Latest Offenders

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A rapist who abused a girl has been jailed after the victim reported the historic offences to a close friend and a health professional.

Anthony Toward, 37, of Blakelaw, was arrested and charged with several offences, which he denied. Following a five-day trial at Newcastle Crown Court in February, a jury found him guilty of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault. He was remanded in custody.

Today (Monday) he was sentenced at the same court to 14 years in prison. He will also spend the rest of his life on the Sex Offenders’ Register and was given an indefinite restraining order.

Det Con Frank Cox of Northumbria Police, who led the case, said: "I'd firstly like to highlight the bravery of the victim-survivor in this case.

"The courage and determination she has shown throughout this process has ultimately led us to holding Toward to account for the attacks he carried out. While the sentence is no retribution for what the victim-survivor has been through – I hope it can provide some closure and help her move forward."

Det Con Cox added that Toward was a predator who had taken advantage of the victim. He added: "No-one should ever have to experience this type of abuse.

"Please know, if you've been a victim of any form of abuse – we are here for you and we will support you."

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Owen Evans from Barry has been jailed for sex offences.

Evans, 39, was sentenced to seven years in custody, plus an extended licence period of three years, at Newport Crown Court.

Evans met and groomed the victim online.

His offending came to an end when the girl bravely confided in a friend and a report was made to South Wales Police.

Evans initially denied any contact with the victim or ever meeting her.

However, he later pleaded guilty to:

• meeting a girl under 16 years of age following grooming
• engaging in non-penetrative sexual activity with girl 13 to 15,
• engaging in sexual communication with a child
  making an indecent photograph of a child.
• During sentencing on Friday, April 10, the judge commended the victim for her bravery and the Officer in the Case (OIC) for the standard of the investigation.

OIC DC Tom Hurley, from South Wales Police, said:

“The victim has shown remarkable courage and strength to pursue this matter.
“We hope the outcome at court brings her some peace and gives her confidence to start feeling safe again.
“It’s also important to acknowledge the fantastic support she received from family and friends.
“Thanks to them all, we have been able to convict a man who is clearly a significant threat to young girls.”

As part of the sentencing, Evans will have to register as a sex offender indefinitely and was made the subject of a 10-year sexual harm prevention order.

A restraining order was made preventing him from contacting his victim until further notice.

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A child sexual predator has been jailed – after arranging to watch the sexual abuse of a child online.

Tony Bonner, 62, is now behind bars after he was caught making arrangements to watch a live stream of a 12-year-old girl being sexually abused.

In 2023, Bonner engaged in communication with someone online who he believed had access to children overseas who he could watch being sexually assaulted via live stream and eventually meet. 

However, what he didn’t realise was he was actually speaking to a police officer who was closing in through their investigation.

A strike was planned, and in June 2024 Bonner was arrested by officers from the North East Regional Organised Crime Unit (NEROCU) with the support of Northumbria Police.

Officers also seized electronic devices to further build their evidence case and discovered indecent photographs/videos of children.

Bonner was subsequently charged with arranging the commission of a child sex offence and possession of indecent images of a child.

Faced with the overwhelming evidence against him, Bonner eventually pleaded guilty to all charges.

Today (Friday) Bonner, from South Shields, appeared at Newcastle Crown Court and was sentenced to four years in prison and a ten year Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Speaking after the sentencing, Detective Constable Lee Robertson, said:

“The vile actions of Bonner were clear and thanks to the dedicated work of officers he is now behind bars and facing the consequences of his actions.

“We would urge anyone who has been a victim of this type of offending, or has concerns about someone’s behaviour, to come forward and talk to police – support is available and you can help safeguard other vulnerable children."

Description

A man has been jailed for more than 2 years for possessing indecent images of children.

Jonathan Peter Clark, 47, of  The Valley in Winchester was found to be in possession of 195 indecent images after officers launched an investigation in May 2023 after he was identified as being the user of an online account suspected to have uploaded an indecent image to the internet.

He was arrested in October of the same year, and an analysis of his phone found 195 indecent images graded from A, the most serious, to C. 

Clark was charged with possession of indecent images of children, and breach of a Sexual Offences Prevention Order and pleaded guilty at Basingstoke Magistrates Court in March 2026.

He was yesterday (16 April) sentenced to 2 years and 8 months in prison at Winchester Crown Court. 

His Honour Judge Parker KC also ordered the destruction of his mobile phone and granted Clark a lifelong Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).

PC Neil Nancarrow, of the Internet Child Abuse Team, said: “Jonathan Clark is a repeat sexual offender who has continued to break the law, he clearly poses a serious risk to children and I am glad to see him put behind bars. 

“Hampshire and the Isle of Wight Constabulary is committed to keeping the children in our community safe and I hope this investigation evidences how seriously we take crimes of this nature. We will continue to work hard to bring offenders of these abhorrent crimes to justice.

“Online offending around indecent images of children is a crime. Each image represents a child that has been abused. If you are looking at, making, or distributing these images, we will take action.”

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A man from Crewe has been jailed after breaching his Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) and engaging in sexual communication with a child.

Teejay Walton was sentenced to 30 months in prison at Chester Crown Court on Thursday 9 April 2026, after pleading guilty to two breaches of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and one count of engaging in sexual communication with a child.

The court heard that the 24-year-old had been released from prison in December 2025 following a previous sexual conviction.

Alongside his custodial sentence, Walton, of Timbrell Avenue, Crewe, was placed on the Sex Offenders Register and handed a Sexual Harm Prevention Order, which remains in place until 2033.

Under the conditions of the SHPO, he was prohibited from contacting anyone under the age of 16 online and from deleting internet history stored on any digital devices.

The court was told that between 22 January and 27 January 2026, Walton used social media to engage in conversation with a child who openly told him she was 12 years old. Despite this, Walton chose to continue communicating with her.

He also deliberately changed the settings on his social media account to automatically delete messages after they had been sent, which was a clear breach of his SHPO.

On Wednesday 28 January 2026, officers from the Sexual Offender Management Unit attended Timbrell Avenue, Crewe, and arrested Walton in connection with the breaches and the sexual communication offence.

While in custody, Walton admitted that he had been speaking to someone he believed to be a under the age of 16. He also admitted breaching his SHPO by communicating with the child and by changing his social media settings, although he claimed this had been done without realising it was prohibited.

Police Constable Alex Barker, of the Sexual Offender Management Unit, said:

“Teejay Walton flagrantly breached his Sexual Harm Prevention Order within a month of being released from prison, showing that he had clearly not learned his lesson.

“As a result of his multiple breaches, and his admission that he engaged in sexualised conversations with someone he knew to be under the age of consent, he has now been returned to prison where he is paying the price for his sickening behaviour.

“Officers from the Sexual Offender Management Unit regularly conduct visits to those on the Sex Offenders Register and those subject to Sexual Harm Prevention Orders to ensure breaches such as those committed by Walton do not occur, and to take appropriate action against those who choose to ignore the conditions imposed on them.”

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We’ve commended the bravery of a woman whose courage has led to a man being convicted of a violent rape in Little Hulton, 22 years after the wrong man was sent to prison. 

Paul Quinn (52), now of Exeter, was today (Friday 17 April 2026) unanimously found guilty of two counts of rape, one count of choking with intent and one count of grievous bodily harm. He was convicted after a jury heard six weeks of evidence at Manchester Crown Court.

It follows the victim showing tremendous courage in supporting our investigation, which has meant reliving the attack and going through the court process for a second time.

The original investigation into the attack, in the summer of 2003, wrongly led us to the arrest and prosecution of the innocent Andrew Malkinson, who served 17 years in prison before clearing his name at the Court of Appeal in 2023.

We remain deeply sorry to the victim of this heinous attack, and Mr Malkinson, as the victim of a grave miscarriage of justice, for failing to bring the true attacker to justice during our original investigation.

Today’s verdicts bring an end to an investigation launched in 2022 when DNA samples from our original investigation, which returned no forensic hits at the time, came back to forensically match Quinn.

The events of 19 July 2003 were horrific - the victim was brutally attacked by Quinn and left for dead. Despite the severity of the attack the victim was able to provide detectives with details of her attacker, what he looked like and what he had said during the attack.

The victim recalled the attacker had a shiny appearance with a hairless chest and had his shirt open during the attack. The description provided by the victim was supported by eyewitness accounts provided in 2003 and further corroborated by evidence obtained from those close to Quinn during the reinvestigation.

Witnesses described Quinn’s prevalent sweating, his tendency to shave his chest during the summer months, and the fact that on the night of the attack he returned home without his shirt.

In 2022 a full DNA profile matching Quinn was located on the vest top the victim had been wearing when she was attacked. Quinn, then of Exeter but living in Little Hulton at the time of the attack, was arrested and interviewed.

When faced with the compelling evidence against him Quinn sought to explain away the presence of his DNA by claiming to have slept with two or three women a weekend at the time of the attack.

Quinn also claimed to have little knowledge of the incident beyond the fact that he recalled there had been some media coverage at the time, that an e-fit image of the attacker had been created and publicised by investigators, and that there had been an arrest.

However, our subsequent enquiries into Quinn’s phone history showed a considerable recent interest in the case during the time when Mr Malkinson was successfully campaigning to prove his innocence.

The investigation team worked tirelessly alongside the Crown Prosecution Service to present a clear and compelling case to the jury to prove that Quinn's explanations were nothing more than a desperate attempt to evade justice.

Throughout both investigations, the victim showed immense bravery and determination to get justice. Our investigators particularly commend her courage to support the GMP of today when having to relive the trauma of the attack during a second investigation, two decades later, to help successfully hold Quinn responsible.

Our team of investigators led a meticulous inquiry with a firm focus on bringing the right man to justice. The unprecedented circumstances of the case required detectives to assess more than 6000 documents, review 760 exhibits, and obtain 275 witness statements, including former officers.

The team has kept the victim updated throughout alongside specialist supporting agencies.

Assistant Chief Constable Steph Parker said:

“Today has come two decades too late for all involved in this horrendous case. To the victim of this heinous crime and to Andrew Malkinson, the victim of this profound miscarriage of justice, I apologise sincerely and unreservedly on behalf of Greater Manchester Police.

“I want to pay tribute to the victim who has shown unbreakable strength from day one to help bring her attacker to justice. And I commend the courage of Mr Malkinson who, despite everything, has supported this case. Our words can never repair the harm caused by this ordeal.

"Paul Quinn is a dangerous man. He is the one responsible for this horrific attack, and he has known it all along for more than 20 years. The harm he has done to the victim and the cowardice of watching the wrong man go to prison for his crime is unforgivable.

“The officers and staff working on this reinvestigation have put everything into bringing the true attacker to book. I want to thank the whole team for their unwavering commitment to getting long-awaited justice for the victim.

“However, while this is a significant moment for all concerned, I know today’s outcome only ends the criminal chapter in this case. We will continue to support the ongoing inquiry into Mr Malkinson’s wrongful conviction, and the Independent Office for Police Conduct’s investigation, to get much needed answers for all concerned.”

Detective Chief Superintendent Rebecca McKendrick, senior investigating officer on the case, said:

“My thoughts today are with the victim of this horrific attack who, despite having to relive the events of that night during a second investigation, has shown great strength in supporting the investigation team’s efforts to bring her attacker to justice. I hope that she can finally move on with her life knowing that her true attacker is now behind bars.

“Throughout this unprecedented investigation, my team and I have known the importance of making sure we get this absolutely right for everyone connected with this case.

"We began with crucial evidence that identified Quinn as a suspect, but it was only through painstaking investigative work involving numerous experts and witnesses that we have been able to satisfy the jury of Quinn’s guilt.

“Paul Quinn is a very dangerous man who has clearly been a risk to women. We are alive to the possibility he may have offended on more than this one occasion, and so I encourage anyone with information or concerns relating to the details of this case to know they can approach us in confidence.

“This case demonstrates that every contact leaves a trace. Put simply: if you’re an offender, you will be caught, and if you’re a victim, time is no barrier to justice.”

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A HAMPSHIRE university lecturer tried to kill himself after being caught in an international sting operation set up to tackle child abuse.

David Clarke, 46, was duped into believing he was chatting to another paedophile – in reality he was talking to a special agent stringing him along about exchanging sickening images of children.

The case was so disturbing that one officer investigating it had to take a break from her work at one stage because she found the work so “distressing.”

Clarke, a senior lecturer in psychology at Southampton Solent University, was later arrested at his home which he shared with his partner and their three young children.

An examination of his laptop and a memory stick revealed about 1,800 images involving children as a young as three being subjected to a horrifying catalogue of bondage, rape and sadism.

Prosecutor Tom Wright told the city crown court Clarke, who had been using chatrooms under the aliases of Davyboy, Emma Watson 27, and Kirstyandlouise, refused to give his password to the police who were unable to gain access to his accounts to determine the full amount of his trafficking.

Clarke, of Median Road, Shirley, admitted 20 charges of making, possessing and distributing still and moving images between the summer of 2009 and last November and was jailed for 30 months.

He had pleaded guilty to the charges at his preliminary hearing but sentence had been adjourned after he had tried to commit suicide.

Judge Peter Henry said: “The images concern a high number of different victims and there was a deliberate and systematic searching of the Internet for images for your sexual gratification.

“You deny you find children sexually attractive but in my view, sexual gratification is at the forefront of your offending.”

The judge said he accepted Clarke had suffered mental health problems, depression and alcoholism but he could not have misunderstood the harm he was causing children.

Stephen Tricker, defending said Clarke had “strayed” into viewing the material after searching the Internet for “interest” in other areas and then going into adult sites.

“He has expressed remorse and knows the shame he has brought upon himself and his family. He is motivated to tackle the treatment programme.”

Mr Tricker added: “His self-destruction is complete.”

In addition to the jail term, Clarke was placed on the sex offenders register and banned from working with children.

Under the terms of a sexual offences prevention order, he has restricted use of the Internet and cannot not be left alone with children except with the knowledge of the police or the child’s parents.

After the case a spokesman for Southampton Solent University said: “The individual concerned has not been present or teaching at the university for many months now.

“The university was first notified of this issue last week and has already put in place steps to address this as a matter of urgency.”

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A man has been handed a two-year jail sentence after driving from Sheffield to meet a schoolgirl from Telford he’d been speaking to online.

Awais Sheikh, of East Bawtry Road in Rotherham, was sentenced at Shrewsbury Crown Court on Monday (13 April) after he was found guilty of meeting a child following sexual grooming.

During the hearing, the court was told how the 28-year-old had contacted the girl via social media – Snapchat and Instagram – in October 2024, telling her he was 25, when in fact he was two years older.

The victim had initially ignored a friend request from Sheikh, but when she accepted it she immediately told him she was 15. Despite this, Sheikh continued to contact her, complimenting her appearance.

A few weeks later Sheikh then drove from his home in Yorkshire to Telford to pick the girl up from school.

Sheikh met her outside of school, before taking her to McDonald’s and then to a secluded spot near the Wrekin.

The girl was reported missing to police, and was found by officers at the Wrekin, where condoms and cannabis were discovered in the glovebox of Sheikh’s vehicle.

Sheikh was arrested and later charged with meeting a child following sexual grooming, which on Monday he was handed a 22-month sentence. He was given a further two months to run consecutively for activating an existing suspended sentence.

The judge also ordered that Sheikh is be added to the sex offenders register for 10 years.

Detective Constable Jack Underwood said:

"Sheikh’s actions were predatory, deliberate and deeply concerning. He travelled across the country with the clear intention of exploiting a child. There is absolutely no excuse for what he did.

"I want to pay tribute to the victim, whose courage throughout both the investigation and the court proceedings has been remarkable. Coming forward and reliving such a frightening experience takes immense strength, and her bravery has been vital in ensuring Sheikh has been brought to justice.

"We remain fully committed to protecting children from harm, identifying those who pose a risk, and working tirelessly to ensure offenders face the consequences of their actions, like Sheikh. This case shows that we will act swiftly and robustly whenever a child is put in danger."

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A sex offender who filmed upskirting videos of more than 20 victims during one evening in Soho has been jailed.

James Manchand was spotted by officers on Friday, 16 January repeatedly pacing along queues outside busy West End venues.

The plain-clothed officers initially suspected he was scouting for potential thefts and began to monitor him more closely.

Uniformed officers stepped in to conduct a search when Manchand continued to hover around groups of young women.

After providing his details, police checks revealed that Manchand was a known offender with an active Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) for a previous voyeurism offence. Under the order, he was required to hand over his phone and unlock it for inspection.

On opening the device, officers immediately discovered 29 videos involving more than 20 victims - all filmed that same evening in Soho. He was arrested at the scene.

At Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Friday, 10 April, Manchand, 62 (04.11.63), of Phoenix Street, Camden, was sentenced to 20 months’ imprisonment, and was ordered to forfeit a laptop and mobile phone.

He was also sentenced for a breach of his SHPO in December. Manchand was stopped by Met officers during a Live Facial Recognition Operation on Tottenham Court Road who found him to be using Virtual Private Network software allowing him to erase cookies and browsing history - both explicitly prohibited under his SHPO.

Detective Constable Sam Pearson, who led the investigation, said:

“Manchand’s predatory behaviour was calculated, persistent and showed a complete disregard for the women he targeted.

“Thanks to the vigilance and quick instincts of officers on patrol, we were able to intervene before he could continue offending and recover clear evidence that he had committed multiple voyeurism offences in a single evening.

“No one should have to worry about being violated in this way while simply enjoying a night out. We will continue to act swiftly and decisively against anyone who poses a threat to women and girls.”

The officers who caught Manchand were deployed under Operation Martello, which targets theft and pickpocketing hotspots across the West End. As part of the Met’s commitment to tackling violence against women and girls (VAWG), officers also proactively identify predatory behaviour in the nighttime economy.

The Met continues to prioritise the safety of women and girls and is relentlessly targeting sexual offenders to secure justice for victims. To date, 23,000 officers and staff have received new, bespoke VAWG training, strengthening investigative skills and improving support for victims.

Commander Clair Kelland, the Met’s public protection lead, said:

“Voyeurism can take many forms, but at its core it is a blatant intrusion into someone’s privacy, often carried out in crowded or busy places where victims may not immediately realise what has happened.

“There is absolutely no excuse for this behaviour. Whether motivated by sexual gratification or a desire to cause humiliation, distress or alarm, voyeurism is always deeply unsettling for those targeted.

“We also want to encourage bystanders to look out for one another. If you see someone behaving in a way that feels predatory or attempting to film under clothing, please report it to officers or venue staff straight away. Your quick action could prevent someone from being targeted.”

Manchand was charged on 17 January with:

• Recording an image under clothing to observe another without consent in relation to the Soho offences.
• Two counts of breaching his Sexual Harm Prevention Order on 10 December 2025.

The breakdown of Manchand’s sentence is as follows:

12 months’ imprisonment for each of two breaches of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order, to run concurrently.

Four months’ imprisonment for recording images under clothing, to run consecutively.

A further four months’ imprisonment which formed part of a previously suspended sentence, was also activated by the court to run consecutively.

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A dangerous sexual predator has been jailed after engaging in sexual communications with someone he believed was a child – but what officers found on his phone was even worse.

Declan Sains, 28, is now behind bars after being sentenced by a Judge following a complex police operation by officers from the North East Regional Organised Crime Unit (NEROCU).

In July last year, Sains believed he was talking to a 14-year-old boy online and persisted to send him sexually explicit messages and asking the child if he wanted a ‘rape experience’ and asking the boy to find a young school girl friend for Sains to also have sex with.

What Sains didn’t know was he was actually speaking to a NEROCU police officer who was closing in on him through a specialist police investigation.

Officers descended on Sains home address on Escomb Road in Bishop Auckland, and swiftly arrested him. Further enquiries uncovered more sexually explicit conversations with actual children which included Sains sending images of his own penis and asking them to insert objects into their anus.

He was subsequently charged with a number of child sex offences including engaging in sexual communication with a child, making indecent images of children and cause/incite a boy to engage in sexual activity.

Sains appeared at Durham Crown Court on January 16 and pleaded guilty to all charges.

Today (Thursday), he appeared before the same court and was sentenced to a total of eight years and three months behind bars, with an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order and registration requirement.

Speaking after the sentencing, Detective Constable Georgina Lewis, said:

“I want to thank all the officers who worked on this operation. This has been a particularly vile investigation with a child predator who thought he could hide online.

“Sains thought he could keep offending without consequences, but he has learned that our officers will not stop in their pursuit of abusers.

“Under Operation Sentinel, our regional approach to tacking serious and organised crime, we will continue to investigate these online offences to safeguard children and protect the public.”

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A man, aged 41, has been jailed for 13 years after being found guilty of two counts of rape and coercive and controlling behaviour.

Aftab Zulfiqar (09/03/1985), of no fixed address, was sentenced at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court on 15th April 2026.

Through exceptional courage, the survivor came forward to report Zulfiqar, beginning a process that required her to confront and relive deeply traumatic experiences in pursuit of justice.

The survivor was in a relationship with Zulfiqar for three years, during which she was subjected to sustained and escalating abuse that had a profound impact on her life.

Zulfiqar controlled every aspect of her daily routine, including what she wore, when she slept, what she ate and drank, who she was allowed to speak to and how she lived, isolating her from friends and support networks.

His constant demands for contact while she was at work placed significant pressure on her which resulted in her losing a job she loved, increasing her reliance on him.

During the relationship, Zulfiqar raped her on multiple occasions, exploiting the trust of their relationship and manipulating her into believing the abuse was not rape.

Over three years, the survivor endured mental, emotional, physical and sexual abuse. Despite the trauma she suffered, she showed exceptional courage in reporting Zulfiqar in October 2023 through our LiveChat function, concluding in him being arrested.  

LiveChat is a great way to report crimes discreetly.

She fully supported the investigation and stood up in court to give evidence against the man who abused her.

The survivor, in her victim impact statement, said:

“My relationship with Aftab has had a huge impact on my life, more than can be put into words really. I had little confidence any way but since being with Aftab, I have none at all.

“He drilled it into me that much that I’m ugly and worthless that I believed it and now struggle with confidence, and I don’t want to meet anyone.

“I don’t think I could ever trust someone again, I gave Aftab everything and he was never nice to me.

“I was so scared of doing anything wrong. At the smallest thing, he would attack me then throw me out of his flat.

“I was always to blame for everything – he once stood on the plug of my hair dryer and then smashed my hairdryer up and physically attacked me because it was somehow my fault.

“It makes me worried for future relationships and how I’ll be because I am so deeply hurt.

“I really feel that my relationship with Aftab and everything he has put me through will stay with me forever, but I’m determined that he hasn’t won, and I can now start to live a peaceful life after being put through 5 and a half years of hell.”

Following his arrest, Zulfiqar continued to cause distress by posting about the investigation and those involved on social media, leading to his remand in custody, where he has remained since September 2024.

Detective Constable Lucy Hamilton said:

“I want to commend the survivor for the remarkable courage she has shown in coming forward and supporting this investigation.

“Reporting offences of this nature is incredibly difficult, and it is through her bravery that a very dangerous man is now behind bars.

“We want to be absolutely clear: we take all reports of rape and sexual offences extremely seriously, and we will relentlessly pursue perpetrators.

“It is also vital that people understand coercive and controlling behaviour is a criminal offence and will not be tolerated.

“I hope this outcome provides the survivor with some measure of justice as she continues to rebuild her life. Her courage has protected other women from harm, and we will continue to stand with her, and every survivor, in the fight to bring offenders like Zulfiqar to justice."

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A prolific offender has been jailed for propositioning a child to perform a sexual act at Hull Paragon station, following a British Transport Police (BTP) investigation. 

Ben Puckering, aged 39 and of no fixed abode, was jailed for 18 months at Hull Crown Court on 2 April after pleading guilty to Inciting a Child to Engage in Sexual Activity.

The court heard how on 7 December last year, Puckering, who uses a wheelchair, approached the 14-year-old boy as he passed through the station with friends and propositioned him to perform a sex act in exchange for cash.

The boy, who was visibly terrified and shaken, reported the incident to station security staff who immediately contacted BTP.

Puckering was arrested and refused to answer any questions in interview, only commenting that ‘there would be no witnesses’.

BTP PC Natasha Hawley said:

“I would like to commend the victim for the courage and resilience he has shown in reporting Puckering’s crime and supporting our investigation.

“Cases of this nature can have a lasting impact, and I hope the sentence handed to Puckering provides reassurance that he has been held accountable for his actions and will remain off the streets for some time.

“Puckering has a long history of offending in and around the station and this is by no means his first conviction. He now has a long stint behind bars to rethink his disgusting behaviour.

“This case highlights the importance of speaking out – we take every report of sexual offending seriously and will stop at nothing to bring offenders like Puckering to justice.“

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A man who was spotted by a fellow passenger viewing indecent images of children on his phone has been jailed following a British Transport Police (BTP) investigation.

David Johnson, 35 and of Francis Chichester Way, Wandsworth, was sentenced to two years and three months imprisonment at Inner London Crown Court on Wednesday 1 April.

He had previously pleaded guilty to six counts of Making Indecent Images of Children, two counts of Attempting to Engage in Sexual Communication with a Child and Arranging or Facilitating the Commission of a Child Sex Offence.

Johnson was also handed a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) for 10 years and must also sign the sex offender register for 10 years.

The court heard that at around midday on 23 September 2025, Johnson was travelling on a train from Stafford to London.

A member of the public was sat behind him, and he could see Johnson's mobile phone screen.

The man could see Johnson exchanging messages with someone before he opened a video showing a young child being abused. He then switched to another chat where a person asked him 'what kinds of videos do you like? I have all kinds'. Johnson replied, 'just kids videos'.

Stunned, the man messaged his own partner to say what was happening. When he looked back up, Johnson was watching another video showing an even younger child being abused.

The man was so shaken by what he had seen he got up to move to another part of the carriage before reporting Johnson using BTP's 61016 text service.

BTP officers rushed to meet the train at London Euston railway station, where Johnson was arrested on suspicion of possession of indecent images of children.

He was searched and officers seized his mobile phone – its screen wallpaper was an indecent image of a child.

When he was taken into custody, Johnson asked officers if he could have his property back as he “needed to delete some stuff”. He offered no comment to all questions put to him in interview.

Officers began searching two addresses linked to Johnson and seized a number of devices for examination. The phone seized at his arrest was found to contain nearly 200 indecent images of children, including 105 in category A – the most severe images.

As part of their enquiries detectives also recovered two chat transcripts, one of which showed he had been speaking to a girl he believed was 13 years old and had arranged to meet her for sex.

The other chat transcript was with an older woman and appeared to reference the same 13-year-old girl, but the woman had told Johnson that he could not see her as she was unwell. Johnson stated that he was on the train back to London – the journey in which the passenger saw his phone that ultimately led to his arrest.

Officers later established that the 13-year-old girl did not exist.

Johnson was released on bail while detectives collated evidence against him, and charges were authorised in December 2025.

BTP Detective Constable Victoria Lowth said:

"The quick thinking and courage of the man who saw Johnson's phone meant that we were able to quickly arrest him and uncover the scale of his offending. I’d like to offer our sincerest thanks to that man, whose actions have directly led to Johnson's imprisonment.

“Behind every image and video Johnson owned is a vulnerable child that has been exploited and abused. He is clearly a danger to children and has rightly been handed substantial jail sentence, and stringent conditions have been put in place to prevent him from offending further.

“We will always do everything we can to make the railway a hostile place for criminals, and especially those whose offending targets children.”

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A 52-year-old man has been sent to prison after he was found guilty of eight child sex offences.

Between 2008 and 2019, Derek McAvoy sexually abused a girl on multiple occasions, touching her inappropriately and taking photos of her in various states of undress.

The girl bravely reported the offences to Northamptonshire Police in 2019, and McAvoy was arrested and subsequently charged with one count of sexually assaulting a girl under 13, four counts of sexually assaulting a girl under 16, two counts of causing/inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, and one count of voyeurism.

McAvoy, formerly of Northbrook, Corby, took the case to a trial at Northampton Crown Court which lasted four days and ended at the beginning of the month (April 2) with guilty verdicts from the jury on all eight counts. 

He was sentenced on the same day to 11 years in prison.

Detective Constable Kirstie Brooks from Northamptonshire Police’s Child Abuse Investigation Unit, said:

“I am really pleased to see this case end with guilty verdicts, and I hope the survivor in this case feels both a sense of justice and that she has been truly listened to and heard.

“McAvoy’s abuse was extensive and prolonged, and he is now thankfully behind bars, where people who commit these types of offences belong.

“I would like to thank retired officer, DC Sharon Jephcott, for the work she did on this case, and I also want to reassure the public that we will continue working hard in the Child Abuse Investigation Unit to ensure more people like McAvoy end up in a prison cell.”

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A man has been sentenced for having and making indecent images of children in Runcorn.

Rory James appeared at Liverpool Crown Court on Thursday 2 April where he was sentenced to 22 months in prison.

The 43-year-old of no fixed abode was previously found guilty by a jury of three counts of making indecent images of children, possessing indecent images of children, and possessing prohibited images of children.

He was also ordered to sign the sex offenders register and subjected to a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order as well as a rehabilitation activity requirement.

James was found in possession of a total of nine indecent images of children ranging from category C and B to category A, which is the most serious. He was also found in possession of extreme pornography.

Detectives from Cheshire Constabulary’s Online Child Abuse Investigation Team acting on information they received, discovered the images after executing a warrant at his address.

DC Anna Hull said:

“Our team is dedicated to protecting children and are actively making enquiries into information we receive about those who may be involved in making, sharing or taking indecent images.

“You may think you’re safe looking at these abominable and illegal images in your own home, but that is not the case, and we may come knocking on your door one day.”