Latest Offenders

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A “trusted” Muslim cleric who repeatedly raped a young boy whilst working as a teacher at a Bradford mosque has been handed an extended jail sentence.

Mohammed Hanif Khan will serve 13 years in prison plus a further three years on licence for a series of sex attacks on the victim more than a quarter of a century ago.

Khan, 57, of Blagden Street, Sheffield, appeared via video link from HMP Leeds for the hearing at Bradford Crown Court.

His victim was present in the public gallery to see justice done.

Sentencing Khan, His Honour Judge Christopher Smith told Khan: “You were a respected member of the teaching staff.”

He said his “outward and respectful appearance masked a devious and perverted sexual interest” in underage boys.

The judge added: “And you grossly abused the trust placed in you by colleagues and the parents of the children in your care in order to commit these terrible offences.”

He added: “You secured your victim’s silence by telling him that he would not be believed if he reported you.

“Regrettably, opportunities were missed to bring your offending to an end when other individual members of staff found you in suspicious circumstances but failed to report matters to others as they should have done so.”

Judge Smith said the extended sentence he passed reflected the danger that Khan continued to pose to the public.

He also referred to Khan’s previous conviction for “strikingly similar” behaviour at Stoke-on-Trent in 2009, for which he received 16 years’ imprisonment in 2011.

His offending in Bradford pre-dated the Stoke assaults.

Judge Smith said Khan could have brought those earlier rapes to the attention of the police when he was charged with the Stoke offences “but you chose not to do so”.

He said: “I am satisfied that you do continue to present a risk of committing such offences.”

The judge said that while he was being sentenced for the offences of more than a quarter of a century ago, “there has been further serious offending of a strikingly similar type in the intervening period”.

“You accept only limited responsibility for your actions and there is a continuing lack of genuine insight,” he said.

“Although you are now in your late 50s you may be eligible for release from the sentence I impose in your mid-60s and I am not satisfied today that ordinary licence provisions will protect the public for the appropriate length of time at that point.”

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A second man has been jailed for sexually assaulting a teenager transported from Romania to a Kirkcaldy flat to be forced into prostitution.

Alexandru Lache has finally been brought to justice almost six years after terrifying a vulnerable woman in a Pratt Street flat.

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An 82-year-old man who carried out multiple sex offences against three schoolgirls over a 40-year period has been jailed for 18 years.

Barrie Hall, 82, of St Andrew's Gardens, Lincoln, pleaded guilty to nine offences, including rape and sexual assault.

He targeted his first victim in the 1980s, before resuming his offending three decades later, Lincoln Crown Court heard.

"Your behaviour almost falls outside the boundaries of the English language," Recorder John Hardy KC said. "I have to face the very realistic possibility that you will die in prison."

Hall admitted raping a girl aged under 16, four charges of indecent assault against the same victim and one charge of gross indecency. He also sexually assaulted two girls under 13.

Police became involved in 2024 after a victim made disclosures.

When his home was searched, officers found a blow-up doll and a number of sex toys and sweets.

The court heard Hall had spent many years raising money for cancer charities. However, he had 12 previous convictions for indecent exposure, which ended in 1980.

Impact statements from two of the victims, who cannot be identified, were read to the court.

One said: "You have not got away with what you have done. Now it is time for your nightmare to begin."

Another victim described how she was now frightened to wear a dress or shorts.

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A registered sex offender with 99 previous offences has appeared in court for not informing police of his whereabouts.

Paddy Mutch, 37, was jailed in January 2024 for sexually assaulting a woman in Norwich who he had threatened with a knife.

Sentenced to 15 months at Norwich Crown Court he was placed on the sex offenders register for 10 years.

Norwich Magistrates’ Court heard he had been arrested on June 16 after failing to reveal where was living within three days of his release from prison. 

He had just been released after serving an 18 week sentence for similar breaches. 

Mutch pleaded guilty to failure to comply with the notification requirements.

Natasha Baker, mitigating, said he had faced a “revolving door” of short prison sentences because he had been living rough and that police were “well aware of his whereabouts”.  

She said he now had a permanent place to stay and that being sent back to prison would risk treatment needed for facial injuries suffered in a stabbing.

Magistrates told him the “onus is on you to comply with the requirements whether you think the police know where you are or not”. 

They said they had been “just persuaded” to suspend a sentence of 30 days imprisonment for six months by his need for medical treatment. 

“It’s very important that you comply from now on. If you don't, there will be no escaping jail from now on,” they warned. 

A prolific offender, Mutch has 46 previous convictions for 99 offences including thefts, burglary and shoplifting.

His sexual offence came when he visited the home of a woman he knew at 4am in June 2023 and demanded to be let in. 

Once inside he attacked her, pushing her onto the bed and trying to remove her trousers before sexually assaulting her. 

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A monk who sexually abused two boys at Ampleforth College has been jailed for seven years. 

Michael James Callaghan, 71, of Moortown, Leeds, also known as Father James, denied 12 counts of indecently assaulting the first victim, with four taking place when the boy was under 16, and one count of sexual assault on the second victim.  

But following a trial at Teesside Crown Court he was found guilty of all counts, and today, 19 June 2025, sentenced to seven years in prison. He will also be subject to a sexual harm prevention order indefinitely, which will forbid him from any contact with the victim and from having any unsupervised contact with any person under the age of 16. 

The offences took place at Ampleforth College, North Yorkshire, between 1994 and 2013. Callaghan targeted the first boy at Ampleforth between 1994 and 1997. He went on to indecently assault the second boy in 2013. 

The first incidents were reported to North Yorkshire Police in December 2022 and an investigation was launched by our Non-Recent Abuse Investigation Team.  

Callaghan was arrested and interviewed, and despite denying any wrongdoing he was charged. 

The court heard victim impact statements from both men in which the men spoke about the impact Callaghan’s abuse had had on their lives. 

The first victim described how he felt there were two parts to the abuse he suffered at the hands of Callaghan - the sub-conscious effects from before his acknowledgement of what happened, and the devastating impact on his life since then.  

He described how he became withdrawn, stopped taking part in activities he enjoyed, and how it has affected his view of the world and impacted him both financially and mentally.   

He said: “This man knows what he has done, he knows exactly how this will have affected me. He knew what he was doing was wrong – why else would it have had to be a secret?  

He continued: “Yet, when given the opportunity to acknowledge this himself, he chose to continue the abuse by denying it. He chose to leave me, when I was already devastated myself, having to fight for the 14-year-old boy he hand-picked for his own gratification. 

The second victim said: “I looked up to him; I trusted him. And what was the response? He chose to violate my boundaries; first to groom me over a period of time, and then to sexually assault me.”  

He described how he suffers from nightmares, panic attacks, becomes startled if someone unexpectedly touches him, and still has sleepless nights to this day.  

“He chose to prey on me, in full knowledge of how very vulnerable I was. It all leads me to ask: How come? Why? And how obsessed was he with me in particular, or was I one of a larger number of victims?” he said.  

Speaking after the sentencing today, Detective Constable Alison Morris of North Yorkshire Police’s Non-Recent Abuse Investigation Team said: “Not only did Callaghan abuse his position of trust in the most appalling way, taking advantage of vulnerable boys he should have been caring for and protecting, he denied his offences throughout and showed no remorse for the pain and suffering he caused.  

“I want to pay tribute to the incredible bravery of the victims, whose courage and support throughout the investigation were vital in ensuring Callaghan was brought to justice.  I hope today’s outcome brings them some sense of closure. 

“I also want to take this opportunity to reassure any other victims of sexual abuse that the passage of time is no barrier to justice. We are absolutely committed to investigating these offences, no matter when they took place, and specially trained officers are ready to listen, support you, and take action.” 

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An Exeter man has been jailed for two years and three months after being found guilty of the sexual touching of a child.

David Fuller, 64, of Church Lane, Broadclyst, Exeter, was convicted of two counts of sexual activity with a child following a trial at Exeter Crown Court.

He was found not guilty of one sexual assault by penetration charge in relation to the same victim.

Fuller appeared at the same court on Wednesday 18 June for sentence. He must sign the Sex Offenders’ Register for 10 years and was made subject of a 10 year Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

During the trial, the court heard how Fuller abused the girl in 2023.

The abuse came to light when the victim showed her mother her diary stored on her phone which outlined what Fuller had done to her. 

She described how Fuller bought her gifts including jewellery to keep the abuse a secret. He then directed her to hide the gifts from her family at home. 

The matter was reported to the police and Fuller was arrested.

The arresting officer searched Fuller’s wallet and found a receipt for a recent purchase from a local jeweller.

During interview, Fuller admitted buying the victim gifts but denied any sexual contact took place.

Officer in the case, Detective Constable Megan Singleton, said: “It was through the victim in this case bravely telling her mother what David Fuller did to her, and that information in turn being reported to us that we were able to bring him to justice.

“Fuller continued to deny any sexual offending took place despite overwhelming evidence against him, forcing the victim to give evidence at trial. 

“We hope the victim and her family are now able to start moving on with their lives knowing that he has been convicted and sentenced. 

“We take all allegations of sexual abuse seriously and will investigate any reports made to us, no matter when the abuse took place.”

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A WEST Cumbrian man convicted of sexual assault must inform police if he begins a new relationship after being given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Brad Steele, 29, must also disclose his registered sex offender status with anyone he is in a relationship with, under the terms of the order.

Steele pleaded guilty to sexual assault on a female when he appeared before Workington Magistrates’ Court last month and was sentenced for the offence on Tuesday.

The defendant sexually touched a woman without consent and did not reasonably believe that she was consenting. The offence happened last year.

Steele, of Printers Court, Cockermouth, was ordered to sign the Sex Offenders’ Register for five years.

The five-year sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) states the defendant must provide police with the name and contact details of any female that he is in a developing relationship with.

The information must be supplied to the police offender management unit within 24 hours of any such relationship being established.

Steele must disclose his registered sex offender status and the existence of the SHPO to any person with whom he is in a non-platonic relationship with ‘as soon as is reasonably practicable’.

The defendant is also prohibited from entering any vehicle with any lone female or allowing any lone female to enter a vehicle where he is present, unless they are a member of his own family or are aware of his conviction for a sexual offence.

He must not entice or seek to entice, or allow to remain in any premises occupied by him as his residence or other premises occupied by him on a temporary basis, any lone female unless they are a member of his own family or they aware of his conviction for a sexual offence.

Steele must not enter and remain in any dwelling or other residence where a lone female is present unless the female is a member of his own family or is aware of his conviction for a sexual offence.

Magistrates also imposed a 12-month community order with 120 days of alcohol abstinence and monitoring  and complete 200 hours of unpaid work.

He was ordered to pay £1,000 in compensation to his victim and was given a 12-month restraining order which bans him from contacting the victim in any way.

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A grieving family have praised police after the man that raped their relative – who went on to take her own life – is jailed for a decade.

Ryan Callaghan, 33, raped the woman while she slept at an address in South Tyneside.

The victim awoke and immediately ran out of the address in a state of undress and informed a friend what had happened.

Whilst fleeing, she bumped into a kind-hearted member of the public who provided her with clothing and stayed with her whilst she rang police.

Minutes later, Callaghan was arrested.

However, tragically, the following month, the victim took her own life – making reference to the attack in the note she left behind for her family.

Following an extensive and complex investigation by the Force’s Safeguarding Department, led by Detective Constable Amy Burridge, a charge of rape against Callaghan was secured in May 2023 by working closely with the CPS.

This was achieved through the support of the victim’s family, and using the victim’s evidence she was able to provide in interview after the offences took place.

In March this year, following a six-day trial at Newcastle Crown Court, Callaghan of Mowbray Road, South Shields, was found unanimously guilty by a jury of rape.

Following the guilty verdict, he was remanded into custody.

And yesterday (June 17), he appeared at the same court, where was sentenced to 10 years behind bars.

Callaghan will also spend the rest of his life on the Sex Offenders’ Register.

The victim’s family have shared these words which were read in court to Callaghan: “Every parent can’t bear the thought of losing a child, just to imagine that loss is horrific.

“But now for us, we have to try and get through every day with the pain of knowing that our child was raped before she went on to take her own life.

“We’re sure everyone can understand that there are no words to describe what we are going through.

“Callaghan might have gone to prison, but we are serving a life sentence in the knowledge of what he did.

“He left her completely broken as a result of his actions.”

They added: “Callaghan showed no remorse for what he did and no sadness at all at the loss of her life.

“It’s a shame everyone involved with the case didn’t get to see the woman we all know and love. She was a kind, caring, funny and bright young woman. She was loved by all who knew her and had so many friends.

“We’d like to thank the barrister and the jury for seeing through Callaghan’s lies.

“However, it is cold comfort for us all, as she is gone, and can’t ever know that she got justice.”

Following the conclusion of the case, Detective Constable Amy Burridge, of Northumbria Police said: “This was an extremely distressing case due to the circumstances surrounding the report – and what tragically came after for the victim.

“After speaking with the family, it was imperative for me to be able to give the victim a voice and have her story heard in court, which it now has.

“I am absolutely delighted with the outcome of the trial, and the sentence imposed today. This case truly sends a message that we are committed to doing everything in our power to bring offenders such as Callaghan to justice.”

Det Con Burridge added: “I’d also like to take a moment to recognise and praise the victim for her bravery following the offences taking place.

“She informed a friend, and reported to police immediately, meaning we were able to quickly establish her account of what had happened, and fully take advantage of any forensic opportunities early on in the investigation.

“Even though she is tragically no longer with us, I hope her family can take some sense of closure knowing the person who caused her so much distress is now in prison and will be monitored by police for the rest of his life.”

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A TEENAGER who was sexually assaulted by a predator got baptised in an attempt to ‘feel clean’ again.

The incident occurred last year in Warrington, when she was sexually assaulted by then 35-year-old Emmanuel Onwubiko.

Onwubiko, of Derwent Road in Ashton, began to behave inappropriately towards the teenager, Liverpool Crown Court heard on Friday.

This behaviour escalated as the then 35-year-old, who is originally from Nigeria, touched her breast and later touched her bottom.

Onwubiko also grabbed the then 18-year-old’s vagina on two occasions, and asked her inappropriate sexual questions.

When it was clear that the teenager was uncomfortable, Onwubiko complained of cultural differences and said that this behaviour towards women in Nigeria would not be reported.

The victim felt ‘physically sick’ and retreated to a bathroom to hide from him, and sent a ‘running log’ of the assaults to a friend.

She later fled and went to a family member’s house and told them what was happening.

The police were called, Onwubiko was arrested, and he denied the assaults during his interview with officers.

Onwubiko pleaded not guilty to all charges and subjected his victim to a trial, where she had to recount the traumatic sexual assaults before a jury.

Despite his denial, the now 36-year-old was found guilty on all five counts of sexual assault, and he appeared back before Liverpool Crown Court for his sentencing on Friday.

The victim bravely read out a statement to the court, sharing heartbreaking details about how the assaults had impacted her, stating that it had left her feeling ‘disgusted’.

“My mental health has significantly declined due to what happened to me,” she said.

“Some days I feel as though I can't get out of bed due to feeling anxious.

“My mind is always thinking about what happened to me, and it is as though I have constant flashbacks about what happened to me. I now feel a shell of my former self.”

She also shared that the assaults left her feeling so desperate to feel clean again that she got baptised.

“I researched online and found a church that does baptisms on short notice,” she said.

“I felt so desperate to try and cleanse my body and feel as clean as possible. I was reaching out to God to try and get some help, and I thought bathing in holy water would wash away the horrible feelings I was having.”

Defending, Robert Wynn-Jones told the court that the Nigerian-national came to the UK on a student visa, which has since expired.

It was heard that the 36-year-old is hoping to apply for a post-graduate visa to remain the UK and repay a loan, as his wife and three children are being threatened with harm if it is not repaid.

“From the very beginning of that day, you behaved inappropriately towards her,” said judge Gary Woodhall.

“You demonstrated sexual attraction towards her. She was scared.”

In his sentencing remarks, Judge Woodhall referenced the 'harm' that was caused to Onwubiko when he was assaulted by the victim's father.

In a court case last year, it was heard that the victim's dad punched the 36-year-old several times to the back of his head after hearing of his daughter's assault.

Onwubiko suffered a nose bleed, two chipped teeth, and a month later, it was confirmed that he had a subdural haemorrhage.

He underwent an emergency operation which involved a hole being drilled into his brain.

The victim's father was sentenced to 18 months in prison, suspended for two years, and ordered to complete 200 hours of unpaid work.

On Friday, Onwubiko was sentenced to two years of immediate imprisonment, and he was ordered to sign the sex offender register for 10 years.

A 10-year restraining order was also approved to protect the victim.

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A REGISTERED sex offender breached a court order by removing monitoring software which allows police to track online use on electronic devices.

Matthew Ferguson, 42, was handed a 45-month prison sentence in 2021 after he was caught sending messages to what he thought was a 12-year-old girl.

Ferguson had written explicit text messages, made graphic suggestions and sent a crude image of himself. He was actually communicating with members of a vigilante group.

He admitted charges of attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity, and attempted sexual communication.

Ferguson, previously of Workington and now of London Road, Carlisle, was jailed by a judge who heard the defendant had a low IQ which was deemed to be on the cusp of a learning disability.

As part of his punishment, Ferguson was made subject to the strict terms of a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO); and further ordered to comply with sex offender notification requirements. These were imposed in a bid to prevent further online reoffending and keep police informed of his personal information.

But Ferguson was sentenced again, at Carlisle Magistrates’ Court today (tues). He had previously admitted three SHPO breaches, and failing to comply with the notification requirements.

These came to light when an offender manager conducted a home visit on May 16 this year.

Analysis of a mobile phone showed police online monitoring software which had previously been installed was not present. An expert concluded this absence was caused by the actions of the device user. “It cannot be done accidentally or remotely,” said prosecutor Diane Jackson.

The court was also given details of three other offences.

During the course of several days in early May, Ferguson had deleted WhatsApp messages which formed part of his online history; failed to declare a YouTube user name to police; and used a Dropbox cloud storage facility.

“I would submit they are deliberate breaches,” said Mrs Jackson of Ferguson’s latest offending.

Defence solicitor Katie Scattergood, mitigating, said Ferguson had entered his guilty pleas at the earliest possible opportunity. “Alongside that he did make full admissions during his police interview,” she said.

Ferguson’s offending was committed because he did not have a physical copy of the SHPO, against a background of limited intellectual functioning.

Miss Scattergood said he now had a copy, adding: “He is aware of the obligations upon him. He doesn’t seek to minimise his offending. He knows he has breached his order, hence his guilty pleas.”

Magistrates heard he had not committed any other offences since those for which he was punished at the crown court.

He had previously been recalled to serve the balance of that sentence, and as a result had not completed any work offered by the probation service.

“He wants the opportunity to engage fully with the (SHPO) order and the police, and hopes to remain in the community,” said Miss Scattergood.

Magistrates suspended an eight-month sentence for two years.

Ferguson must complete a sexual offending course under probation service direction, and additional rehabilitation work.

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A man filmed a sleeping woman in a state of undress before sexually assaulting her at a property in Rosyth, a court has heard.

Joshua Adams also secretly recorded footage of a fully clothed 15-year-old girl at another address in the town.

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A man in his 40s pulled his trousers down and pleasured himself near a children's play area in a popular park, a court has heard. Police then found Daniel Thyer had been "grooming" a young boy with gifts of vapes and energy drinks.

Sending the defendant to prison, a judge at Swansea Crown Court said he had engaged in "predatory sexual behaviour" with the child. Georgia Donohue, prosecuting, told the court that on February 26 this year a woman walking through Swansea's Morriston Park saw a man sitting on a grass bank near a children's play area with his trousers around his ankles.

She said the man was seen holding his mobile phone with one hand and masturbating with the other. The court heard there were no children in the play area at the time but the woman did see two teenage boys cycling near the defendant.

The barrister said the woman was "disgusted" at Thyer's behaviour and called the police. Officers arrived at the park and arrested the 41-year-old defendant who said he was there to meet somebody, and he said he had been "adjusting his trousers". 

The court heard that when officers examined the defendant's phone they found he had been in contact with a boy and in messages between the two had talked about masturbation.

Officers identified and located the child and spoke to him, and the boy disclosed a series of incidents when Thyer had put his hands down his trousers, pushed his erect penis into him from behind over his clothes, and had touched his bottom. The child also said the defendant had given him vapes, money and energy drinks.

In a victim statement read to the court by the prosecutor, the defendant said he now suffers with sleepless nights and feels "uncomfortable" around grown men, and he said he "keeps himself to himself" at school.

Daniel James Thyer - also known as Daniel David - of Brangwyn Close, Morriston, had previously pleaded guilty to exposure, four counts of sexual activity with a child, and one count of sexual activity with a child when he appeared in the dock for sentencing. He has no previous convictions.

Charlotte Surley, for Thyer, said the defendant had learning difficulties and a pre-sentence report outlined that he may have an "emotional congruence" with children.

Judge Huw Rees said there was "clear evidence of grooming behaviour" in the offending and said the defendant had engaged in "predatory sexual behaviour".

With a one-third discount for his guilty pleas, Thyer was sentenced to 12 months in prison. He was also made the subject of a 10-year sexual harm prevention order and will be a registered sex offender for the same length of time.

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A convicted sex offender sought out the services of an escort and ended up behind bars. Matthew Bushell had only recently been released from prison when he was caught breaching restrictions that are designed to prevent him from committing crimes of a sexual nature.

Having been quickly rumbled by the police, he then confessed to his attempts to cover his tracks as he "thought he could get away with it". Back in jail, he now "understands that he needs to try to stop getting into trouble".

Liverpool Crown Court heard this afternoon, Tuesday, that Bushell is subject to an indefinite sexual harm prevention order as a result of a conviction for sexual assault in 2014. This prevents the 52-year-old from deleting his internet history, amongst a number of other terms restricting his online activities.

Ben Stanley, prosecuting, described how Merseyside Police paid a visit to the defendant's then home on Cobden Road in Southport on June 3 last year, shortly after his release from an earlier spell in jail, in order to ensure his compliance with the order. While Bushell handed over his mobile phone and a tablet computer upon request, it was subsequently discovered that he had wiped the browsing history of both devices earlier the same day.

When questioned on the matter, he claimed that he "didn't want prison staff to see his browsing history while he was in prison". The PC however pointed out that these electronics were not available to him when he was locked up, at which stage he "admitted that he must have deleted it while intoxicated".

Investigations thereafter discovered that Bushell had wiped the internet history from his phone on 356 previous occasions, as well as 125 times from the tablet computer. It was further established that he had searched for terms relating to online sex chats, pornographic websites and escort page Viva Street.

Following his arrest, Bushell confessed under interview that he "was doing stuff he shouldn't have" and had deleted his browsing history as he was "scared and thought he could get away with it". His criminal record shows a total of nine previous convictions for 19 offences, including flouting the terms of the same order in 2016 and 2021.

Bushell has since been recalled on licence in relation to a 16-month sentence he received in July 2024 for seven counts of breaching his SHPO, and is not due to be released until November this year. Desmond Lennon, defending, told the court: "He had material on those devices which he accepts that he should not have had.

"He readily accepts that conduct. He hopes that he would have perhaps moved on from it, but, at the moment, it seems that he is unable to do so. He has had significant issues with alcohol abuse.

"He understands that he does need to try to stop getting himself into trouble in terms of his interests and to stop getting himself in breach of this order. He is in his 50s, and he really does need to move on if he possibly can."

Bushell admitted one count of breaching a sexual harm prevention order. Appearing via video link to HMP Risley wearing a grey t-shirt two days after his birthday, he was jailed for a further eight months.

Sentencing, Recorder Mark Ainsworth said: "This order has been in place, in one form or another, since May 2014. There is no doubt that you were aware of the requirements. It became clear that the search history on these devices had been deleted, which, of course, was a breach of the order.

"You accepted that you were doing stuff that you should not have been doing and deleted your history, and you did that because you were scared of the consequences and thought you could get away with it. The real problem, in this case, is the fact that this is not the first time that you have been before the court for such breaches."

16 Dec 2021 - Liverpool Echo

Groped women and sucked their fingers in his home.

A sex attacker placed adverts for topless women to clean his home.

Matthew Bushell, 48, is banned from advertising for women to contact him as a result of past sex attacks.

The pervert lured two female victims to his home under false pretences then molested them in 2013.

Courts have heard about his "unhealthy obsession" with sex and history of using sex workers and escorts.

But last December he flouted the ban by placing 32 ads for what he called "consensual sexual entertainment".

Bushell was convicted of two sexual assaults in May 2014 after putting adverts on Gumtree for female cleaners.

Explaining the "context" to his latest offence, Simon Duncan, prosecuting, told Liverpool Crown Court one woman met him at Southport train station in June 2013.

Mr Duncan said Bushell took her to his home in Cobden Road, Southport, where "he grabbed her, kissed her and sucked her fingers", so she left and called police.

Officers went to his house the next day and found another woman, there "under the pretence of a job interview".

She didn't make any criminal allegations, but then a second female victim came forward, who had also responded to a Gumtree advert.

She went to Bushell's house that April, but when she arrived, he asked her if she would clean topless for cash.

Mr Duncan said he "put his hand down her pants and touched her breasts and offered her money to stay the night".

Bushell was sentenced to a hospital order and hit with an indefinite Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO).

He was released from hospital in February 2015 and then monitored by Merseyside Police's sex offender unit.

Mr Duncan said "suspicions were building" for officers in October 2020, when they examined his electronic devices and found search terms "of concern", but no evidence of any offences.

However, in February this year, police discovered he had placed ads on the website Viva Street under the username "CoolBoy47" asking women if they wanted "horny fun".

Mr Duncan said: "He was inviting females to call, text or WhatsApp at any time."

He said Bushell placed 32 adverts for women on Viva Street between December 10 and 16 "inviting them to engage in sex work, some advertising for topless cleaning services, and others offered payment for sexual services".

Mr Duncan said: "He has a history of using sex workers and strangely on occasions reporting his dissatisfaction with their services to the police."

He added: "He was interviewed on March 29, 2021. He admitted that he created the Viva Street account with a view to some 'consensual sexual entertainment'."

Bushell admitted placing the adverts and said he received "a fair few responses" but only chatted to them on the phone and then stopped because he feared it would be discovered.

He admitted breaching his SOPO.

Bushell was previously convicted of breaching the order in February 2018, when he was spared jail after placing ads for female house cleaners.

Mr Duncan said he was later convicted of harassment against a female doctor, who had once treated him, by sending her "abusive and insulting messages" and calls.

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A father and son have been sentenced after they were both fond guilty of a string of sexual assaults against young girls in Shropshire.

Hugh Hughes, of Lion Lane in Clee Hull, Ludlow was given an 18-year custodial sentence on Thursday (June 12) at Shrewsbury Crown Court. He will also be placed on the Sex Offenders Register indefinitely.

The 72-year-old was found guilty in April 2025 of the following offences:

• Six counts of sexual assault against a female child under the age of 13
• 12 counts of indecent assault on a child under 14
• One count of sexual assault against a female

The offences took place between 1987 and 2021 and involved a number of victims.

On Thursday (June 12) Lyle Huges, also of Lion Lane in Clee Hull, Ludlow was given an 18-month community order, and told he must complete 100 hours of unpaid work.

The 23-year-old will also be placed on the Sex Offenders Register for five years.

He was found guilty of sexual assault by penetration and sexual assault on a child in April 2025. The offences took place between 2014 and 2021.

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An online sex offender from Arbroath used a “Mr Bean” Facebook profile to engage in smutty chats with female teenagers.

Social media creep Norman Mathieson thought both teenagers he was talking to were 15.