Latest Offenders

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Police found a huge secret stash of more than 12,300 indecent images of children after they went to the home of an online pervert and carried out a search of his internet devices.

Some of the sickening images that were found showed very young children who were clearly in pain from the sexual abuse that they had suffered at the hands of people exploiting them, Hull Crown Court heard.

Lawrence McKee, 38, of Copandale Road, Molescroft, Beverley, admitted three offences of making indecent images of children.

Maya Hanson, prosecuting, said that police received information on July 23, 2023 that indecent images of children had been linked to an IP address for McKee. They went to his home on September 28 of that year and seized a number of items.

They were examined and a "high volume" of 12,334 images of children, including videos, were found. They included 457 in the most serious Category A, 231 in Category B and 11,646 in Category C. At least one of the children featured was as young as between one and two years old. Some of them were shown in pain from what was happening to them.

Chantelle Stocks, mitigating, said that McKee had shown a willingness to take part in any probation service activities that were imposed on him as part of a community order. He did not oppose the forfeiture and destruction of the items that were seized from him.

He had already registered as a sex offender and he had pleaded guilty at a hearing before Hull Magistrates' Court. He had no previous convictions.

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A convicted paedophile who attempted to engage in sexual activity with a child has been jailed after he failed to disclose a mobile phone and his address to the authorities. He also tried to prevent his phone from being accessed by failing to properly use his thumb on a scanner.

Lewis Ware, 20, was made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and sex offender notification requirements in 2023, following his conviction of speaking to a decoy pretending to be a 14-year-old girl. He also has convictions for assault by penetration, sexual assault and engaging in sexual communication with a child, as well as multiple breaches of the orders he is subjected to.

A sentencing hearing at Cardiff Crown Court on Thursday heard Ware was prohibited from possessing a mobile phone unless he makes his offender manager aware.

He was also prohibited from concealing passwords or codes for his mobile phone.

Following his release from custody on February 17 this year, he failed to attend a police station within three days to make the authorities aware of his address.

On February 25, the defendant was visited by his offender manager and he was arrested for failing to comply with his notification requirements.

Prosecutor Abigail Jackson said the officer saw a Samsung phone which Ware admitted to owning and he was asked to unlock the device with his thumbprint.

He didn't comply with this and and failed to put his phone fully on the scanner.

A brief review of the phone revealed it had access to social media apps including Instagram and Snapchat, which he was prohibited from using.

Ware, of Broadway, Cardiff, later pleaded guilty to two counts of breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and sex offender notification requirements.

In mitigation, defence barrister David Pinnell the defendant had the reading age of a six-year-old and had been diagnosed with ADHD.

Judge Eugene Egan sentenced Ware to a total of 40 weeks imprisonment.

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A prominent domestic abuse campaigner from Perthshire, who was found guilty of physical and sexual abuse of children, has been jailed for three years.

Nicola Murray forced her tongue into the mouths of two children and made another youngster view an explicit image she had taken of a man she was dating.

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Benjamin Magee (27/07/1992) of Shannon Road, Manchester was sentenced to 18 years at Manchester Minshull Crown Court on Wednesday 7 May 2025. He also received an indefinite sexual harm prevention order and a restraining order.

Back in August 2023, the victim had attended a Greater Manchester Police station with her friend to report sexual abuse concerns. Enquiries uncovered that Magee had met her the year before in August 2022 and in the months that followed bought her gifts, took her to roller blading and asked her to walk his dog for money. This included stating that he would pay for her future studies.

In return he used this to rape her at various locations using force, with the victim who was 15 at the time, accounting it happening on 40 to 50 occasions, most recently in May 2023, with her challenging him that what he had done was wrong and never providing consent.

After denying the offences on interview, when arrested by detectives it resulted in the confirmation of the offences.

Following a trial, he was found guilty of three counts of non-penetrative sexual activity with a girl aged 13-15, assault of a female aged 13 and over by penetration with part of a body, multiple counts of assault of a female aged 13 or over by penetration with part of a body and two breaches of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order after he was already on the register.

After a re-trial he was found guilty again of three counts of vaginal rape and two counts of oral rape.

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An online sexual predator who used computer games to groom and abuse a vulnerable 11-year-old boy has been jailed.

Christopher Collinge, now aged 33, used a mutual love of computer games to befriend the boy, before bribing him with to share explicit images in return for credits to his PlayStation account.

Collinge was exposed when the boy’s father was alerted to virtual purchases made by the boy, who had no money of his own.

He then discovered a series of sexualised messages sent between the victim and his abuser on the Discord app – a communication platform popular with gamers.

Collinge, who was well aware of the boy’s true age, had coached him to pose as a 13-year-old in order to download the app.

He then offered virtual gift-cards in return for the completion of a series of “dares” that grew more serious in nature over the course of several weeks.

Information was passed to Nottinghamshire Police and Collinge was arrested in February 2023.

A subsequent search of his mobile phone and hard drive revealed several hundred images of child sexual abuse – around half of them graded as Category A.

Collinge gave no comment answers in each of his police interviews, but later pleaded guilty to two counts of causing or inciting a boy under 13 to engage in sexual activity, two counts of making indecent photographs, and four counts of possessing indecent photographs.

Appearing at Nottingham Crown Court on Tuesday 6 May, Collinge, of Clifton Place, Mansfield, was jailed for four years.

He was also added to the sex offenders’ register and made the subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order that will tightly restrict his online activities and access to children when he is released.

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A ‘dangerous and predatory sex offender’ has been jailed for ten years for sexually assaulting two teenage boys, following a British Transport Police (BTP) investigation.

Damien Gloster, 40, and of no fixed address, was sentenced at Birmingham Crown Court yesterday (7 May) to seven years in prison, extended by a further three years. Gloster was found guilty by a jury of two counts of sexual assault on a male, at Birmingham Crown Court on Wednesday 19 February 2025.

In addition to this he will have a life-long signature on the Sex Offenders Register.

The court heard how, on two separate occasions last year Gloster sexually assaulted two teenage boys.

On the evening of Saturday 11 May, a 15-year-old boy was sexually assaulted by Gloster on board a train between Barnt Green and Selly Oak.

The second incident involved a 16-year-old boy who was targeted by Gloster while trainspotting at Northfield station on the evening of Tuesday 16 July. Gloster enticed him into a woodland area where he sexually assaulted him.

In court the Judge described Gloster as a dangerous and predatory sex offender.BTP Detective Constable Karl Byrne said: “Gloster is a callous predator who deliberately targeted and exploited young boys for his own sexual gratification.

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A man from Neath Port Talbot has been jailed after he pleaded guilty to making and distributing indecent images of children.

Following an investigation by the South Wales Police Online Investigation Team (POLIT), 23-year-old Dean Hanford, from Blaengwynfi, made a rare admission via his barrister in court of being sexually attracted to children.

Evidence found during a warrant at Hanford’s address in 2023 showed that he had been receiving payments from others online in exchange for child pornography videos.

He has been sentenced to a total of 28 months in prison.

He will be a registered sex offender for the next ten years, and will also be subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for ten years.

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A CONVICTED sex offender living in Carlisle continued to download indecent images of children – despite being under a suspended 12-month jail term.

Johnny Bijou, 49, lost his job and his home because of past offending and was aware that he faced an inevitable jail term if he returned to viewing indecent child images.

Yet he did precisely that within months of being given a suspended jail term for his earlier offending, Carlisle Crown Court heard.

The defendant, formerly of Scotch Street, Carlisle, admitted several new offences.

The first set of crimes related to him downloading indecent child images, including eight of Category A, the most serious kind. He also admitted accessing 10 Category B images, and two Category C images.

The defendant further admitted possessing four extreme pornography images as well as a prohibited image of child. Yet more new offences related to Category B and C indecent child images.

The defendant also breaches his sexual harm prevention order by using a WhatsApp feature that deleted messages by not notifying the police of his email address.

His earlier offences, the court heard, related to earlier occasions when he downloaded dozens of child abuse images. Some 65 of those were Category A.

Defence lawyer Jeff Smith told the court: “He is aware that he has breached his suspended sentence and that a custodial sentence will now follow.

“He has lost this home and his job, but he is optimistic that he can turn things around and that this will be his last appearance before a court.”

Referring to Bijou’s previous offending, which came before the court in July 2023, Judge Michael Fanning told the defendant: “You received a 12-month prison sentence, suspended for 24 months.

“But having been released from that sentence, you have gone on to further offending shortly after that sentence was imposed.”

Bijou had done exactly what his sexual harm prevention order was imposed to prevent him doing, downloading yet more indecent child images.

Judge Fanning jailed the defendant for three years and six months. The defendant will be on the Sex Offender Register indefinitely.

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A man who has multiple previous sexual offences has been jailed after masturbating at Swansea bus station in front of shocked passengers.

43-year-old Mark Jones, from Mount Pleasant, committed the offence shortly after 1:30am on February 1 this year, in full view of passing members of public. He refused to leave when confronted by security staff.

Jones fled the scene upon the arrival of police but was soon arrested nearby. He told officers he would continue to enact the same behaviour if he was released.

After pleading guilty to an act of outraging public decency, he has been sentenced to six months in prison.

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A man who claimed he accidentally accessed indecent images despite a search history to the contrary has been told he “destroyed” children’s lives for “entertainment”.

Adam Betteridge claimed he clicked a link sent to his mobile by accident, but investigators also found deleted searches including terms such as “pedo”, “youngest” and “hairless”.

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An “obsessed” Lochgelly man who sent unwanted Snapchat videos of his penis to a woman from an alias account later gave away his true identity.

A trial heard Craig Wishart repeatedly told his victim he wanted to “worship” her and said she loved the fact he had a “c*** cage on”.

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A 28-year-old has been jailed for nine years after sexually assaulting a young woman outside Warrington Bank Quay station.

Liam Brodrick, aged 28, of Poplars Avenue, Warrington, was sentenced on Friday 2 May at Liverpool Crown Court to nine years, comprising of six years in custody with the remaining three years on licence after he pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual assault.

He was also handed a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for an indefinite period and a life-long signature on the Sex Offenders Register. Furthermore, an indefinite restraining order was granted for the victim.

The court heard how in the early hours of Sunday 28 January 2024, Brodrick befriended a lone 19-year-old woman. After a brief conversation, they walked into a takeaway shop and upon leaving, the woman indicated she had to catch a train, parting ways with Brodrick.

Brodrick ran after her and walked with her towards Warrington Bank Quay station.  Once at the station which was closed, Brodrick offered his coat to the girl before both sat on the ground.

The victim fell asleep and woke to find Brodrick sexually assaulting her.

She ran away but he called her back asking for his coat.

Despite his best efforts to ensure no one was watching, the CCTV at the station had captured the whole thing.

The victim was spotted by police officers who she immediately reported the incident to. An officer had noted seeing him just moments earlier and he was arrested.

Investigating officer Detective Constable Melissa Catterall said: “Brodrick knew what he was doing and took advantage of a lone woman who believed he was trying to help her but was only looking to serve his own sexual gratification.

“His actions are disgusting and abhorrent, and I’m grateful to see the sentence handed down. There is zero-tolerance for sexual offences on the rail network and we will do everything in our power to bring offenders to justice.”

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A NORTH Cumbrian man sexually pursued young girls via social media platforms, sending some of them indecent images of himself.

Adam Liddell, 40, was identified partly thanks to online detective work by one of his victims, a 12-year-old girl who was left traumatised by his attempt to sexually groom her in the hope of a meeting, Carlisle Crown Court heard.

He reported himself to the police after one of the girl’s friends messaged him to say he was a paedophile and should go away.

The defendant, of Low Moorlands, Dalston, near Carlisle, admitted five charges: two counts of sexually communicating with a child; inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, causing a child to watch sexual activity, and possessing extreme pornography, featuring bestiality.

Prosecutor Gerard Rogerson summarised the facts.

He said the offending happened in February and March of 2022, with Liddell initially focusing his attention on a 12-year-old Cumbrian girl, though her Shapchat profile suggested she was 13.

Liddell contacted her, claiming he was 27, a decade younger than he actually was at the time. His inappropriate messages included asking whether she had ever had sex, and asking to meet.

“He repeatedly asked for her location,” said the prosecutor.

Some of his messages, the court heard, asked the victim for pictures of herself undressed, or in underwear.

The sexual content of Liddell’s messages escalated as he sent a picture of his private parts while he was aroused, asking: “Are you ready for an older man.” The girl was so concerned she showed the message to a friend.

On June 10, 2022, he also sent her a video that showed him touching himself inappropriately. The issue came to a head after the victim investigated the defendant online and identified him.

The girl's friend sent him a blunt message, calling him a paedophile and telling him to go away. 

Mr Rogerson said: “Mr Liddell then went to the police after he'd been blocked [from the 12-year-old’s account] and told them he had been having inappropriate conversations with a girl he thought was 15.”

The police investigation revealed Liddell had conducted 14 Snapchat conversations with various female children, asking for photographs and making sexual comments or suggesting meetings.

He asked one 14-year-old girl to let him take her out for dinner.

He also asked her for naked photos, or pictures of her in the shower. Liddell sent another girl five pictures of his private parts, while his internet search terms also revealed his sexual preoccupation with children.

Mr Rogerson noted that Liddell claimed to not know his first victim was aged 12, despite her posts – including ones relating to her 12th birthday – making that fact perfectly obvious.

The court then heard about the impact of his crime on the girl. 

After it happened, she struggled to sleep and would wake up after 3am thinking about what could have happened. Fearful Liddell may know where she lived, her family moved house and she started a new school.

“She felt unsafe for months afterwards, even on her own home,” said Mr Rogerson. The 14-year-old girl who also complained said she still thinks of how dangerous it could have been and what could have happened.

Jeff Smith, defending, said Liddell had lived with the consequences of his actions for three years, having lost his job, his marriage and his liberty.

The defendant now has no contact with friends or workmates and his only family relationship to survive was with his mother.

“He is learning his lesson and hopes he can pick up the pieces of his shattered life, which he created himself,” said Mr Smith. He added that it “loneliness, stupidity, and alcohol” brought Liddell to where he is today.   

Passing sentence, Judge Michael Fanning said it was clear the defendant – assessed as posing a high-risk to children – had wanted “direct physical” contact with the girls he was contacting.

Of his online activities, the judge said: “It’s grooming, in effect.”

Judge Fanning doubted there was much Liddell could do about his sexual attraction to children other than to recognise it and so prevent further offences.

He said: “It is so serious that only immediate custody can be justified: it was deliberately targeting young girls with a view, I have no doubt, to sexual activity.”

He jailed the defendant for two years and one month. Liddell must remain on the Sex Offender Register indefinitely while there will also be a 15-year sexual harm prevention order to manage the risk he poses.

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A paedophile from Dundee caught sending sexual messages to what he thought was an underage girl has been jailed.

Repeat sex offender Stephen Capon was snared by a vigilante group who confronted him at his Dundee home.

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A man from Carmarthenshire has been jailed after he was convicted of sexual offences against two separate victims.

37-year-old Geoffrey Jones, from Llanelli, was under investigation for separate allegations by a victim when they disclosed that they had been raped by Jones on several occasions between 2017 and 2019.

At the same time, another victim reinstated their case, wherein an attempted rape took place during a night out in Swansea in 2015.

Jones has been convicted of four counts of rape in relation to one victim and one count of attempted rape and digital penetration in relation to his other victim. He has been sentenced to 12 years in prison.