Latest Offenders

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A serial child rapist whose abuse spanned two decades has been jailed for 28 years but refused to attend his sentencing at Canterbury Crown Court, denying his victims closure.

Kevin Wernham, 54, from Ashford, was convicted of 28 offenses—including rape, sexual assault, and causing a child to engage in sexual activity—after a month-long trial in October last year.

Jurors heard how the mechanic, living on a caravan park in Aldington, preyed on young victims, plying one with alcohol, forcing others to watch pornography, and making them perform sexual acts. He even invited other men to join in and told one youngster not to reveal it, calling it their "shared, special grown-up thing."

Victims came forward with similar ordeals, leading to his conviction. The abuse had a "severe psychological and life-long impact," stealing their childhoods, said Judge Sarah Counsell.

One victim's statement, read by prosecutor Paul Valder, described:

"My daily life is a constant battle with emotions and unpredictable negativity—emotions such as rage, sorrow, shame, panic and terror. The quality of my life is marred by severe mood swings, making it a rollercoaster of emotions. I oscillate between feelings of despair and brief moments of positivity. The daily impact on my life is profound and I feel myself in a constant tug of war."

The victim also reported disturbed sleep, nightmares, flashbacks, hallucinations, and an "obsession" that Wernham still posed a threat.

Defending, Sarah O'Kane cited Wernham's health issues and enhanced prison status, arguing for a determinate sentence.

But Judge Counsell, noting a probation report's finding of no remorse and victim-blaming—Wernham maintained innocence, accused victims of perjury, and blamed another man—imposed an extended sentence to protect the public.

Addressing the empty dock, she said:

"These remarks are directed at Mr Wernham, although he has not been willing to attend this hearing to face the consequences of his actions. He was convicted by a jury at trial of what was serious and systematic sexual abuse of children. He took advantage and preyed on his victims’ vulnerabilities… stealing their childhoods. They learnt about sexual behaviour far too early and this will have a life-long impact on them all."

The judge added:

"He has not faced up to his actions" and still blames others. "He has maintained throughout that his victims are not telling the truth about what happened. The jury has found otherwise. He has suggested they had various incentives to lie and that one victim had a financial motive. His behaviour was truly a campaign of rape and sexual abuse against vulnerable children."

The report highlighted Wernham's "controlling, manipulative and distorted thinking," complete denial, no remorse, victim-blaming, and claims of a mistrial with "concocted" evidence.

Deeming him a high risk to children, Judge Counsell imposed a 30-year extended sentence: 24 years' imprisonment (serving at least two-thirds before Parole Board consideration), plus six years' extended license upon release.

This runs consecutively to a four-year determinate term, of which he serves half before the 24-year term begins.

Wernham must sign the sex offender register for life, comply with a sexual harm prevention order, and may be barred from working with children or vulnerable adults.

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A teenage girl has been commended for her courage in helping to jail a Kirklees man who seriously sexually assaulted her.

Kirklees safeguarding detectives have welcomed the sentencing of Nico Barraclough, aged 33, at Leeds Crown Court today (23/2) for serious sexual offending against a young teenager in the Kirklees area. 

They praised the victim’s bravery in disclosing what the 33-year-old had done, despite attempts he made to stop her speaking of his crimes.

Barraclough, of Bradshaw Lane, Honley, was sentenced to 11 years in prison with three years extended licence after being found guilty of an offence of rape, causing a child to watch a sexual act, and two offences of engaging in sexual activity with a child.  

The offending took place between between July 2023 and April 2024 when it was reported to police after the victim disclosed what Barralcough had done.

An investigation was quickly launched by specialist officers at the Child Safeguarding Unit resulting in Barraclough’s arrest on 15 April.

Following further enquiries he was charged to appear before magistrates just two days later.

DC Paul Campbell of the Kirklees Child Safeguarding Unit, said:

“We welcome the sentencing of Barraclough for extremely serious sexual offending against a young and vulnerable girl.

“He groomed and exploited her, and also attempted to stop her talking to anyone about the sexual offences he was committing.  

“She has shown real courage in disclosing what took place and then, with her family, supporting both the police investigation, and subsequent prosecution of Barraclough.

“Rather than admit his guilt, despite strong evidence of his offending, he chose to put both her and her family through the ordeal of a trial and this was reflected in his sentence.

“We hope seeing him jailed has brought the victim some closure and comfort, and continue to urge all victims of sexual abuse to contact us.

“All reports are investigated by specialist officers with the victim’s needs at the heart of everything we do.” 

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A man has been jailed for raping a man in Liverpool city centre.

Ibrahim Momen, 30, of no fixed abode and originally from Sudan, appeared at Liverpool Crown Court today (Friday 23 January) after being found guilty of rape.

In the early hours of the morning on Sunday 29 June 2025, we received a report that a man aged in his 20s had been raped by another male near Liverpool Cathedral, on St James’ Mount.

Following an investigation, Momem was arrested and subsequently charged with rape.

Today he was jailed for seven years and a half years and handed a restraining order.

Detective Constable Chris Condliff, who led the investigation, said:

“Following a lengthy investigation and despite the evidence against him, Momen denied the offences and therefore put the victim through the trauma of a trial.

“I would like to praise the courage and dignity shown by the victim throughout the investigation and court proceedings.

“We are committed to protecting victims of sexual offences no matter what their gender 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.

“We take all such reports extremely seriously, and work with partner organisations such as Victim care Support Service and RASA who are there to support victims if this crime.”

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Liam Dennis, 25, from Orchard Drive in Wisbech, has been jailed for five years for rape and sexual assault after forcing himself on a woman following a night of drinking.

He was found guilty after a trial at Leeds Crown Court for the 2021 offence, which occurred while he was a 21-year-old university student in Leeds. Dennis denied the charges and had no previous convictions.

Judge Robin Mairs sentenced him on Monday, February 16, with a £190 victim surcharge.

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A man has been jailed for sexually assaulting two women on board Hampshire to London trains, following a British Transport Police (BTP) investigation.

Esosa Eguakin, 31, and of Courtelle Road, Coventry, pleaded guilty to two counts of Sexual Assault at an earlier hearing and was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment on Tuesday 10 February at Guildford Crown Court.

He also received a five-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) which prohibits him from doing a number of things, including sitting or standing next to or opposite any lone women.

The court heard how on 21 August last year, Eguakin was on board a service from Fratton to London Waterloo on the early morning commute just after 7.15am. Eguakin intentionally sat behind a woman in her 30s and sexually assaulted her.

Then on 6 October shortly after 6am on board a service from Eastleigh to London Waterloo, Eguakin sexually assaulted another woman. When she confronted him, he claimed he was trying to retrieve his phone that he had dropped.  

He refused to move away from her, and an off-duty police officer intervened to escort him off the train at Woking.  

The officer arrested Eguakin and kept him at the station until officers arrived and took him to custody.

A subsequent investigation into both offences led by BTP detectives resulted in Eguakin being charged with two counts of sexual assault.

BTP Detective Constable David Stewart said:

“Eguakin’s behaviour was predatory and deeply distressing for both victims. No one should feel unsafe or be subjected to such violations as they travel.

“I want to thank the women involved for their courage in supporting our investigation, as well as the offduty officer whose swift actions prevented further harm. This sentence, along with the SHPO, sends a clear message that we will pursue offenders and ensure they are held to account.”

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A man who raped and sexually abused a girl over several years has been found guilty of rape following a retrial at Grimsby Crown Court.

Nigel Bull, 55-years-old, of Patrington Haven in East Riding of Yorkshire was charged with 11 sexual offences in October 2023 relating to a series of non-recent rapes and sexual assaults involving two alleged victims, over a period of seven years.

The case went to trial on Monday 2, September 2024 at Hull Crown Court, which lasted seven days. Bull was found guilty of two counts of sexual assault by the jury however a verdict was not reached on three counts of rape.

In the same trial Bull was found not guilty in relation to both offences alleged by a second victim.

Due to the hung jury, the charges Bull faced in relation to the rape offences were subject to a retrial.

The second trial commenced on Monday, 9 February 2026 which lasted seven days resulting in Bull being found guilty of three counts of rape last week (Monday, 16 February 2026). 

Throughout all legal proceedings, including both trials, Bull maintained a not-guilty plea.

Following his appearance in court last week, he was remanded into custody to await sentencing at Grimsby Crown Court on Friday, 17 April 2026.

Officer in the Case Detective Constable Rebecca Davison from our Protecting Vulnerable People unit said:

“I would first like to commend the victim and their admirable courage and bravery in coming forward, and their patience throughout the entire judicial process.

“Bull is a calculated abuser who refused to take responsibility for his horrific crimes. Instead, he forced his victim to endure the trauma of two separate trials, weaponizing the legal system in a final desperate attempt to exert control, making his victim relieve their ordeal twice over.

“I know that the result at court will not take away the trauma and fear suffered by the person he abused, but I hope it brings a sense of justice that he is going to be in jailed for his crimes

“We take all reports of rape and sexual offences extremely seriously, and we will do everything we can to seek justice for victims and hold those responsible for these detestable crimes to account.

“You are in control, and it is completely up to you who you talk to and what help you get, but just know that there is a wide range of independent and criminal support out there.  If you have been a victim of a sexual offence, I urge you please to tell someone."

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George Gillett, 24, from Bridgend has been sentenced to two years and five months in prison after appearing on Friday February 20 at Cardiff Crown Court.

On January 6, Gillett changed his plea from not guilty to guilty of sexually assaulting a woman, following an incident that took place in a car in Bridgend on July 13, 2025.

He was also convicted for two separate offences of stalking.

Detective Constable Evan Thomas said:

“I would like to thank the victim for her strength and resilience throughout this investigation. Gillett’s actions have had an extremely significant impact on her, so I hope this sentence goes some way in helping her move onwards from his actions.

“If you are a victim of a sexual offence, please report it to police. We will always take your reports seriously and we are committed to holding offenders like Gillett to account "

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A man from Stoke-on-Trent has been jailed for online child sexual offences.

Paul Hamilton, 33, of no fixed address, has been sentenced to one-year-and-ten-months behind bars at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court on Thursday (19 February) after he admitted two counts of attempting to cause a child aged 13 to 15 to watch or look at an image of sexual activity and two counts of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child.

We arrested Hamilton in December last year after learning that he had been communicating sexually with two different online accounts. He believed both of the accounts to belong to teenage girls at the time.

He admitted to the offences at an earlier hearing in January.

As part of his sentencing, he was put on the Sex Offenders Register for ten years and served with a ten-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).

Detective Constable Emily Hanlon, from our public protection unit, said:

“Hamilton sent persistent sexual messages to these accounts, believing them to belong to teenage girls.

“We’re working proactively every single day in Staffordshire to identify perpetrators of these crimes, using a range of tactics to identify offenders and bring them before the courts.

“I’m pleased we’ve been able to put another sex offender behind bars as a result of this investigation.”

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A church volunteer who sent more than 8,000 pages of inappropriate messages to a teenage girl and took part in sexual activity with her has been jailed.

Nam Vu, 28, groomed the girl who he knew from a church in Cambridge - but it wasn’t long before her parents became suspicious.

They discovered deleted screenshots on her phone of a sexually explicit nature, and a WhatsApp chat between the pair but all messages had been deleted.

On speaking to their daughter the girl denied any hint of a sexual relationship and said she was just friends with Vu, of Linclare Place, Eaton Ford, St Neots.

However more evidence then came to light, including a handwritten note from the girl found in a book, which detailed sexual activity between them.

The girl then confided in police what had happened to her, saying that Vu had made sexual remarks to her in the messages and encouraged her to take part in sexual activity, as well as touched her inappropriately.

Vu was arrested and interviewed but answered no comment to all questions asked by officers.

His phone was seized and analysed where it was discovered that in six weeks during 2024, there were more than 8,000 messages between Vu and the teenager – most of them sexual in nature.

'Putting my entire life on the line'

The messages highlighted how Vu began grooming the girl, offered to buy her clothes and complimented her.

On multiple occasions throughout the chat Vu acknowledged the girl was under 16, added that she could ‘ruin him’, said how he could go to jail and how he was ‘putting his entire life on the line’.

Vu continued to deny any wrongdoing however, at Cambridge Crown Court in December, eventually pleaded guilty to six offences including:

• Engaging in sexual communication with a child
• Four counts of engaging in non-penetrative sexual activity with girl under 13-15
• Inciting a girl aged 13 to 15 to engage in sexual activity

Vu was sentenced at Peterborough Crown Court on Thursday (19 February) where he was handed a total of three years and four months in prison.

He was ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register indefinitely and given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO), with strict conditions to monitor any future offending and contact with children.

Vu was also given a restraining order, to run indefinitely, preventing him from contacting his victim in any way.

'Never able to truly see the danger'

Detective Constable Lara Wycherley, of the force’s Child Abuse Investigations and Safeguarding Unit (CAISU), said:

“Vu engaged in highly sexualised communication with the victim in this case, whilst acknowledging her age and that he was in a position of trust.

“He groomed a vulnerable child for his own gain and his behaviour was utterly disgusting. I would like to praise the parents in this case who realised something wasn’t quite right, and urge other parents and carers to speak to their children about exactly who they are communicating with.

“The magnitude of the effect of Vu’s behaviour cannot be underestimated. In a victim impact statement given to the judge, the teenager told how the persistent nature of the abuse meant she was never able to truly see the danger she was in.

“She added that Vu repeatedly told her to keep quiet and conditioned her to believe that his crimes were her fault.

"Also of importance, she told how the abuse had made her lose all trust in men, changed her perspective on people in a direction that isn’t pleasant, stripped her from her childhood innocence and left an irreparable scar.

“We will do everything in our power to protect children from predators like Vu and, as this case demonstrates, bring them to justice for their actions.”

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A 25-year-old man has been jailed after pleading guilty to a sexual offence against a child.

Jason Squibb, formerly of Westfield Road, Yeovil, has been jailed for almost three years after he pleaded guilty to sexual activity with a teenage girl.

Squibb appeared at Taunton Crown Court, sitting at North Somerset Courthouse, for sentencing on Friday 30 January. He was jailed for two years and eight months, ordered to register as a sex offender and handed a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for five years.

The court heard how Squibb had used social media platform, Snapchat, to message a teenage girl and groom her with the promise of buying her alcohol.

In October 2021, Squibb intentionally engaged in sexual activity with the victim, who he knew was not over the legal age of 16.

Every person who reports a sexual offence is entitled to anonymity.

The victim’s mother, speaking after Squibb was jailed, said:

“Four years ago, our daughter’s life was changed forever. Since then, she has lived with the profound trauma of the assault committed against her by Jason Squibb.

“However, this sentencing is not about him – it is about the power of finding one’s voice.

“Our daughter was determined to see this legal process through to the end for one specific reason: she knows she is not alone. Even at her young age, she understands that other girls have endured the same pain and carried the same unnecessary shame. Her message to them is clear: you do not have to live in silence.

“Sometimes, bad things happen to good people, but those moments do not define who you are. You deserve to be heard, and you deserve justice.

“As her mother, I am incredibly proud of the strength she has found. To anyone else who may be a victim: please come forward. Every piece of information and every bit of evidence matters. Our children deserve protection, and your voice can help provide it.

“This journey has rocked our family to its core and it has not been an easy road, but we emerge from this stronger than ever.

“We want to express our deepest gratitude to everyone who worked tirelessly on her case, and to those who supported us leading up to the sentencing.”

Officer in the case, DC Elisabeth Dane from our Internet Child Abuse Team (ICAT), said:

“Squibb groomed a child using the purchase and supply of alcohol in exchange for sexual favours.

“The bravery and courage exhibited by the victim, and her family, has led to a dangerous man being put behind bars, no longer a risk to other girls. We cannot thank her enough for her continued support throughout this investigation and hope she is able to move forward.

“We continue to support the victim in this case and other victims of this form of crime, we will always listen to you and seek to bring dangerous people such as Squibb before a court to get the justice they deserve.”

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A man from Congleton has been jailed for over four years after forcing an 11-year-old child to engage in sexual communications.

Joshua Brookes appeared at Chester Crown Court on Thursday 19 February 2026, where he was sentenced to four and a half years’ imprisonment.

The sentencing comes after the 21-year-old, of Vaudrey Crescent, Congleton, pleaded guilty to four counts of inciting a girl under the age of 13 to engage in sexual activity and two counts of making indecent images of a child.

The court heard that officers from Cheshire Police’s Online Child Abuse Investigation Team (OCAIT) had been investigating reports of online sexual activity between an 18-year-old man and a child.

On Tuesday 30 July 2024, OCAIT officers arrested Brookes and subsequently seized a number of digital devices belonging to him. These devices—a phone and a laptop—were inspected by digital forensic teams, who uncovered a series of threatening messages that had been sent to the victim.

The messages showed that Brookes pressured the girl into sending him sexualised images of herself. He went on to tell the child that if she stopped sending images, he would share them with people she knew, and he even threatened to harm himself and sexually assault her.

Across Brookes’ devices, nearly 30 indecent images were found.

Officers later identified the victim as an 11-year-old girl, who confirmed to them that Brookes had forced her to send the images and had made a number of threats towards her if she stopped.

In his interview with police, Brookes gave no comment to all questions and allegations put to him.

Despite his refusal to provide his side of the story or defend himself, Brookes was subsequently charged with the offences.

Alongside his custodial sentence, Brookes has also been made the subject of a ten-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Detective Constable Anna Hull, of CID Reactive North, said:

“Firstly, I would like to commend the victim in this case, whose help has been invaluable in securing this conviction against Joshua Brookes. Despite her young age, the bravery and courage she has shown in coming forward and speaking to police about the ordeal has been nothing short of inspiring.

“Brookes used fear and intimidation to manipulate his victim, a vulnerable child, making her feel guilty for not wanting to feed into his warped sexual fantasies. I am very glad to see that he has been handed a lengthy custodial sentence, which will, hopefully, allow the victim in this case and her family to begin to move on from this extremely alarming incident.

“Even when Brookes is eventually released from prison in 2030, he will be under continual monitoring under a Sexual Harm Prevention Order, ensuring he will never cause harm to another vulnerable child again.”

Description

A ‘perverted criminal’ who admitted sexually abusing a young girl for his own sexual gratification has been sentenced to ten years and six months behind bars, placed on the sex offenders register for life and handed a 20 year sexual harm prevention order following an appearance at Grimsby Crown Court today (Friday, 20 February 2026)

Peter Coope, 39-years-old of Station Road in Healing pleaded guilty to inciting a girl under 13 to engage in sexual activity, assaulting a girl under 13 by penetration, rape of a girl under 13 and assault a girl under 13 by touching, at an appearance at Grimsby Crown Court on Monday, 17 November 2025.

Coope’s crimes first came to officers’ attention through a third-party report at Grimsby Police Station after a young girl had disclosed the abuse that he had subjected her to.

Officers attended Coope’s home address, and he was arrested the same day (Monday, 21 April 2025).

An investigation was launched, and Coope initially denied all the allegations, telling the detectives that the girl was lying and that she must be making this up as she is ‘troubled’. He has since pleaded guilty at court to all four offences at court.

Detective Constable Liam Greenwood who led the investigation said:

“Coope is a perverted criminal who sexually abused a young girl, before telling her not to tell anyone about his atrocious actions.

“Thankfully she told a trusted adult, and I’d like to commend her for the bravery that she has shown both in that moment and throughout the investigation and the court process. Thanks to her this dangerous man is now behind bars and off our streets.

“I hope that today’s conviction reassures anyone who has been a victim of a sexual offence that we will listen to you and we will support you.”

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A former teacher at a Southampton school has been jailed for sexual offences against a teenage girl.

Edward George Waller, 66, of Winter Road, Southsea, had denied offences that related to his time as a teacher at St Anne’s Catholic School and Sixth Form College in Southampton.

But on Wednesday 3 December, a jury found him guilty of one count of sexual activity with a child by a person in position of trust, and two counts of being a person in a position of trust causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.

Today (Friday 20 February), at Portsmouth Crown Court, Waller was jailed for six years.

He will be placed on the sex offender register indefinitely.

The court heard that the offences took place when Waller was a history teacher at the school and the girl was aged between 16 and 17 years old.

He gave a vulnerable female pupil his mobile number and after a short period, his messages became inappropriate and sexual, including sending naked images of himself.

The court heard that Waller later invited the girl to his home and had sex with her.

Today in court, the victim read out a statement detailing how Waller’s offending continues to impact her life, including her ability to form relationships, as well as the difficulty in having to relive her experience during the trial.

She continued:

“I want to be clear: I didn’t give evidence to hurt him. I did it for myself. These events have haunted me and I needed the closure I never got then. I’m not there yet — I’m deeply scarred by what happened then and by having to relive it now — but I believe I finally have a chance to heal in a way I couldn’t have without telling the truth.

“I write this on behalf of a vulnerable teenager who was simply looking for safety and love, who did not deserve what happened to her and who has carried shame that does not belong to her for far too long.”

In 2023, an investigation was carried out by Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary’s Operation Marmion team, who investigate allegations of non-recent sexual abuse perpetrated within institutions or by people of prominence.

Speaking after the hearing, officer in the case Detective Constable Laura Hardie said:

“The survivor of this abuse was a vulnerable teenage girl at the time. She was abused by someone she should have been able to trust – a teacher at her own school.

“She has shown incredible bravery in having to talk about what happened in court. I would also like to thank the witnesses who came forward in this case. Their support, along with the support of the victim, ensured Waller has now been brought to justice.

“We want anyone who has experienced sexual abuse to come forward, no matter when the offence took place. You will be listened to by specially trained officers and the matters will be investigated.

“If you are not ready to report a crime, there are a number of different types of support available and you can decide what to do next.”

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A registered Kirklees sex offender is behind bars just weeks after his arrest after being caught out by specialist child protection officers.

Ryan Walsh, aged 39 of Meltham Road,  Huddersfield, was sentenced to three years in prison at Leeds Crown Court yesterday (19 February) after admitting offences including sexual communication with a child and breach of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

The 39-year-old had been visited by officers from the Kirklees Public Protection Unit on 20 January as part of routine monitoring of him as a sex offender.

A search of his electronic devices revealed evidence of offending and he was arrested there and then, charged, and in court the next day.

Appearing at court yesterday, Walsh was jailed after admitting offences of sexual communication with a 13-year-old child, and two offences of making indecent photographs of a child.

He also admitted breaching his Sexual Harm Prevention Order and breach of the sex offenders register requirements.  

PC Richard Thorp of the Kirklees Police Public Protection Unit, said

“We welcome the conviction of Ryan Walsh at Leeds Crown Court yesterday, and hope it demonstrates that committing offences online and breaching orders, put in place to protect the public can only have one outcome.  

“Our unit works tirelessly, and does its upmost, to protect children and vulnerable people from the damage and distress that offenders like Walsh can inflict.”

DI Angela Francome of the Kirklees Public Protection Unit, added:

“Walsh’s swift sentencing within just over a month of his initial arrest demonstrates how well inter agency public protection can work to monitor registered sex offenders, and then swiftly act if offending occurs.

“Walsh was caught as a result of the monitoring our team and other public protection colleagues carry out on a daily basis across West Yorkshire.

“We continue to urge anyone who has any information about sexual offending in Kirklees or anywhere else in the force area to contact West Yorkshire Police.”

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Update, 20 February 2026

Joshua Springer was today (Friday, 20 February) handed a 21-year sentence, having previously pleaded guilty to nine charges of rape.

Springer, who is now 36 years old, was jailed following a hearing at Lincoln Crown Court.

He was also given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for the rest of his life.

His offences related to three victims who were suffering from dementia, at a residential care home for elderly people in the Stamford area; and a fourth victim in the North Yorkshire area.

We have not named the care home, or the location in North Yorkshire, to protect the anonymity of Springer’s victims.

Springer was also sentenced for making indecent images of children, for which he had also previously pleaded guilty.

Detective Chief Inspector Jennifer Lovatt, of East Midlands Special Operations Unit, is again appealing for anyone who believes they may have been a victim of Springer – who is also known as Joshua Kearney and Joshua Kearney Springer – to contact us.

"While Springer has today been sentenced for his horrific crimes, that does not mean that our investigations have stopped,” said DCI Lovatt.

"Our team has worked tirelessly for some time in bringing Springer to justice, and there may be other potential victims who perhaps have not yet come forward.

"I’d encourage them to contact us - you can call 101 (ask for Lincolnshire Police) and quote Incident 272 of 28 November. If you want to remain anonymous, then you can call Crimsteoppers on 0800 555 111.

"Today’s result shows that offenders will be brought to justice, so if you think you have been affected, please get in touch.”

Springer, formerly of Cornstall Buildings in Stamford, pleaded guilty to nine charges of rape when appearing at Lincoln Crown Court on 2 December 2025.

2025-12-03

A man accused of raping four women has pleaded guilty to his crimes.

Joshua Springer of Cornstall Buildings in Stamford appeared at Lincoln Crown Court on Tuesday, 2 December where he pleaded guilty to nine charges of rape.

Six charges are evenly split between three women while the remaining three charges are connected to a fourth woman.

Three of his victims were based at a Lincolnshire care home, while a fourth victim was located at an address in the North Yorkshire area.

The 35-year-old also pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images of children – including those in the most extreme category.

Springer had been arrested and subsequently charged in relation to several offences on 26 July.

It came a month after Lincolnshire Police were called to investigate reports vulnerable people had been sexually assaulted at an elderly residential care home in the Stamford area.

We have not named this care home, or the location in North Yorkshire, to protect the anonymity of Springer’s victims.

Springer appeared at Lincoln Magistrates’ Court on 28 July shortly after his arrest and was remanded into custody before he appeared yesterday to enter his plea.

He will now appear at Lincoln Crown Court to be sentenced on Friday, 6 February.

Detective Chief Inspector Jennifer Lovatt thanked the family of the victims in this case for their courage and patience.

She said:

“Springer’s actions show a clear lack of human decency and respect for the victims he targeted.

“He abused a position of trust and used the access he had to attack some of the most vulnerable people in our society.

“It is appalling, and my heart goes out to the victims and their families.

“The impact of Springer’s actions cannot be overestimated and will have long-lasting consequences. It was imperative that we got him behind bars and out of our community.

“I’d like to pay tribute to the women at the centre of this case and their families.

“Their courage and dignity cannot be put into words, and I hope that by bringing Springers to justice, they feel some form of comfort even if the road ahead is a long one.

“Cases like this have an enormous impact on family, friends, work colleagues and so on.

“Our investigations continue into Joshua Springer who has also used the surname Kearney and Kearney Springer if you believe you may have been a victim of him and/or have any information then we would encourage anyone to contact us to do so either by calling 101 (ask for Lincolnshire Police) quoting inc 272 of 28 November, anonymously through crime stoppers.

“If you’ve been the victim of rape or sexual assault or any other sexual offence not connected to Springer, then please report it to us or your local police service as soon as possible. I want to assure victims, we will listen – there are various ways you can get in touch, but please do not be afraid to. We are here to support you.

“Even if you’re not 100 per cent sure, we want to hear from you so that we can make sure you’re safe.

“If you’re not ready to talk to the police just yet, that’s OK.”