Latest Offenders

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THE taxpayer was put to unnecessary expense by a man who claimed hackers had put child sex abuse images on his devices.

But Aaron McHugh had the good sense to retract his not guilty pleas and admit his guilt, before being sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court on Monday.

Cheshire Police received information in April last year that an ‘xmaker2014’ Gmail address had uploaded suspected indecent images of children to a Dropbox account, explained Alaric Walmsley, prosecuting.

This email address was attributed to McHugh, who was arrested on April 6 by officers who searched his home.

They came across an iPhone and a laptop, with both submitted for a forensic analysis.

Following the search of his home, the defendant was interviewed by officers in the presence of his mother and a solicitor.

Here, he read from a prepared statement which declared that he had no knowledge of the images, and that he would be answering ‘no comment’ to all other questions, which he did.

Following an examination, authorities confirmed that incident material of children was found on both electronic devices.

In total, there were 39 images of children being sexually abused, 10 of which were graded in category A – the most severe category involving child rape – while 20 were category B and nine were category C.

On the iPhone, experts found three images at category C level in a Snapchat folder, but the court heard that these were inaccessible without sophisticated software.

More images were found in the cache of a Discord app, which were again inaccessible, but referenced sexual activity involving a 13-year-old child.

The court heard how the dates involved in possessing the material spanned back to May 2016, when now-21-year-old McHugh was aged just 15.

Following the examination, the defendant was interviewed again on December 11 last year, where he ‘exercised his right to remain silent’.

But he was subsequently charged with three counts of making indecent images of children by downloading them and one of possessing a prohibited image of a child.

He initially denied the offences before Warrington Magistrates’ Court and the case was sent to the crown court for trial, after he claimed that his devices had been ‘hacked’.

A trial date was set for February next year, but in August he changed his pleas to guilty on all counts.

Mr Walmsley revealed that McHugh has no previous convictions, cautions or warnings on his record.

In mitigation, defence barrister Carmel Wilde said: “This is a young man who has never been before the court before.

“The offences were committed between the ages of 15 and 20, against a backdrop of being mentally abused by his stepfather.

“He was associating with the wrong crowd and was the victim of bullying throughout secondary school. He was in a wrong place, a dark place.”

It was said that with this ‘wrong crowd’, he was abusing nitrous oxide in balloons and cannabis ‘laced with goodness knows what’.

She said that her client is working in a bar in Warrington and needs to address the underlying issues in his offending, which he would be willing to do through a court order.

Before sentencing, judge Ian Harris said: “The offences are serious as, without members of the public willing to make images and distribute them, there would be no market for the indefensible abuse of children.

“Without people like you, there would be no market for this toxic trade. On a daily basis, children are being abused to feed businesses trading in this dreadful abuse.”

Judge Harris accepted ‘no doubt’ that the defendant’s background ‘had an impact on his offending behaviour’.

“The case crosses the custody threshold, but given the mitigation, I believe in trying to assist you in staying out of trouble instead of sending you to custody,” he added.

McHugh, of Robson Grove in Fairfield, was handed a two-year community order, including 20 rehabilitation activity requirement days, the Building Choices programme and 150 hours of unpaid work.

He was also told he must sign the sex offender register and abide by the terms of a sexual harm prevention order, both for the next five years.

In addition, orders were approved to deprive the defendant of his laptop and iPhone.

On McHugh’s initial denial of the offences, Judge Harris commented: “You initially pleaded not guilty and claimed that your computer had been hacked.

“You put the prosecution to unnecessary expense because of your failure to admit these matters in the lower court, so there will be a costs order.”

Despite an application by the prosecution for court costs in excess of £1,000, the defendant was ordered to repay £500.

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A predator who engaged in a filthy online chat with someone he believed was a 14-year-old girl had repeatedly told her she was “too young”.

Married Kevin Wood, 43, was snared by members of an online paedophile hunting group.

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A man was jailed after he raped and stalked a woman. Dean Wall, of Pinehurst Avenue, in Anfield, was found guilty of rape and was sentenced on Tuesday, November 5, at Liverpool Crown Court.

The 37-year-old raped a woman at her home in Wavertree on Friday, March 15 and for this offence he was jailed for eight years and three months. He was also jailed for nine months after he pleaded guilty to stalking the same victim, with the two sentences to run concurrently.

Wall has also been issued with a ten-year restraining order against the woman and will sign the Sex Offender Register for life. Detective Chief Inspector Andy McCourt said: “I would firstly like to acknowledge the courage and dignity shown by the victim throughout this investigation.

"I sincerely hope that this sentencing shows that violence against women and girls will simply not be tolerated and we will work tirelessly to bring perpetrators to justice. Wall denied rape but thankfully a jury found him guilty and he will now spend a significant time in prison for his appalling actions.

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A sexual predator who got “a thrill” from preying on underage girls with explicit chats on Facebook messenger has been jailed.

Michael Hughes encouraged his three victims to perform sexual acts on themselves, and to send him images of them doing so.

The 62-year-old also sent the girls photos of genitals.

But, unbeknown to the pervert, he was in fact communicating with online paedophile hunters who had set up fictitious ‘decoy’ profiles as part of a sting.

Following his arrest in June 2021, he candidly confessed to police that the conversations had given him a “sexual thrill”.

But he also claimed that he had been simply giving “sex education” to one of the victims, and had asked another about “d**k pics” because he wanted to warn her about online dangers.

Hughes admitted multiple offences and appeared before Maidstone Crown Court for his sentencing hearing last Tuesday (October 29).

The offender, who was living in the Medway area at the time, groomed the three “girls”, purporting to be aged 11, 12 and 13, over a period of three months.

Maidstone Crown Court heard their ages were clearly stated from the outset of the chats with Hughes.

His explicit messages included instructions on how to masturbate, telling the 'girls' to "think of my c**k" and "think of me touching you".

Hughes told another that she was "pretty and bright" before asking if she wanted "to chat about sex", saying "We can be boyfriend and girlfriend on here".

Bartholomew O'Toole, defending, told the court the offences were “borne out of fantasy and disenchantment” after his 20-year-long relationship with his partner “turned sour and distant”.

He also told the court that Hughes had “succumbed to temptation” after answering messages that arrived in his inbox, adding that the victims were not ones “hunted down by a predator”.

But the lawyer said although the sex offender did not actually receive any indecent images or send images of his own penis, he did not “seek to demur” from his frank admissions made to police.

“He has expressed his shame, embarrassment and remorse,” added Mr O'Toole. “His words to his solicitor were ‘I very much regret this behaviour. I'm ashamed of myself for behaving in this way’.”

The court was also told that having been a boxing champion, Hughes used his building skills to work hard all his life and provide for his family.

However, his arrest has left him living in a caravan “in a field or garden”, said the barrister, and he no longer has contact with them.

But Mr O'Toole said the three-year delay in Hughes’s case reaching its conclusion was not his fault.

Having been interviewed in June 2021, his first appearance before magistrates was not until April this year.

These are disgusting offences…

He then pleaded guilty to a total of eight offences relating to attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity and attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child.

Jailing Hughes for three years, Judge Gareth Branston told him custody was inevitable.

“These are disgusting offences. You were potentially preying on vulnerable, young children,” he said.

On his release, Hughes will be subject to a sexual harm prevention order for 10 years as well as indefinite sex offender notification requirements.

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A creepy Fife bricklayer stashed “numerous” secret intimate photos of his former partner that she did not know he’d taken.

Self-employed Steven Brown, of Ellisland Avenue in Kirkcaldy, secretly snapped pictures of his long-term partner while she was asleep, getting changed and bending over to pick up things.

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A Glasgow sex offender kept his past secret as he accepted a job to work in schools.

John Paul Hogg had been jailed in 2011 and later banned indefinitely from any role involving children. But, a decade later, the 46 year-old went on to take up the offer by an educational IT firm for a post that included "unsupervised" work in schools.

Hogg did not reveal his previous conviction - and it was only when background checks were made that it emerged at the last minute.

Hogg has now narrowly avoided a jail term as he appeared in the dock at Glasgow Sheriff Court. He pleaded guilty to a charge under the Protection of Vulnerable Groups Act.

The date of the offence was March 1, 2022.

Hogg, of the city's Sandyhills, was ordered to carry out unpaid work as a concerned sheriff told him: "You should have been well aware of these restrictions."

Hogg had been locked up for 12 months in 2011 for a sex offence. He was later barred from "regulated work" with children indefinitely. Fiscal Lauren Donnelly said it was also explained to him that it was an offence to seek or do a job which involved this.

In 2021, he was temporarily employed as a service desk engineer with a company called RM Education. They work with the educational sector including providing technology and software. His line manager told him there was a full time post for that job with schools.

Miss Donnelly said: "He advised he thought he would be suitable for the role and asked if Hogg would consider applying." It was explained to Hogg that the role could involve "on-site" work which was "unsupervised".

This then meant Hogg would have to apply to join the Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) scheme given the type of job it was. Hogg said he was interested and accepted the offer. He was also given a PVG application to complete.

In March 2022, Disclosure Scotland - who makes checks on individuals being recruited for certain jobs - later reviewed this and it was only then discovered Hogg was "barred from regulated work with children".

Hogg was told the PVG application had been rejected.

The fiscal: "He was asked by (his line manager) if he was aware why this would have happened. He explained he was barred from regulated work with children.

"Hogg was asked why he did not make them aware of this. He stated: 'People always say they will do a check, but they do not'."

Hogg was initially suspended before being fired by RM Education. Disclosure Scotland went on to contact police.

He was charged in November 2022 and claimed: "In my job, we had no contact with children." Hogg's lawyer told the court the latest offence came from a "genuine misunderstanding" on his part.

Ciara Bradley, defending, said Hogg had been put on the sex offenders register for 10 years and this had ended in December 2021.

Miss Bradley: "He thought he was no longer required to disclose this offence to future employers.

"The company took on contracts with other agencies and entered into a contract with a school. That is when he was required to submit an application. He did so as he thought the requirements had ended."

Hogg was now said to have "turned his life around" and had another job in technology.

Sheriff Collete Gallagher said the offence "crossed the custody threshold", but she instead told Hogg to carry out 108 hours of unpaid work as part of an 18-month community payback order.

She stated: "Legalities are put in place to protect vulnerable people including children.

"Ignorance is no excuse for this matter. The fact you had a number of opportunities to disclose your previous conviction is a concern as is your attitude.

"I consider that this lack of insight presents a risk to the community."

Hogg was told again he should have no contact with children without permission from a supervising officer. He also has to declare "any romantic relationships" and get permission before he changes address.

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A man has been jailed for six years after sexually assaulting two women in Southport.

Peter Hudson, 52, of Cranfield Drive, in Cheshire, was found guilty of five counts of sexual assault and was sentenced on Friday 1 November at Liverpool Crown Court.

The two victims, who both have vulnerabilities, were each sexually assaulted by Hudson in Southport.

The first incident occurred in August 2021 and the second in February 2022. Hudson was arrested in February 2022 and later charged following a complex investigation.

As well as a prison sentence, Hudson has also signed on the Sex Offender’s Register for life.

As a result of the sexual assault, both women suffered PTSD, panic attacks, insomnia and depression. 

His first victim, who is aged in her 20s, said: “My mental health deteriorated as a consequence of the sexual assault I was subjected to. It has affected my life in many ways. For months after the incident I suffered with awful nightmares in which I would relive what he did to me time and time again and eventually this developed into PTSD.

“I don’t trust any man now. Any man that has cause to speak to me in person, it puts me in a fear. Even after all this time I can’t relax and can’t stop thinking about what I’ve been subjected to.”

His second victim, aged in her 30s, said: “My mental health has really deteriorated since the assault and in more recent time I have been diagnosed with PTSD. I am very frightened going out anywhere.

“When I get in bed I start to worry, panic, have flashbacks of the assault. I have vivid nightmares and relive what happened. I have terrible insomnia and don’t get much quality sleep at all. I cry during the night and feel frightened.

“My day-to-day life has been affected because I just feel so depressed and anxious. I feel very isolated because I do not trust people and have become withdrawn.”

Detective Constable Nicholas Gray, who led the investigation, said: “Hudson displayed predatory behaviour and targeted his two victims, who had vulnerabilities, to carry out despicable sexual assaults.

“He also denied the allegations and therefore forced the two women to relive the ordeal in a trial. Thankfully he was found guilty and will now spend a significant amount of time in prison for his actions.

“I want to commend the bravery of the two women in reporting what happened and helping us to put this man behind bars. While no sentence will repair the trauma which was inflicted on his victims, I hope this sentencing will not only provide them with justice, but also encourage other victims to come forward and have the confidence in us as a police force to take reports seriously and ultimately ensure offenders are put before the courts.”

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A sex offender has been sentenced to life imprisonment after being convicted of rape and other sexual offences in Kirklees.  
 
Adam Martin (26) from Cleckheaton was jailed at Leeds Crown Court today (Friday November 1st) for two offences of rape, sexual assault and other offending in what has been described as a sustained and shocking attack on a lone victim.   

The 26-year-old pleaded guilty at a previous hearing to the offences which took place in a Cleckheaton cemetery during the early evening of December 7, 2023.

Aside from the two rape offences, he was convicted for attempted rape, three other sexual offences, Section 47 assault, threats to kill and two offences of intentional strangulation.

Martin will have to serve a minimum term of 13 years and nine months as part of his sentence.
 
The court heard he had spotted and then followed his victim walking home from the bus station. 

Martin followed and then dragged the victim into Whitcliffe Cemetery where a serious sexual attack then took place.
 
The victim returned home after the incident and was able to report what had happened.
 
Officers arrested Martin within hours of the offence, and later charged him for a first appearance before magistrates on December 11.  
 
The case was investigated by the Homicide and Major Enquiry Team (HMET). 
 
DI Jodie Hayes of the Homicide and Major Enquiry Team, said: “Adam Martin committed a shocking attack against a lone victim, and we welcome his sentencing at court today.  
“He identified and followed his victim before committing a sustained and vicious attack.  There is no doubt whatsoever that he is a highly dangerous sexual offender who has acted in the most predatory way.  
“It is welcome that his guilty plea may have spared the victim the ordeal of a trial but, in truth, the weight of evidence against him was so substantial he had little choice but to enter this plea.”  
 
She added: “Reports of sexual offences are treated incredibly seriously by West Yorkshire Police and victims are encouraged to come forward and report incidents.  
 
“West Yorkshire Police are a victim focussed organisation, and the welfare of victims is paramount to us.  All reports are fully investigated by experienced detectives who can also signpost victims to services which can provide the help and support they may well need.”  

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A prolific sex offender who secretly recorded a 10-year-old girl in her own home has been put behind bars.

Alexander Kerr secretly filmed and took pictures of the girl as well as three other females. Police said the 62-year-old 'knew what he doing was wrong, yet he carried on anyway'.

After an investigation was launched by officers, almost 2,800 indecent images of children were found on Kerr's devices - including some of the most serious category. He initially claimed he downloaded the illegal images and clips 'by accident' when 'searching for aviation videos', Cheshire Police said.

But was found to have downloaded them for his own 'his own sexual gratification'. The probe into Kerr was first launched in 2022 when officers received intelligence on indecent images being downloaded from his previous home on Hewell Grange in Runcorn.

Police raided the address on August 31 that year and Kerr was arrested. Officers found 2,779 indecent images of children on a number of his devices.

These included 528 category A images, 429 category B, 1,822 category C, 44 extreme pornographic videos involving animals, and 64 prohibited images of children downloaded between 2002 and 2023. Police also uncovered the secret recordings and pictures of the four females who lived in the area.

Kerr, of Rushmore Drive, Widnes, was subsequently charged. He pleaded guilty to nine counts of making indecent images of children (category A, B, and C), two counts of possessing indecent images of a children, one count of possessing extreme pornography, two counts of taking indecent images of children, two counts of voyeurism and one count of possessing a prohibited image of a child.

"Kerr is a prolific and dangerous sex offender"

On Wednesday (October 30), he was jailed for two years and eight months at Liverpool Crown Court. Following his sentencing, Detective Constable Michael McGuinness said: "Kerr knew that what he was doing was wrong, yet he carried on anyway.

"During his interview, he told officers that he accidentally downloaded indecent images of children onto his devices while searching for aviation videos. But when he realised the significant amount of evidence gathered against him, he had no choice but to confess and plead guilty.

"This wasn’t just a one-off incident - over a sustained period of time he downloaded more than 2,000 indecent images of vulnerable victims for his own sexual gratification – behind every image is a child suffering. Not only that, but he secretly recorded four women and girls, invading their privacy within their own homes.

"Kerr is a prolific and dangerous sex offender, and I am glad to see him behind bars. We are committed to pursuing and bringing to justice those who engage in online child sexual activity and those who play a part in the sexual abuse of children.

"I hope that the sentence handed down to Kerr reinforces the message that nobody is above the law and deters others from committing similar offences."

Kerr was also ordered to sign the sex offenders' register for life. He was handed a sexual harm prevention order.

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Police have praised the courage and strength of a woman who was assaulted by a stranger in her own home as the ‘violent and dangerous’ offender is jailed for 20 years.

The victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, suffered significant physical injuries during the attack, and is now trying to live with the ongoing emotional and psychological impact of the incident.

Dyfed-Powys Police officers have also paid testament to a family member who arrived home during the attack and sustained injuries when they bravely intervened.

Swansea Crown Court heard that officers were called to an address in Goodwick at just before 10.30pm on May 24, 2024. The caller, a relative of the victim, described her as being covered in blood, and said the suspect was trying to escape from the house.

Officers attended immediately and found the victim inside the house with visible injuries to her face.

Detective Chief Inspector Matthew Briggs said: “She was clearly badly injured, and was incredibly distressed, but at that point we weren’t aware of the extent of the ordeal she had been put through.

“Our focus was on prioritising her care with the help of paramedics, and getting officers out on the street to find the suspect.

“Shortly after officers arrived at scene, a man by the name of Benjamin Guiver was arrested not far from the house.”

The victim revealed in interview that she didn’t think she would survive the assault, but that two family members returned home and disturbed the attacker.

She explained that she had fallen asleep while watching TV, and woke to find a man in her living room. He said his name was Benjamin and that he had come ‘to rescue her’. When the victim asked who he was, he replied ‘don’t ask any questions or I’ll kill you’.

The victim managed to escape the address and run out onto the drive, shouting for help. She was followed by the suspect, who assaulted her outside and threatened to kill her before continuing the sustained attack inside the address.

The victim lost several teeth and sustained significant bruising to her body.

It was later established by police that the 34-year-old, of Fishguard, had attempted to enter another house in close proximity to the victim’s home a short while earlier.

Following substantial enquiries by the police, Benjamin Guiver was charged with the following six offences on May 26: Sexual Assault by penetration; Section 18 GBH with intent; Intentional strangulation; Trespass with intent to commit a sexual offence; Threats to kill; Assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

Due to the weight of evidence against him, he pleaded guilty to all six charges when he appeared at court on July 10.

In a statement written by the victim, she described herself as “a shell of her former self” following the incident, constantly feeling “lost, unsafe and on edge”.

She wrote: “I feel as though my life has been turned upside down. I no longer feel safe in my own home which is a feeling I have never experienced before.

“I’ve always been confident and independent, however, that has now been viciously ripped away from me.

“I want so desperately to go back to some kind of normality with my life, however, I know that what has happened is going to continue to haunt me for the rest of my life.”

Described as a ‘violent and dangerous offender’ by the judge, Guiver was sentenced to 20 years in prison at Swansea Crown court on Thursday, October 31, 2024.

Following sentencing, DCI Briggs said: “The victim in this case has shown immense courage throughout the investigation, and I commend her for that.

“Suffering such an attack in your own home is unimaginable, and – as she detailed in her statement – has impacted every aspect of her life.

“Despite this, she has demonstrated her strength of character every step of the way and worked alongside officers to ensure justice prevailed.

“I would also like to highlight the actions of her relative who intervened during the assault, putting their own safety at risk to ensure further harm was not caused.”

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A 24-year-old man has been sent back to prison after he harassed a woman who was selling baby products online.

As a registered sex offender, Josh Guilder, previously of Northampton, was required to abide by very strict conditions after leaving prison or face going back to jail.

However, in May of this year, he committed multiple breaches including harassing a woman online who was selling baby products.

At first, the woman in question believed Guilder to be a genuine buyer, however he then went on to send her messages about wanting her baby to “suck on the dummies” she was selling as he “wanted them used”.

The woman, who described feeling “shocked and disturbed” by Guilder’s messages, stopped engaging with him. However, he sent her another message which read “can I take the dummy out of your baby’s mouth and suck on it.”

But this wasn’t the end of Guilder’s breaches as he was also found to have deleted messages in WhatsApp which was contrary to his Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) before making admissions to having contact with two unknown children when buying used baby products from the internet.

Guilder was charged with one count of harassment without violence, two counts of breaching his SHPO and one count of attempting to breach his SHPO.

After pleading guilty to the offences at Northampton Crown Court in June, Guilder returned to the same court this week (Monday, October 28) where he was sentenced to over one year and six months in prison.

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A Devon & Cornwall police officer has been sentenced to three years imprisonment and ordered to sign the sex offenders register for life after being found guilty of sexual assault.

PC Simon Mitchell, 43, of Bideford, was sentenced at Bristol Crown Court today, Thursday 31 October.

Mitchell, who had denied the offence, was found guilty by a jury after a nine-day trial in September.

The court heard how in June 2022, Mitchell had been off-duty socialising with colleagues at Devon & Cornwall Police accommodation block when the offence took place.

The incident was reported to police in September 2022 and an investigation was launched. Mitchell was arrested and immediately suspended from duty.

Mitchell denied the charges, claiming a different set of circumstances surrounding the incident, however he was found guilty by a jury with a majority verdict on 12th September 2024.

Today he has been jailed for three years and will become a registered sex offender for life.

Assistant Chief Constable Matt Longman said: “The conviction and subsequent sentencing of PC Simon Mitchell for sexual assault follows a full and thorough investigation by the Force.

“We are as committed as ever to rooting out predatory behaviour and protecting women and girls from sexual violence.

“Our thoughts remain with the victim in this case and specialist officers continue to support her. I would like to thank her for giving evidence in court and I hope that this sentence will give her some sense of closure following the ordeal.

“Now that criminal proceedings have completed, Mitchell will now be subject to internal misconduct proceedings. The outcome of which will be published by the Force in due course.”

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We have today, Thursday 31 October, welcomed the sentencing of a man to 21 years in prison for historical child sexual offences.

Ali Alduhlaimi, 41, of Derwent Road West, Liverpool, was convicted of oral rape, sexual activity with a child, inciting a child to engage in sex acts and causing a child to watch adult penetrative activity following an eight-day trial at Liverpool Crown Court.

The charges relate to offences committed against one victim between 2010 and 2016.

He was today sentenced to a total of 21 years in prison with an additional year on licence. He was also given a restraining order, a sexual harm prevention order and ordered to sign on the sex offenders register for life.

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This is Alister Dyson, and he’s been jailed after breaching his Sex Offender Notification Requirements and his Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Dyson, 39 (pictured below) of no fixed abode but previously of Preston and Morecambe, is a registered sex offender. As a result of this, he had to follow Sex Offender Notification Requirements and a Sexual Harm Prevention Order. Dyson breached two of these requirements: failure to notify police of his address, and unsupervised contact with a child.

He was jailed for 22 months in total at Preston Crown Court yesterday.

Police Offender Manager Adam Weaver, of West Division said: “Dyson blatantly and deliberately ignored the requirements set to protect the community, and I welcome the custodial sentence received. We monitor registered sex offenders in the community and won’t hesitate to put them back before the court should they fail to comply with the lawful orders imposed upon them.  

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A 28-year-old man has pleaded guilty to a string of devastating sexual offences against children after being confronted with overwhelming evidence uncovered by the Metropolitan Police.

Sam Phillips, 28 (07.04.96), of Hillcroome Road, Sutton, appeared at Harrow Crown Court on 30th October, where he admitted to 38 offences committed between December 2023 and February 2024.

His crimes, which targeted six vulnerable children, including over 20 counts of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, alongside further charges of sexual communication with a child and making indecent images of children

The Met investigation demonstrated the tireless dedication of the officers involved, whose swift actions and relentless pursuit of justice ensured that Phillips could not continue his reign of abuse. Their work uncovered the extent of his crimes, providing crucial evidence that led to his guilty plea and ensuring that he will face the full weight of the law.

Chief Superintendent Sara Leach, who leads policing in north-west London where the investigation was undertaken, said:

“Phillips is a predator of the worst kind, preying on innocent, vulnerable children for his own gratification. The scale of his offending is both appalling and heartbreaking, and no child should ever have to endure the trauma these young victims have suffered.

“I want to extend my deepest gratitude to the children and their families who had the courage to come forward. It is impossible to imagine the pain and fear they have experienced, but their bravery has allowed us to hold this dangerous individual to account.

“I am pleased Phillips has pleaded guilty, it is a testament to the strength and diligence of the case that Met officers have built. This outcome reflects our unwavering commitment to bringing sexual abusers to justice and ensuring that victims are heard and protected.”

The investigation began in late January 2024, when officers were contacted with serious concerns regarding the welfare of a child who had potentially been sexually exploited. Met detectives in north-west London immediately launched an investigation.

Through meticulous investigative work, officers uncovered that two additional children had also been groomed by Phillips. He had manipulated these children online, sending them money in exchange for inappropriate images of themselves. Detectives quickly traced the payments to Phillips’ account, and he was arrested on Monday, 11 March 2024. Initially charged with 11 offences involving three children, further analysis of his phone and financial records revealed more victims, leading to the total of 38 charges which were pleaded guilty to.