Latest Offenders

Description

A Chatham child rapist has been jailed for more than 16 years.

Kent Police launched an investigation in July 2022, following a report regarding Jason Hartley committing multiple rapes and assaults against a child between 2001 and 2007.

A second young victim also reported the 55 year old had exposed himself to them on at least two occasions.

The Palmerston Road resident was later arrested and charged with 15 sexual offences.

Court

Hartley admitted multiple offences at Maidstone Crown Court on 23 March 2026 including counts of rape, raping a child under 13 and inciting a child to engage in sexual activity. A further five charges will lie on file.

At the same court on Friday 10 April, he was sentenced to 16 and a half years in prison with a further year on licence. An indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) has also been issued and he is required to sign onto the sex offenders’ register.

Investigating officer Detective Constable Emma Davies said:

‘Hartley’s predatorial behaviour has resulted in significant harm for his young victims, and this sentence and SHPO will ensure he cannot harm anyone else.‘I commend the bravery of his victim for coming forward and reliving their experiences in order to secure this outcome. We are satisfied that Hartley is facing the consequences of his offending.’

Description

A vape shop owner who sexually assaulted a teenager in his shop in Paignton has been jailed.

Janpal Singh, 27 of High Street, Exeter, was found guilty of sexual assault against a 13-year-old girl and sentenced to six years and eight months in prison at Plymouth Crown Court today, Thursday 23 April.

Singh was also given a ten-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order and ordered to sign the National Sex Offender Register

The court heard that Signh had owned a phone repair and vape shop called ‘Fone Fix’ on Victoria Street.

The incident happened in 2023, with the victim being just 13 years old. She had been in Singh’s shop and attempted to take a vape without paying for it. She was then detained by Singh who pushed her towards the back of the shop behind the counter and subjected her to a sexual assault.

The victim managed to flee the shop and reported the incident to police.

Following a trial at Plymouth Crown Court, Singh was found guilty of sexual assault against the victim on 11th November 2025.

Detective Constable Rachael Delaney said:

“Firstly I wish to praise the courage of the victim who has demonstrated enormous strength throughout.

“I sincerely hope that today’s outcome will encourage others to come forward to report sexual abuse and gives them the confidence to know that they will be believed and listened to.”

Description

A man has been jailed for life with a minimum term of 13-and-a-half years for the religiously aggravated rape and assault of a Sikh woman in her home in Walsall.

John Ashby, 32, of no fixed address, was sentenced today (24 April 2026) at Birmingham Crown Court. He pleaded guilty on the second day of his trial, having previously denied the charges.

On 26 October 2025, Ashby was on the same bus as the victim, who was a stranger to him, after she finished work and travelled home. CCTV footage captured him following her off the bus and all the way to her address. 

A short time after arriving home, she went upstairs to change and then to the bathroom, which was unlocked as she believed she was alone in the house. She heard a noise and, thinking her flatmate had returned, rushed to lock the bathroom door.  Ashby forced his way in before she could do so.

He ordered her to remove her clothes, struck her with a stick, put his hands around her neck and strangled her, before demanding she climb into the bath and raping her.

During the attack, Ashby directed Islamophobic abuse at the victim, whom he believed to be Muslim, telling her she was dirty. He fled after being was disturbed by a noise outside.

Building the case

The Crown Prosecution Service worked closely with West Midlands Police to build a strong case based on multiple strands of evidence.

CCTV footage showed Ashby following the victim from the bus, surveying her property before gaining entry, picking up a stick, along with his fingerprints and DNA on a vape and a toothbrush left in the bathroom.

The victim provided a detailed video-recorded interview describing the full extent of the offences, including the religiously motivated abuse used throughout the attack. Three days later, she attended an identity parade and positively identified Ashby as her attacker, leading to his arrest the same day.

Senior Crown Prosecutor Rav Dhillon from the Crown Prosecution Service said:

"This was a deeply disturbing attack driven by religious hatred, carried out against an innocent woman in her own home – where she had every right to be and feel safe. 

"John Ashby targeted a complete stranger, subjected her to prolonged violence and religiously motivated abuse, and left her traumatised. The CPS worked closely with West Midlands Police to present a robust case based on CCTV footage, DNA evidence, and witness testimony. The fact Ashby initially denied these charges before changing his plea part-way through the trial reflects the strength of the evidence against him.

"We invited the court to treat the religious hostility shown throughout this offending as an aggravating feature. No one should be subjected to violence and hatred because of their background – perceived or otherwise. 

“Our thoughts remain with the victim, who showed remarkable courage, and we hope today’s sentencing brings her some measure of justice.”

Description

A Devon sex offender targeted vulnerable young girls online and incited them into sharing degrading sexual content and carrying out self-harm. 

Miles Goninon, 29, was also found in possession of thousands of indecent images and videos of children spanning all three categories. 

Goninon, from the Winkleigh area of Devon, was sentenced at Exeter Crown Court on Thursday 23 April after pleading guilty to 25 offences including possession and distribution of indecent images of children (all categories), engaging in sexual communications with children and causing a child to engage in a sexual act.

Goninon was jailed for 12 years. He was made subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order until further order and placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register for life.

The court heard how Goninon targeted numerous vulnerable young girls online through Snapchat, gaining their trust before abusing them.

The offending came to light when Police received intelligence reporting that a user of a Snapchat account associated with Goninon’s email address had engaged in conversation with a child online and asked her for an indecent video of herself.

The account was traced to Goninon’s home address and in June 2024 officers executed a warrant and arrested Goninon.

As a result of the warrant, a large number of devices were seized and later found to contain a huge catalogue of troubling child sex abuse material and explicit conversations with children.

Investigation showed that Goninon was operating multiple Snapchat accounts pretending to be teenagers and had also distributed child abuse material to others.

Goninon was found in possession of hundreds of indecent videos and images of victims that he had requested and filmed virtually himself.

Some of the victims were identified from their Snapchat usernames and home visits then carried out by police. Victims of Goninon were placed around the world. Many of not been identified. 

Goninon denied any criminal wrongdoing in his interviews.

The sentencing judge described Goninon as taking no responsibility for the horrendous impact his crimes had on his victims and showing very limited empathy.

Following the sentencing, Detective Inspector Simon Foster said: “This was a complex and extremely disturbing investigation led by the Devon and Cornwall Paedophile Online Investigation Team. 

“The officers involved have shown incredible dedication to identify and safeguard as many children as possible. 

“Due to the nature of his offending, our specialist officers had to examine a huge amount of traumatic material to ensure all lines of enquiry were pursued. 

“Miles Goninon showed no remorse or care for his victims and was driven by his sadistic desires to harm children. 

“We welcome today’s sentence and hope this conviction serves as a stark warning to those with an unlawfully blurred view of consent and the wider implications of the sexual abuse of children. 

“I would also like to thank all the identified victims in this case for their bravery and courage in coming forward. It’s not an easy thing to disclose something very personal to you, particularly when it relates to sexual offences. 

“I hope this investigation highlights that the police take sexual allegations seriously, you will be believed, and we will always support you. 

“We believe there are still hundreds of victims targeted by Miles Goninon that our specialist victim ID officers continue to try and identify. 

“He often used his true name as usernames so if anyone feels they have been targeted by his offending, please get in contact so we can support you.

“We will never stop investigating online offences to safeguard children and protect the public from those who seek to hurt children. For those tempted to engage in this type of behaviour, our message is simple: we are watching you, you will be caught, and you can expect a knock at the door from us very soon.”

Description

A 70-year-old man has been given an Order of Lifelong Restriction (OLR) and a custodial sentence of seven years after being convicted of non-recent sexual offences.

Russell Pender’s crimes took place at various locations in Edinburgh, Midlothian and Fife between 1972 and 2021.

He was found guilty of a number of serious sexual offences, including the rape of a child, and placed on the sex offenders register indefinitely following a trial at the High Court in Glasgow in December 2025.

The OLR means the parole board will only consider a date for Pender’s release once he has served his full sentence and his risk to the public has been assessed. He would also be subject to conditions and monitoring for the rest of his life.

Detective Inspector Keith Taylor said:

“Pender is a dangerous sexual predator who preyed on people in the most horrific way. 

“I only hope they take some comfort from knowing their abuser is now behind bars and facing the consequences of his despicable actions.

“I know how difficult it can be to report crimes of this nature and would like to commend the victims for their honesty and strength during the investigation. Their information was vital in helping us build our case against Pender.

“Police Scotland is committed to fully investigating all reports of sexual crime - no matter who the perpetrator is or how much time has passed.

“I would urge anyone who has experienced any form of abuse to please contact us. We have specially trained support officers and work closely with partner agencies to ensure those responsible are held accountable and brought to justice.” 

Description

A man who repeatedly raped a vulnerable woman and forced her to have sex with multiple men in an incident at his home has been jailed following an investigation by West Yorkshire Police’s Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking Team.

The team launched an investigation in October 2022 after the victim reported being raped by Cleveland Wyatt and by several other men and badly beaten at an address in the Chapeltown area of Leeds.

Officers carried out enquiries into the incidents and arrested Wyatt and another man in March 2023.

After consultation with the Crown Prosecution Service, both men were charged with several sexual offences.

Following a trial at Leeds Crown Court in February this year, Wyatt was found guilty of four offences. His co-defendant was found not guilty on all counts.

Wyatt was convicted of one count of rape of the victim between 31 July 2022 and 1 September 2022, and of another count of rape relating to three additional occasions during the same period.

He was also convicted of two counts of causing the victim to engage in penetrative sexual activity without her consent between 1 September 2022 and 31 October 2022 in relation to an incident involving the other men.

Despite extensive enquiries, officers were unable to identify the other men involved in the offences.

Officers supported the victim throughout the investigation and the trial, and she was able to give her evidence under special measures that allowed her account and cross-examination to be video recorded in advance to reduce the impact of the court process on her.

Today, Wyatt, aged 62, of Ederoyd Drive, Pudsey, was sentenced to 21 years in prison. He was placed on the Sex Offenders Register for life.

The victim provided a Victim Personal Statement to the court. In it she said: “Immediately after all this happened I was anxious and nervous all the time. My sleep has been affected and I have nightmares. I often have nightmares that I am being raped, it’s like re-living what happened. I feel scared and nervous and think about what happened, just talking about this now makes me tear up and feel upset.”

Detective Chief Inspector Lisa Jones, who heads the Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking Team, which is part of the force’s Programme Precision initiative targeting serious and organised crime, said:

“Wyatt preyed on the victim, who was clearly very vulnerable, and cruelly exploited her in the most appalling of circumstances, raping her on several occasions and forcing her into being raped by multiple other men at the same time.

“During what was a very challenging investigation, officers from the Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking Team were able to build up a comprehensive evidential picture that has resulted in Wyatt being found guilty at trial.

“Most importantly, we would like to recognise the courage that the victim has shown throughout the investigation and the trial. The lasting traumatic impact that Wyatt’s actions have had on her cannot be underestimated, and we hope it will provide some degree of comfort to her to see him brought to justice.

“West Yorkshire Police remains committed to tackling violence against women and girls alongside our partner agencies, and we hope the successful outcome of this case will illustrate that continued aim and give victims of other similar offences the confidence to come forward knowing they will be listened to and supported.”

Description

A 31-year-old man has been found guilty of a string of violent sexual offences, including rape and domestic abuse, in East Lothian.

Jordan Coyle was convicted of the charges on Thursday, 23 April, 2026, following a trial at the High Court in Edinburgh.

His crimes were committed between 2015 and 2024 against three women in the Musselburgh, Tranent and Ormiston areas.

He is expected to be sentenced next month.

Detective Inspector Peter Baxter said:

“Coyle is an abusive, sexual predator who will now face the consequences of his despicable actions.

“We recognise how challenging these investigations can be for those have experienced abuse and I hope this result offers some form of closure to those affected by his behaviour.

“Police Scotland is committed to fully investigating all reports of sexual violence - no matter who the perpetrator is or how much time has passed.

“We have specially trained officers to support victims and work with partner agencies to ensure those responsible are brought to justice.”

Description

A "dangerous" predator knocked a runner to the ground before trying to rape her as she "screamed" for help.

Michael Wanless, 41, targeted the woman early one morning in July 2023 while she was running alone in Eston.

He violently knocked her down, prompting her screams for help, which brought residents rushing to her aid.

Today at Teesside Crown Court, Wanless was classified as a dangerous offender and given an extended sentence of seven years in prison plus three years on licence to protect the public. He was also made subject to a lifetime restraining order.

In November last year, a jury took just 35 minutes to return a guilty verdict. He was remanded in custody pending sentencing.

Following sentencing, Detective Constable Prosser said:

“This lady has understandably suffered lasting trauma from this violent attack, not least because Wanless continually denied his actions that day.

“Despite this horrific ordeal, the lady’s bravery and steadfast support for our investigation has helped bring Wanless to justice and he’ll now spend time in prison where he belongs.

“I also want to thank the local community for their magnificent response that day; without hesitation they put the lady’s safety before their own even as Wanless turned violent against them as he tried desperately to evade police.

“The unwavering support we’ve received from the survivor and from the witnesses undoubtedly helped achieve Wanless’ conviction and I now hope his sentencing will reassure all our communities that Cleveland Police will do everything possible to remove dangerous and violent offenders from our streets.

“Finally, the investigating team wishes the lady all the very best in her ongoing recovery.”

Description

Three men have been convicted of the rape of a woman on Brighton beach in October, 2025.

• Abdulla Ahmadi
• Ibrahim Alshafe
• Karin Al-Danasurt

Police received a report on Saturday, 4 October, that a woman in a vulnerable state had been taken to the beach by three men and attacked at around 5am that morning.

The victim – a woman in her 30s – was able to escape and raise the alarm, triggering an urgent police investigation while she was supported by specialist officers and our partners.

CCTV footage from a nearby nightclub identified all three suspects, who had scanned their ID cards on entering the club as part of the venue’s own security measures.

They were identified as Abdulla Ahmadi, 26, Ibrahim Alshafe, 25, and Karin Al-Danasurt, 20, located and arrested.

Footage of the attack was found on the phone of Al-Danasurt, who sought to claim in his defence he had not been an active participant in the rape.

Alshafe and Ahmadi were subsequently charged with two counts of rape, while Al-Danasurt was charged with four counts of rape and sharing intimate images. All three were remanded in custody.

Ahmadi, an Iranian national from Crewe, and Al-Danasurt and Alshafe – both Egyptian nationals from Horsham, all pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Following a trial at Hove Crown Court concluding on Thursday (23 April), a jury found all three defendants guilty of all counts of rape. The charge of sharing intimate images against Al-Danasurt was removed.

They have been remanded in custody to appear for sentencing at the same court on Wednesday, 15 July.

Detective Chief Superintendent Richard McDonagh said:

“These three predatory men took advantage of an extremely vulnerable woman, subjecting her to a prolonged, harrowing ordeal.

“I do not underestimate the strength and courage it required to report this to the police and support the investigation as she dealt with the lasting impact of that morning’s incident. Thanks to this woman’s resolve, we have been able to bring her attackers to justice.

“My thanks also extend to the investigative team for their diligent work and our partners for their support to the investigation and the victim.

“Women and girls should be able to feel safe in public and in private, at any time of the night or day.

“Brighton is a safe place, but incidents such as this serve as a sobering reminder of why we and our partners work so hard to prevent people from coming to harm, and tirelessly pursue perpetrators should the worst happen.”

Description

Three men have been convicted of the rape of a woman on Brighton beach in October, 2025.

• Abdulla Ahmadi
• Ibrahim Alshafe
• Karin Al-Danasurt

Police received a report on Saturday, 4 October, that a woman in a vulnerable state had been taken to the beach by three men and attacked at around 5am that morning.

The victim – a woman in her 30s – was able to escape and raise the alarm, triggering an urgent police investigation while she was supported by specialist officers and our partners.

CCTV footage from a nearby nightclub identified all three suspects, who had scanned their ID cards on entering the club as part of the venue’s own security measures.

They were identified as Abdulla Ahmadi, 26, Ibrahim Alshafe, 25, and Karin Al-Danasurt, 20, located and arrested.

Footage of the attack was found on the phone of Al-Danasurt, who sought to claim in his defence he had not been an active participant in the rape.

Alshafe and Ahmadi were subsequently charged with two counts of rape, while Al-Danasurt was charged with four counts of rape and sharing intimate images. All three were remanded in custody.

Ahmadi, an Iranian national from Crewe, and Al-Danasurt and Alshafe – both Egyptian nationals from Horsham, all pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Following a trial at Hove Crown Court concluding on Thursday (23 April), a jury found all three defendants guilty of all counts of rape. The charge of sharing intimate images against Al-Danasurt was removed.

They have been remanded in custody to appear for sentencing at the same court on Wednesday, 15 July.

Detective Chief Superintendent Richard McDonagh said:

“These three predatory men took advantage of an extremely vulnerable woman, subjecting her to a prolonged, harrowing ordeal.

“I do not underestimate the strength and courage it required to report this to the police and support the investigation as she dealt with the lasting impact of that morning’s incident. Thanks to this woman’s resolve, we have been able to bring her attackers to justice.

“My thanks also extend to the investigative team for their diligent work and our partners for their support to the investigation and the victim.

“Women and girls should be able to feel safe in public and in private, at any time of the night or day.

“Brighton is a safe place, but incidents such as this serve as a sobering reminder of why we and our partners work so hard to prevent people from coming to harm, and tirelessly pursue perpetrators should the worst happen.”

Description

Three men have been convicted of the rape of a woman on Brighton beach in October, 2025.

• Abdulla Ahmadi
• Ibrahim Alshafe
• Karin Al-Danasurt

Police received a report on Saturday, 4 October, that a woman in a vulnerable state had been taken to the beach by three men and attacked at around 5am that morning.

The victim – a woman in her 30s – was able to escape and raise the alarm, triggering an urgent police investigation while she was supported by specialist officers and our partners.

CCTV footage from a nearby nightclub identified all three suspects, who had scanned their ID cards on entering the club as part of the venue’s own security measures.

They were identified as Abdulla Ahmadi, 26, Ibrahim Alshafe, 25, and Karin Al-Danasurt, 20, located and arrested.

Footage of the attack was found on the phone of Al-Danasurt, who sought to claim in his defence he had not been an active participant in the rape.

Alshafe and Ahmadi were subsequently charged with two counts of rape, while Al-Danasurt was charged with four counts of rape and sharing intimate images. All three were remanded in custody.

Ahmadi, an Iranian national from Crewe, and Al-Danasurt and Alshafe – both Egyptian nationals from Horsham, all pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Following a trial at Hove Crown Court concluding on Thursday (23 April), a jury found all three defendants guilty of all counts of rape. The charge of sharing intimate images against Al-Danasurt was removed.

They have been remanded in custody to appear for sentencing at the same court on Wednesday, 15 July.

Detective Chief Superintendent Richard McDonagh said:

“These three predatory men took advantage of an extremely vulnerable woman, subjecting her to a prolonged, harrowing ordeal.

“I do not underestimate the strength and courage it required to report this to the police and support the investigation as she dealt with the lasting impact of that morning’s incident. Thanks to this woman’s resolve, we have been able to bring her attackers to justice.

“My thanks also extend to the investigative team for their diligent work and our partners for their support to the investigation and the victim.

“Women and girls should be able to feel safe in public and in private, at any time of the night or day.

“Brighton is a safe place, but incidents such as this serve as a sobering reminder of why we and our partners work so hard to prevent people from coming to harm, and tirelessly pursue perpetrators should the worst happen.”

Description

A man has been jailed after he was caught filming people in public toilets in Birmingham and Solihull. 

Troy Green, aged 22 was arrested in August 2025 after we received a report that someone had been filmed using public toilets. 

Devices were seized from Green’s home address. The analysis of these devices recovered 528 video clips and images of 465 different victims who were all filmed without their knowledge in public toilets.

Two of the victims were identified as children.  

During a number of interviews, Green claimed that he had an addiction to vaping that was frowned upon by his family and that was his excuse for using public toilets so frequently. 

He continued to deny committing the offences as more and more evidence was uncovered and even claimed that some of the phones were not his despite him appearing in a number of the videos.

He was charged and at an earlier hearing pleaded guilty to three counts of voyeurism, two counts of making indecent images of a child and one count of making indecent images of a child. 

At Birmingham Crown Cout last week (15 April) Green was sentenced to 22 months in prison.

DC Stephen Dunford from our Public Protection Unit said:

“Across numerous interviews Green continued to deny the offences despite overwhelming evidence, eventually only accepting responsibility in light of further evidence coming to light. 

“We take offences like this extremely seriously and would always encourage people to report suspicious behaviour like this as it is can sometimes be an indicator of more serious offending.”

Description

A paedophile was caught with a childlike sex doll and baby rape videos after police acted on a tip-off.

Scott Mullen, 32, of Swallow Way, Duffryn, Newport, was handed an eight-year extended sentence after being classified as a dangerous offender at Swansea Crown Court.

Prosecutor Joshua Scouller said Mullen initially admitted downloading 136 child abuse images and films between 14 July and 18 August 2024 — 23 at category A, 18 at category B and 95 at category C.

He later tried to vacate his guilty pleas and, representing himself, submitted a forged report from a legitimate digital investigations firm. Using the company’s logo, he claimed it suggested he might be innocent and had not downloaded the material deliberately.

The deception was uncovered and he pleaded guilty last June to perverting the course of justice.

Mullen was already a convicted sex offender, having received a community order in 2017 for possessing indecent images of children.

His barrister Jon Tarrant said in mitigation:

“The defendant does accept that there are issues here.”

Judge Geraint Walters told Mullen of the images: “These are real children being abused by sick adults.”

He added that the pre-sentence report concluded Mullen was a dangerous offender who presented a high risk of committing further serious offences, describing his attempt to deceive the court as “planned and sophisticated”.

Mullen was jailed for three years plus an extended licence period of five years. He must register as a sex offender for life and was made subject to a sexual harm prevention order for life.

Description

A paedophile who sexually abused a teenage girl over a seven-month period has been jailed.

Linden Chirico, 38, touched the girl and got her to touch him inappropriately, multiple times between January and July 2022.

He admitted the offences, which all happened in the East Cambs area, in interview but then denied them in a second interview.

On Thursday (16 April), at Cambridge Crown Court, Chirico, of Close Road, Pavenham, near Bedford, was jailed for seven years, having been found guilty of two counts of engaging in penetrative sexual activity with a girl and one count each of engaging in non-penetrative sexual activity with a girl and cause/incite a girl to engage in sexual activity – no penetration.

He was also handed a ten-year restraining order, an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order and ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register indefinitely.

DC Anna Griffiths, who was the officer in the case, said:

“Chirico shamefully attacked the victim and then tried to deny he’d done anything wrong.

“Child sexual abuse can have a long-lasting impact on victims and the trauma it causes is reflected in the sentence. I would like to commend and thank the victim for the courage she had shown in coming forward and supporting the prosecution.

“I would urge anyone who believes they have been sexually abused, no matter how long ago it happened, to report it to us.”

Description

A Birmingham man has been jailed for the rape and sexual assault of a woman and a teenager.

Juma Ahmadi, aged 46 has been jailed for 25 years and has received an indefinite sexual harm prevention order after sexually abusing a woman in her 40s and a teenage girl.

In July last year, a teenager girl confided in a hospital doctor that she had been sexually abused. The doctor then called 999 and safeguarded the girl.

We attended and spoke with her and she told us that Ahmadi had wanted to give her money to buy things and sexually assaulted and raped her over a three-year period.

Ahmadi was then arrested on suspicion of sexual assault and rape.

The girl bravely attended a police station the following day to complete a video interview.

During this time, a woman in her 40s also came forward to officers, disclosing that Ahmadi had raped her a number of times.

Ahmadi of Whitmore Street, Birmingham was charged with nine counts of rape and sexual assault. Following a trial, he appeared at Wolverhampton Crown Court last week for sentencing.

Detective Constable Charlie Smith, Child Public Protection Unit, said:

“Ahmadi is a dangerous man who will now spend a long time behind bars. We hope this sends a clear message that people who behave in this appalling way will be caught and will spend many years in prison.

“I would like to praise the courage of the woman and teenager who came forward to tell us what he had done. He put them both through a trial rather than admitting his actions.”