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Blackpool man David Cummings guilty of 26 rape and child sex offences

David Cummings, 40, of Clifford Road, Blackpool, has been found guilty of 26 counts of rape and child sex offences at Preston Crown Court. The verdicts, returned on Tuesday, include 20 offences involving victims under 16.

Lancashire Police said Detective Sergeant Jamie Robinson led a four-year investigation that proved pivotal in securing the convictions.

In a police statement, DS Robinson said:

“This was a disgusting case of a man who used his influence and control to commit the most heinous crimes against vulnerable children over a number of years. His behaviour stole their childhood and left them with real scars for life.

“However, what he did not anticipate was their strength and courage, even in the face of difficult and challenging times. They remained consistent and stood by doing what was right – both for them and to protect others.

“I am incredibly proud of their strength and determination in getting justice even when having to face the awful things Mr Cummings had done to them. Mr Cummings showed no remorse and appeared smug in proceedings, until the jury called out guilty 26 times.”

The 26 guilty verdicts comprise:

• 5 counts of rape of a girl under 13
• 7 counts of rape of a girl aged 13–15
• 1 count of attempted rape of a girl aged 13–15
• 2 counts of causing or inciting a girl aged 13–15 to engage in sexual activity (no penetration)
• 1 count of sexual activity with a girl aged 13–15 involving penetration
• 4 counts of sexual activity with a girl aged 13–15 (no penetration)
• 5 counts of rape of a woman aged 16 or over
• 1 count of sexual assault of a female

Cummings is due to be sentenced at Preston Crown Court on Friday 11 December 2026 and faces a possible life sentence.

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A former Wakefield man has been sentenced for non-recent sex offences against a child.  

Jeffrey Fisher committed the offences in Wakefield district during the 1980s.  

The victim came forward to report the offences almost 40 years later sparking an investigation by officers from Wakefield’s District Safeguarding Unit.  

Fisher was traced to an address in Lancashire and summonsed to court for a number of non-recent sex offences which he denied.  

Following a trial at Leeds Crown Court in December 2025, he was found guilty of two counts of indecent assault of a girl under 14, said to have taken place between 1981 and 1982; indecent assault of a girl under 16, said to have taken place between 1982 and 1984; and one count of rape of a female aged over 16, said to have taken place against a teenage girl in 1984.    

Appearing before Leeds Crown Court for sentencing yesterday ( 30 March) , Fisher, aged 64, of Kincraig Road, Blackpool, Lancashire, was sentenced to 12 years in prison.  

He was also ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register and was made subject of a lifetime Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Speaking after the sentencing hearing, Detective Khi Smith, on behalf of the Wakefield District Safeguarding Unit, said:

“I’d like to thank the victim for coming forward and providing an account of her abuse at the hands of Fisher. It wasn’t easy for her having to endure a lengthy court process but she showed courage and resilience in giving evidence against him after all these years. It is because of this bravery that we have been able to secure justice.  

“Fisher’s predatory actions make him a risk to children. I’m pleased that he is now behind bars for the harm he has caused.  

“I would also like to thank Victim Support for their vital work in supporting this case.  

“It is never too late to report sexual offending. West Yorkshire Police has dedicated safeguarding teams in every district who are specially trained to work with victims of non-recent offending. We are ready to work with victims whenever victims feel it is the right time to come forward.”

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A JUDGE has praised a sexual abuse victim’s exceptional courage after her abuser was jailed for almost 20 years.

Judge Michael Maher said the girl – who was just six when the abuse began and is now a teenager – had shown maturity well beyond her years in how she dealt with the trial she was forced to go through by her abuser.

The comments came as dangerous sexual predator Ben Slaney was sentenced to 18 years. He will have to serve at least 12 years in prison before he is considered for parole.

Slaney, 33, of Portland Road, Blackpool had denied the abuse and claimed his victim was making it up but after a trial a jury saw through his lies and he was found guilty of three charges of sexual touching, covering multiple incidents over a three-year period; sexual assault by penetration and making category A and B images of children.

He was jailed at Preston Crown Court yesterday (Wednesday, March 18th) where he was also given a lifelong Sexual Harm Prevention Order and a lifetime restraining order.

Slaney will be on the sex offenders register for life.

In a statement read to the court the victim said words could not describe how much she envied a life of never having been put through her ordeal.

She added:

“I’ve endured a life of pain since the first time that man took advantage, of the little girl I once was.

“I stand proud of myself for defending what’s right as I know he will be on a register for the rest of his life because of his actions. I have helped achieve justice not only for myself, but also for potential others. I still find myself wondering how different my childhood could have been if I wasn’t forced to grow up so soon.

“I hope this conviction will give courage to any too scared yet to speak, or too young yet to understand.”

Det Con Lucy Cross, of Blackpool Police, said:

“First and foremost I would like to praise the courage and tenacity of the victim in this case. She has shown incredible bravery firstly in speaking out about what happened to her and then in facing down Slaney when he accused her of lying and dragging her through a trial. I am in awe of her.

“Slaney is clearly a dangerous paedophile who has preyed on a vulnerable victim and who has shown no remorse for his actions. I welcome this sentence and I hope it gives others who may have suffered similar abuse the confidence to speak out in the knowledge that Lancashire police will listen, will investigate with professionalism and sensitivity and will aim to put offenders before the courts.”

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The man pictured is Stuart Williams – he is a paedophile and a sex offender and this week a jury found him guilty of his crimes.

Williams, 57, of Moore Street, Blackpool was brought to justice after messaging who he thought were young girls. They were not and instead were decoys. On three separate occasions he was caught by undercover police officers, once whilst he was on court bail for the previous two.

Through our enquiries, we uncovered three reports of historic sexual offences against children. A further adult victim reported a sexual offence against her by Williams to us. 

Williams' (pictured above) offending happened in Penwortham and Lytham.

Following consultation with the Crown Prosecution Service, he was charged with a number of offences.

These are:

• Three counts of indecent assaults of a girl under the age of 14.
• Attempted tape of a female under the age of 16.
• Four counts of sexually assaulting a female age 13 and over.
• Two counts of sexual assault of a female.
• Three counts of engaging in sexual communication with a child.
• Possession of Category B indecent images of children
• Possession of Category C indecent images of children.

He pleaded not guilty, instead running a trial and inadvertently admitted to two offences of making indecent images of children during cross examination.

A jury took three hours to unanimously find him guilty of all 17 counts . He has been remanded to appear for sentence on 9th February.

DC Hannah Sturgess, of Preston CID said:

“Williams abused his victims, both in person and online.

“He never admitted his guilt and instead made his victims sit through a 12-day trial.

“I can only praise the victims for the strength and bravery they have shown throughout this whole investigation and hope the knowledge that a jury saw through Williams’ lies brings them some feeling of justice.”

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Phillip Wallbank began abusing the girl when she was just 8 years old and continued for several years, until she bravely confided in staff at her school and the matter was reported to police.

During a police interview Wallbank, of Quebec Avenue, Blackpool, provided a lengthy prepared statement denying all allegations and claiming the victim was ‘unreliable and vindictive’.

The 37-year-old was then questioned – but declined to comment – about sexual abuse material which had been downloaded from his phone after being seized by officers.

The material amounted to over a thousand images and 1 video of category c, 15 images and 1 video of category b, and 4 images of category A.

Wallbank was subsequently charged with a catalogue of sexual offences which he continued to deny until a plea hearing in August, where he eventually admitted all 12 charges against him:

• Engage in sexual activity in presence of child under 13
• x4 Assault a girl under 13 by touching
• x2 Rape a girl under 13
• x2 Assault a girl under 13 by penetration
• x3 Make indecent images of a child

In a victim impact statement, which was read out in court, the girl explained that Wallbank’s abuse had caused ruptures within her family, as some of them did not believe her when she told them of the abuse:

“I’m left feeling very angry and alone because they wouldn’t believe me and thought I was lying.”

The statement goes on to tell of the lasting damage that Wallbank has inflicted:

“Because of what he did, I have nightmares almost every night.

“I wake up shaking and frightened. Flashbacks can happen at any time. They make me feel sick and like it’s happening all over again.

“Sometimes I cut the skin on my arms to stop the bad thoughts in my head.

“I feel different from other kids, I feel worthless, like I am not good enough.

“He stole my childhood, and the hurt he caused me is still with me every single day”

A judge handed Wallbank a 25-and-half-year prison term during a sentencing hearing at Derby Crown Court on 27 October.

The term comprises 19-and-a-half years imprisonment plus a six-year extended licence period due to danger and risk he poses to the public.

The judge also placed Wallbank on the sex offenders register for life.

Detective Constable Trev Allt, officer in the case, said:

“The courage shown by the victim in this case is deeply admirable.

“Despite the devastating impact Wallbank’s abuse has had on her life, she was able to trust and confide in staff at school and later police – which has allowed us to investigate and see this case through to conviction.

“The sentence handed by the judge reflects the severity of Wallbank’s crimes and the danger he poses to the public.

“Nothing can take away what Wallbank did to the victim, but it is my hope that she can now begin to move forward and rebuild her life knowing that he is behind bars and has been held publicly accountable for his crimes.”

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UK police located and re-arrested violent sex offender Ashley McPhee, 27, from Cork, yesterday after a public appeal.

Blackpool police had sought information on the registered sex offender, originally from East Cork but now living in the UK, who failed to comply with notification requirements and was wanted for prison recall.

McPhee was re-arrested as a "direct result" of public tips. The force confirmed in a Facebook post: "as a direct result of information you have given us following that appeal he has been located and arrested. Many thanks to everyone who came forward with information - your help really is greatly appreciated and can make a real difference to the work we do to keep our communities safe."

Originally from Midleton with links to Blackpool and Blackburn, McPhee was jailed for 10 months in March 2024 after pleading guilty to engaging in sexual activity with a child. He sexually assaulted a 14-year-old girl in Lancaster in 2023 by biting her chest three times; he possessed a knife at arrest and wrote a letter to the victim while on remand.

He must sign the Sex Offenders Register for 10 years and will be monitored post-release. McPhee has prior convictions in Ireland, including a violent assault on a young woman in Midleton over five years ago.

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Mark Watson (22/03/1979), of Lowrey Terrace, Blackpool, admitted raping a woman in Bolton in April 2024.

He was arrested by Lancashire Police in Blackpool in April last year and admitted the charge at Manchester Crown Court on 17 February this year.

Today, Watson was sentenced to eight years in prison for rape at Bolton Crown Court.

Watson was additionally sentenced to two years in prison for a separate drugs conspiracy matter following an investigation by Lancashire Police.

The combined sentencing means that Watson has been sentenced to 10 years in total.

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A sex offender who breached a sexual harm prevention order has been jailed.

Aaron Cane, of Furness Avenue, Blackpool, admitted four counts of breaching the order and two counts of failing to comply with notification requirements.

Lancashire Police said officers discovered Cane had breached the conditions of his order after a routine check. He was arrested and later charged with the offences.

The 39-year-old was jailed for four years at Preston Crown Court.

Cane's order stated he had to notify police of any address he stayed at or visited where a person under 18 would be living.

He also had to notify police of any other name or alias he may use, to retain the history of his internet use and to inform police of the passwords to his devices.

He is also not allowed to have supervised or unsupervised contact with children under 16, and to not create social media accounts without approval by police.

Det Sgt Kat Knock said:

"Cane had clear conditions of his order, which he was ordered to follow.

"He instead knowingly chose to breach them despite the consequences he knew he would face.

"These restrictions are there for a reason – to protect the public. They are not taken lightly, and anyone found to be breaching them will be brought before the courts."

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A man who tried to conceal his sexual offences by blaming it on his non-existent twin has been jailed.

Suspicions were first raised about Andrew Sullivan, 32, when the parents of a child he had been in contact with raised concerns about his previous offences and the possibility he was subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).

He told them it had in fact been his twin brother who was responsible - and who had since taken his own life.

But, after carrying out their own research, the parents found that Sullivan's twin did not exist and reported him to Lancashire Police.

Officers then uncovered that Sullivan had sexually assaulted a young boy whilst in contact with them.

After forensically examining Sullivan's phone, police found 1,346 illicit images of children, with 701 of the images branded ‘Category A’, the worst possible grading. All of the 1,346 files were videos.

He was charged with three counts of sexual touching of a male child, causing a male child to engage in sexual activity, possession of indecent images of children, and breach of a SHPO.

Sullivan, now of no fixed abode, but formerly of Dickson Road in Blackpool, was sentenced two 12 years in prison in connection with offences in Lancashire and the Kent area at Canterbury Crown Court on Friday 23 May.

He will be required to sign the sex offenders register for life and will also be subjected to a lifelong SHPO, which includes prohibiting him from having unsupervised contact with children and limiting his access to the internet.

Sullivan was also sentenced for rape of a child under 13 and sexual assault of a child in Kent in 2007.

DC Sam Schofield of Blackpool Police said: "Sullivan is a despicable individual who committed abhorrent crimes against children.

“He believed he was being cunning, hiding his previous convictions and lying to facilitate his access to children.

"Thanks to the inquisitive nature of the parents, his lies were uncovered and began to unravel. He will now serve a custodial sentence for his actions both in Kent and Lancashire.

"I want to praise the bravery of the victim. He and his family have shown incredible strength and bravery throughout proceedings. I hope that they can now begin to move on with their lives knowing that Sullivan is behind bars.

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A 'sexual deviant' who arranged to meet a 'teenage boy' for sex was caught out by paedophile hunters.

Ian Leyland, from Blackpool, didn't realise the 'boy' was talking to on social media was actually an adult posing as a child for an online activist group, who then reported the registered sex offender to police.

Lancashire Constabulary said the 36-year-old 'engaged in highly explicit sexual conversations' despite being told the age of the person he thought he was speaking to.

Detectives said Leyland 'clearly poses a risk to males, especially teenage boys'.

The defendant, of Coronation Street, Blackpool, pleaded guilty to two counts of attempting to cause/incite a boy age 13 to 15 to engage in sexual activity – no penetration.

He also admitted an attempted breach of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for attempting to communicate with a boy under 15 and six breaches of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

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Sex offender had ‘paedophile manual’ describing how to abuse children

A Blackpool man was caught with a ‘paedophile manual’ that described how to abuse children, a court has heard.

Matthew Matthiason, 39, was arrested in Blackpool in April.

He is a registered sex offender, previously convicted of making indecent photographs or pseudo photographs of children on multiple occasions.

Enquiries established that Matthiason had been using multiple names he had not registered with police – in breach of his sex offender notification requirements.

When arrested for this, his home address was searched where a paedophile manual made by Matthiason was located which described how to sexually abuse children. 

Matthiason, formerly of Waterloo Road, Blackpool, appeared at Preston Crown Court on Monday  (May 12) after pleading guilty to failing to comply with the notification requirements and possession of the paedophile manual.

He was jailed for 10 months.

A police spokesperson said: “Lancashire Police monitor sex offenders in the community and won't hesitate to take action against them if they breach the restrictions placed upon them by the courts.

“We will fully investigate any concerns or safeguarding issues which are raised.”

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A registered sex offender has been jailed after pleading guilty to online sex offences.

Martin Rudd, 45, from Elizabeth Street, Blackpool appeared in Preston Crown Court today (Thursday 24 April) where he was sentenced to 20 months custody after pleading guilty to attempted sexual communication with a child, attempted breach of Sexual Harm Prevention Order and breach of Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

The court heard that between 10 January and 22 January 2025, Rudd engaged in a sexual communication with a male under 16 years old. During those conversations Rudd described the sexual acts he was intending to do with the child. 

In March 2025, Rudd was arrested at his home address by detectives from the North West Regional Organised Crime Unit (NWROCU). He was found to be in breach of his Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

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Colin Milton, from Blackpool, repeatedly raped and physically assaulted a 16-year-old girl who he was in a relationship with.

The 58-year-old was aged 36 at the time of the offences which took place between 2003 and 2005 in the Middlesbrough area.

A court heard how Milton used to lock the girl in the house to prevent her from leaving.

In April 2021, the victim reported the offences to Cleveland Police and an investigation began with specialist detectives from the Historic Investigations Unit.

At the time of the offences, the court heard the girl was too afraid to disclose what Milton was doing as he made threats to harm her family.

During the investigation, detectives uncovered Milton had also sexually abused a 12-year-old girl while at a property in the Middlesbrough area.

When Milton attended an interview to be questioned on the offences, he gave a prepared statement denying the allegations and answered no comment.

Milton, who pleaded guilty to the offences at an earlier hearing, appeared at Teesside Crown Court on Monday 24 February to be sentenced for rape, false imprisonment and three counts of indecency with a child.

A judge told him he would serve 26 years. He was sentenced to serve 21 years in prison and a five year extended licence on release.

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Terence Raymond Lewis, (10/05/1988) of Bolton Street, Blackpool has been jailed for 9 years and 9 months with an extended 3 year licence period, following a comprehensive investigation by our Child Protection Investigation Unit in Stockport.

On Monday 12 June 2024, Lewis pleaded guilty to 19 counts of child sexual offences including one count of meeting a child following online grooming, one count of abducting a child, two counts of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, four counts of causing a child to watch a sexual act, five counts of sexual activity with a child, and six counts of causing a child to engage in sexual activity.

On Sunday 7 January 2024, a hotel receptionist alerted police in Stockport that an older man had checked in with a young girl, and it seemed suspicious. 

Thanks to the diligence of the receptionist, police were immediately at the scene and were able to arrest Lewis, and ensure the young girl was appropriately safeguarded and supported by specialist partner agencies. Following his arrest, he was charged with three offences and remanded to prison.

Lewis heinously groomed the 14-year-old girl over an online children’s chat forum, starting when she was just 11 years old, where he concealed his true identity, posing as a 14-year-old, using another child’s photographs under a false name.

An investigation was launched by our specialist safeguarding officers and the true extent of his offending was uncovered. After reviewing tens of thousands of text messages, police recovered thousands of images from his mobile devices and he was further charged with 16 additional offences.

In this case, the victim felt unable to fully disclose the abuse Lewis subjected her to, but our relentless officers pursued him regardless, and despite this being a victimless prosecution, we were able to bring Lewis to justice for his deplorable crimes.

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A man who sexually assaulted a teenager has been jailed.

Jamie Gorton, formerly of Burnley, assaulted the girl twice on one day in February.

The 34-year-old, appearing via video link at Burnley Crown Court on Thursday (December 12) kept his head in his hands and his sweatshirt over his face for the duration of the hearing.

When Judge Sara Dodd returned from a brief retirement to consider her sentencing remarks, she asked Gorton if he was more comfortable with his hands over his face, to which he replied "yes".

Before Judge Dodd had finished giving her remarks, though after she had told Gorton of his sentence, the defendant got up and left the conference room at the prison, leaving the judge to finish the final sentences of her remarks without the defendant present.

Lancashire Police put out an appeal to find Gorton earlier this year saying he spoke "with a Burnley accent" and that he had links to Darwen, Blackpool, and Fleetwood.

The offences took place in Blackpool. 

A victim impact statement read to the court by prosecuting barrister Aubrey Samson said the victim had self-harmed since the incident and has suffered from anxiety and flashbacks.

She said: "I can't believe this has happened to me."

John Woodward, defending said his client was now receiving the "best medication" for his mental health.

He said: "He feels he's getting better and feels confident that given time he'll be able to understand his difficulties and be able to act accordingly in the future."

Gorton, now of Osborne Road, Blackpool, and previously of an address in Burnley, has 21 previous convictions for 33 offences, including engaging in sexual activity with a child and failing to comply with notification requirements and a sexual harm prevention order.

He was found guilty of assault by penetration and sexual activity with a child following a trial.

Judge Dodd, sentencing, said the victim in this case was "particularly vulnerable".

She said: "There has been significant psychological harm. I do not find the harm caused to have been severe, though this is not to underplay in any way the damage you have done to this young girl.

"You are rightly described as being unable to comply with court orders. I have no confidence you would comply with licence conditions upon your release."

Judge Dodd considered Gorton to be a dangerous offender and sentenced him to an eight-year prison term with a further five years on extended licence, making a total sentence of 13 years.