution said the defendant's behaviour became increasingly inappropriate, and started to deteriorate when he began to sign his messages to the victim with a kiss.

Prosecutor Joseph Bell said Trentham then told the woman he "liked a bit of meat" and that there is "nothing worse than a flat, boney butt".

Mr Bell said the woman blocked the defendant but decided to unblock him as she thought he might still have legitimate information about the investigation she wrongly believed was ongoing.

The court heard Trentham later sent the woman a picture of him in police uniform with the message "working hard" accompanied by winking and kissing emojis.

Mr Bell said said the woman had trusted Trentham when he investigated the sexual images but said in her victim personal statement: "I have now come to the painful realisation that I was simply a target for exploitation by him."

Jailing him for nine months, Judge Jeremy Richardson KC said Trentham committed a crime that has "undermined" public trust in the police.

Judge Richardson said the defendant began sending WhatsApp messages which started off as "personal", progressed to being "inappropriate" and then to being "sexualised".

Judge Richardson said he was concerned that this kind of offending could result in vulnerable women not coming forward to report crimes.

He told Trentham: "I take no pleasure in sending a former police officer to prison for nine months.

"You have brought this on yourself. It is a terrible day for you.

"I hope this sentence restores some confidence the public repose in the police."

David James, defending, said his client wanted to apologise to the woman and to his former colleagues in the police.

Trentham had pleaded guilty to one count of wilful misconduct at an earlier hearing.

In response to the sentencing, Trentham's former force released a statement saying criminality and poor standards are not tolerated.

Ch Cons Lauren Poultney said: "Members of the public have the right to a police workforce which reflects the true values of policing at all times, and that is especially crucial when they are reporting a crime to us.

“The victim showed great courage coming forward and reporting Trentham’s criminal behaviour. I know this can be particularly difficult to do when the offender is a police officer.

“Ensuring that our officers uphold the force’s standards and culture is an utmost priority for me, and when misconduct and criminality is identified the perpetrators will be dealt with robustly.”

Description

A Flintshire man has been jailed for 16 years for sexually assaulting three girls.

Adam Griffiths, of no fixed abode, carried out the offences over a seven-year period.

Appearing at Mold Crown Court today, Monday, February 17th, he was jailed after being found guilty by a jury at Mold Crown Court in January.

He was handed three consecutive sentences totalling 16 years in prison, as well as a year of additional licence.

He will be registered as a sex offender indefinitely and was issued restraining orders to protect the victims and their families for the next 10 years.

He was also made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order.

Description

A man has been sentenced to nine years in prison after committing online sexual offences against three girls aged between eight and 14.

Edward Durlik, 41 (08/01/1983), of Woking created multiple fake online profiles to gain his victims’ trust. He posed intermittently as an 11-year-old girl, a 13-year-old boy, and a 13-year-old girl, and even used photos of a child known to him to support the fake online persona he was portraying.

When speaking to one of his victims, Durlik devised a points game where he would challenge her to send him photos throughout the day. Each photo would be scored, with lower points for normal, everyday images, and higher points for more sexually graphic images and videos. If the victim stopped communicating with him, Durlik would use guilt and blame to force her to send more images.

Police became aware of the messages when a victim’s father found sexualised messages, images, and videos on his daughter’s phone. Durlik was identified through phone work and arrested in June 2023 on suspicion of inciting a child under 13 to engage in penetrative sexual activity.

A forensic examination of his phone discovered 1,055 indecent images of children, 258 of which were Category A images, the most serious, as well as 296 Category B images and 501 Category C images. It was also established that 471 indecent images/movies had been distributed to 39 separate users online.

Durlik was charged on 29 April 2024 with the following offences:

• Five counts of causing or inciting a girl under 13 to engage in penetrative sexual activity (covering 11 separate occasions)
• One count of causing or inciting a girl under 16 to engage in penetrative sexual activity (covering more than two occasions)
• One count of causing or inciting a girl under 13 to engage in non-penetrative sexual activity (covering two separate occasions)
• Two counts of causing a child under 13 to watch or look at an image of sexual activity (covering more than five occasions)
• Two counts of encouraging the distribution of indecent images (covering eight separate occasions)
• Two counts of engaging in sexual communication with a child
• Three counts of making an indecent photo/pseudo photo of a child
• Three counts of distributing an indecent photo/pseudo photo of a child

During sentencing on Friday, 14 February at Guildford Crown Court, His Honour Judge Sellers described Durlik as “dangerous” due to the sustained nature of the offending, significant planning, and manipulative behaviour he employed, and deemed that he should serve a further three-year period of extended licence. He was also issued with a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and a Deprivation Order, and placed on the Sex Offenders Register for life.

Description

A re-offending paedophile who breached a sexual harm prevention order by indecently exposed himself to two young girls has been jailed.

Peter Melville, 60, of Highland Road, Portsmouth, was sentenced to 46 months in custody at Swindon Crown Court last Friday (14/02).

Melville pleaded guilty to breaching a sexual harm prevention order following an incident of indecent exposure in Covingham last year.

At around 2pm on September 3, 2024, the victims, aged 12 at the time, were approached by Melville who said he was sexually attracted to them before unzipping his trousers and attempting to expose himself.

We conducted CCTV and doorbell enquiries to identify the offender, who was formerly known as Raymond Casson with more than 10 previous convictions for sexual offences.

Firearms officers stopped and arrested Melville near the M4 in Swindon at 6.30pm and he remained in custody.

In a statement read to the court, one victim, who previously didn't feel scared at all, said Melville's actions left her feeling unsafe and afraid to go out by herself.

She said: "He looked like an innocent, normal man when he walked past - I didn’t think he was going to do something like that.

"I was crying and feeling terrified for a while. It was only when the police arrived I started to calm down because I knew
they were going to help and he wouldn’t come back."

Another victim described how she banged and kicked a house door in an attempt to scare off Melville after he approached her.

Description

A man has been sentenced to four and a half years in prison for breaking the conditions of his Sexual Harm Prevention Order while staying in Wiltshire.

Jason King, 32, of North Ferriby, North Humberside, was sentenced at Winchester Crown Court on February 14 after pleading guilty to numerous offences.

Between November 2023 and May 2024, King made and distributed indecent images and videos of children including some of the most serious category A.

After serving his custodial sentence King will continue to be on licence for a further two and half year and will subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order indefinitely.

Detective Constable Anthony Swift, of the Child Internet Exploitation Team said: "King was convicted of multiple distribution and making indecent images of children. While staying overnight in Chicklade he has engaged in sexual communications with a child which is a breach of his Sexual Harm Prevention Order. These are court orders put in place to protect the public from sexual harm.

"We will continue to manage these orders robustly and undertake more work that goes unreported.

Description

A meticulous Met Police investigation has today ensured that a dangerous sex offender has been given a 21-year sentence.

Keith Edun, 47 (12. 11.1976) of Strathmore Road, Croydon appeared at Croydon Crown Court on Friday, 14 February, where he was jailed for encouraging the rape and sexual assault of a baby, distribution of indecent images of children, two counts of making indecent images of children and perverting the course of justice.

Detective Constable Phill Govett, investigating officer for the case said:

“Keith Edun has proven himself to be a dangerous sexual offender and a clear risk to children.

“Edun went to great lengths to hide his offending, even deleting a messaging app from his phone before answering the front door to officers ready to search his address.

“This complex investigation has consisted of meticulous enquiries and digital forensic examination of the disturbing material that Edun held on his phone. The fact that Edun will now be behind bars for a long time, means he cannot harm any more vulnerable children.”

An investigation was launched by detectives specialising in tackling the sexual abuse and exploitation of children in 2021. Police were informed that indecent images of children had been posted on the social media app ‘Kik’.

The account was linked to Edun’s address in Croydon and a warrant was executed in September 2021. Electrical devices were seized and officers downloaded data showing that Edun had been downloading and then deleting ‘Kik’ in an attempt to hide his online activity.

A separate investigation by another force led to the conviction of a male for the rape of a baby which occurred in March 2020. Upon examination of that male’s devices the investigating officers located online communication with Edun’s Kik account during which Edun had encouraged the male to commit the rape.

Edun was charged in October 2023 and was remanded into custody.

He appeared at Croydon Crown Court on Friday, 14 February where he was sentenced to 13 years in custody with an extended licence period of eight years following his assessment as a dangerous offender. He was also issued with a lifetime Sexual Harm Prevention Order and placed on the Sex Offenders Register for life.

The judge said that the evidence shows a determined and committed sexual interest in children, especially babies, over an extended period and that Edun poses a significant risk of harm to children.

DC Govett added “This investigation is an example of the dedication of the Met’s Online Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation Command to keep vulnerable children safe across the UK. Despite Edun not being physically present at the rape, this sentencing shows that those who encourage such offences online are just as culpable for the harm caused.”

Description

A sex offender who raped a woman while she slept has been locked up.

James Spedding and the victim, who were known to each other, had been drinking together on the evening of 15 March 2022.

In the early hours of the following morning she awoke to discover Spedding lying on top of her.

The victim, who was vulnerable and unable to consent to sex, told family members who reported it to police.

Spedding, aged 26, of Mansfield, was arrested a short time later and the victim was interviewed and supported by specialist officers.

He denied rape but was found guilty after a trial at Nottingham Crown Court in November last year.

On Thursday (13 February) he was given a seven-year custodial sentence which he will begin in a secure hospital.

He was also given a 10-year restraining order and must register with police under the Sexual Offences Act indefinitely.

Description

A former Tory councillor ‘wanted to sexually abuse’ a teen boy, a court heard.

William Horley pleaded guilty to attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child, and was sentenced at Swindon Magistrates’ Court on 12 February.

The 47-year-old defendant, who was a parish councillor for Chiseldon and Lawn in recent years, spoke to a profile on Grindr – which had been set up by a paedophile hunter.

Between 12 and 19 March 2024, he spoke about the sexual activity he would have with the boy and the sexual acts he wanted to carry out. He also sent the profile a nude photo of himself.

Horley, of Orchard Road, Marlborough, was sentenced to an 18-month community order with the requirement to carry out 40 days of rehabilitation activity. He was also fined £3,000.

The defendant was ordered to register as a sex offender for five years.

Description

A sex offender who was found by officers in a child’s bed after gaining the trust of the victim’s family has been jailed.

Jake Booth of Pembury Grove in Tonbridge was already banned from communicating with children when he met the teenage girl online and started living in her home.

The 22-year-old created an internet chat group for motorbike enthusiasts and used the forum to contact the child.

From there, their conversations moved to Snapchat and Booth made arrangements to meet the girl and her parents.

After gaining the confidence of the family, he convinced them they were simply close friends so he was allowed to stay in their home.

But, unbeknown to the family, Booth was the subject of a sexual harm prevention order following previous convictions for making indecent images of children in 2022.

This 10-year order included strict measures to protect children and meant he was prohibited from having any unsupervised contact or communication with anyone under 16.

On April 11, 2024, Booth was arrested and found in the child’s bed by officers.

He was charged with 14 offences relating to breaches of a sexual harm prevention order and sex offender notification requirements.

Booth pleaded guilty at Maidstone Crown Court and on January 31 and he was sentenced to three years in prison.

Description

A sex offender from North Somerset has been sentenced to four years in prison, with a further four years to be served on licence, following an investigation by the South West Regional Organised Crime Unit (SWROCU).

Bex McCullgh, 25, from Backwell, was arrested in October 2024 after travelling from her home to Bristol to meet who she thought was a young boy. Instead, she was arrested by officers from the SWROCU, charged, and remanded in custody.

She pleaded guilty at Bristol Crown Court on Monday (10 February) to arranging or facilitating commission of a child sex offence, attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child, and attempting to cause or incite a child to engage in sexual activity.

The judge handed McCullgh an extended sentence of eight years, comprising four years custody and four years on extended licence. She will have to serve a minimum of two-thirds of her sentence before applying for release.

McCullgh was also made subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) and added to the Sex Offender Register both indefinitely.

Description

A man who followed a woman through Long Eaton before attempting to rape her has been jailed.

Paul Jinks stalked the woman as she walked home from a night out in in July 2024.

As she reached Darwin Road, he grabbed her from behind and put his hand over her mouth, telling her not to shout.

The woman attempted to break free and fight him but fell on the floor. Jinks then picked her up and dragged her backwards to a secluded grassy area where he hit her in the face and sexually assaulted her before attempting to rape her.

The woman’s cries for help were heard by the residents of a nearby house who yelled at Jinks to leave her alone and ran out on to the street to help.

Jinks then fled the scene, running through a nearby garden as he escaped. The homeowner called police after seeing him on their property. Officers attended the scene and found blood stains on a broken bin Jinks had climbed on as he ran away.

CCTV footage from the area showed Jinks had followed the woman for some time before the attack. He was also seen following at least two other women before the incident.

The blood was tested and found to belong to Paul Jinks, who was believed to be living in the Cambridgeshire area on a traveller’s encampment. Officers in Cambridgeshire were asked to help with arrest attempts and the 21-year-old was arrested on 24 July, ten days after the attack.

He was subsequently charged with attempted rape.

Jinks, of no fixed address, admitted the offence and appeared at Nottingham Crown Court for sentence on 7 February when he was jailed for eight years and nine months with an extended licence period of six years. He was also placed on the Sex Offenders Register for life.

In a victim impact statement, the woman described the effect the incident has had on her: “Since this has happened I don’t feel like I will ever be able to go out on my own again, at least not anytime soon.

“I feel like I would be terrified doing this and constantly looking behind my shoulder wondering who may appear behind me.

“I have heard about these things happening but I never thought that this would happen to me.”