Latest Offenders Chester

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A delivery driver from Manchester has been found guilty of sexually assaulting a woman in Northwich.

Rana Jahangir was found guilty of one count of sexual assault following a trial at Chester Crown Court which concluded on Friday 27 February 2026.

The 25-year-old of Collington Close, Manchester has been jailed for two years and four months. He has also been ordered to sign the sex offenders register for ten years and handed a restraining order which prevents him from contacting the victim.

The court heard how on Tuesday 2 September 2025, Jahangir delivered food to an address on Shipbrook Road in Rudheath.

After handing over the food, he went on to grab the woman from behind and started hugging and kissing her.

The assault continued for over a minute, despite repeated requests for him to stop.

The victim initially chose not to report the matter to police but instead made a complaint to the delivery company.

However, after speaking to friends, she later contacted police on Wednesday 3 September and Jahangir was arrested.

Following his arrests, Jahangir denied sexually assaulting the victim and claimed that it was consensual.

However, unbeknown to him, part of the incident had been recorded on a mobile phone, and he was subsequently charged with one count of sexual assault.

Following the guilty verdict, Detective Constable Sarah Ollier, said:

“During questioning Jahangir denied sexually assaulting the victim, instead claiming that it was consensual.

“Even when we presented him with the mobile phone footage, he continued to deny the allegations, claiming that the victim had set him up.

“Thankfully, the jury saw through his lies, and he has been held accountable for his actions.

“I welcome the sentenced handed to Jahangir and I hope that it provides some reassurance to the victim.

“We will continue to do all we can to tackle any incident of violence against women and take all reports of such crimes extremely seriously and will investigate thoroughly to ensure those responsible are brought to justice.”

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A dangerous offender who sexually assaulted a 13-year-old girl has been handed an extended 21year sentence after our officers irrefutably linked him to the crime through DNA evidence.

Their work led a Crown Court judge to issue a formal commendation to the investigative team for bringing him to justice.

Judge Martyn Levett described how the case required:

“focused attention and hard work from people who work late at night and probably very early in the morning.”

He continued:

“Investigating a case such as this provides many challenges due to the constellation of different pieces of evidence.

“I appreciate that much of the work involves putting together a coherent case which is then presented to the jury. Sometimes that is not easy.

“I probably only see part of what goes on behind the scenes in the preparation of such cases.

“This is only possible with teamwork and backup. It’s often forgotten that these cases cannot function on their own, and the welfare of everyone has to be well looked after before, during and after the course of a trial.

“I would like to take the opportunity to thank all those concerned in this case, and if I may, single out DC Tamsin Lyons, DC Debbie Hewett, DC Owen Clements and DS Gavin Wiseman.
They should be commended for their hard work. A commendation is truly deserved.”

Judge Levett praised the detectives for presenting a coherent case in which “all the arrows pointed to one man”.

That man was 28yearold Dominic Boultwood.

Already a convicted sex offender, Boultwood lured his victim to a wooded area of Bourne Valley Nature Reserve, near Mersea Road, Colchester, on Thursday 9 May 2024.

After engaging her in a sexualised conversation and confirming her young age, he pulled her to the ground and sexually assaulted her.

On several occasions he warned the girl not to report him to police or tell anyone what had happened.

Distressed and crying, she asked to leave. Boultwood told her to remain at the scene for five minutes while he walked away.

She later felt able to leave and returned home, quickly confiding in a friend. We were alerted soon afterwards and launched an immediate investigation, putting specialist support in place for the girl and carrying out urgent enquiries.

Numerous pieces of evidence pointed to Boultwood, but crucially he was linked through DNA discovered on the victim’s clothing.

Arrested

We arrested him on Wednesday 15 May and searched his home, where a quantity of cannabis was seized.

In interview, Boultwood claimed he had been fishing in the nature reserve on the day of the offence. He denied seeing or speaking to any child, acknowledging that doing so would breach court orders.

Boultwood had previously been convicted in 2015 of a separate sexual assault and received a sevenyear sentence, comprising four years in custody and three years on licence. He was subject to notification requirements and a Sexual Harm Prevention Order, which allowed monitoring software to be installed on his mobile phone.

During his first interview, Boultwood said that if he had committed the offence as alleged, he would admit it. After being presented with forensic evidence, he provided a prepared statement in a second interview, claiming his DNA could have been on the girl’s clothing because he regularly slept and urinated in the area.

He was charged with sexual assault and assault by penetration and was remanded in custody.

Jailed

Boultwood stood trial at Ipswich Crown Court in March last year, also facing a charge of making indecent images of children following a previous examination of his mobile phone. Officers had found a number of sexualised images of children aged between three and 13.

Due to the overwhelming evidence gathered against him, a jury convicted him of all three offences.

Appearing at Woolwich Crown Court on Wednesday 25 February, he was deemed a dangerous offender requiring an extended sentence to protect the public. This comprised 13 years’ imprisonment and an additional eight years on extended licence.

He will remain subject to indefinite notification requirements and a renewed Sexual Harm Prevention Order, which will help deter and detect any future offending. A lifelong restraining order was also imposed to protect the victim.

Judge Levett said Boultwood had:

“manipulated a very young girl to fulfil his sexual desire” and added that places such as nature reserves should be spaces where children feel safe to walk without any sense of danger.

'The sooner you speak out the better'

The mother of the victim, who must remain anonymous, said:

“Officers were amazing. I know these things are scary but the sooner you speak out the quicker police can get the person and hopefully, in time, give closure.

“It may take a while, but patience is important. These things may not affect you instantly, but they will long term.

“Everyone needs to speak out and everyone needs to feel safe so maybe we do need to see more of a presence in quiet, enclosed areas.”

A dangerous sexual predator

Detective Inspector James Holmes, of our Serious Crime Directorate, said:

“Boultwood is a dangerous sexual predator who poses a very real risk to young girls.

“Despite his previous imprisonment for sexual offending and the strict conditions imposed upon him as a registered sex offender, he chose to completely disregard those matters – showing utter contempt for his victim and the law.

“We firmly believe he was fully aware of his despicable actions in preying on a lone 13yearold schoolgirl and knew we were looking for him in the days after the offence.

“He has never shown the slightest remorse.

“Thanks to the evidence we gathered, a jury saw through his lies and convicted him over his horrific actions. He is now back where he belongs – in prison.

“I want to pay tribute to the victim, who has shown patience and bravery throughout this investigation. I hope that, with the support of her family and those around her, she is able to move forward.

“If you are a victim of a sexual offence in Essex, you will be listened to and your voice will be heard.

“We have teams of specialist officers dedicated to investigating sexual offences against children. Even if you do not feel ready to speak to police, you can contact an Independent Sexual Violence Advisor, who will listen and help you access the support you need.”

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Ryan Greenhow (20/02/1989) of Oldham has been jailed for seven years and four months at Manchester Crown Square Court today (Tuesday 24 February 2026).

Greenhow pleaded guilty to 22 counts of non-contact child sex offences including child sexual exploitation, sharing images or film to cause alarm, causing or inciting a child aged under 16 to engage in sexual activity and malicious communications at an earlier hearing.

The offences occurred between November 2024 and March 2025 and involved Greenhow contacting six victims via social media platforms including WhatsApp, TikTok and Snapchat.

Greenhow then blackmailed the victims into sending him indecent image. He would send the victims, aged between 12-15, an indecent image, making claims that the image depicted them when it was a picture of a naked woman obtained from the internet, and threatened to send the image to their friends and family if the victims did not do as Greenhow said.

This led to him making demands for indecent images from victims located in areas across Greater Manchester, Lancashire and Buckinghamshire.

Greenhow would then send numerous text messages threatening his victims, including saying “This is your last chance, everyone will know this is you” and “I have seen your nudes, add me”.  On some occasions the victim would respond and say that she did not know what they were talking about, but kept receiving messages telling them that it was their “last chance”.

Some of the victims did send Greenhow images and reported his activity to their parents, carers and school teachers.

We are committed to tackling child sexual offending across Greater Manchester. Between April 2023 and May 2025, Snapchat was identified as being the biggest social media platform involved in cases, with it being involved 61% of the time.

Strangers not known to the victim account for almost half (49%) of online offenders, with 22% of all our child sexual abuse offences within GM in 2023/2024 being online, which is slightly above the national picture of 20% being online.

Greenhow will also be made the subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Detective Constable Adair, of our City of Manchester Division, said:

“Firstly, I would like to thank the victims in this case for coming forward, reporting their ordeal to the police and allowing us to investigate, resulting in today’s sentencing.

“Greenhow used several different social media platforms pretending to be a 15-year-old boy and followed the same method with each of his victims – sending them random images obtained from the internet, falsely attributing them to the victim, then threatening to share the image with the victim’s friends and family in exchange for an indecent image of the victim.

“Once our investigation was underway, detailed phone analysis led to us identifying further victims. Officers worked to safeguard these victims from any further harm.

“This sentencing is part of our wider work to tackle child sexual exploitation and we’re committed to protecting victims and bringing offenders to justice.”

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A man has pleaded guilty to a number of serious sexual offences against a woman from Swindon.

Dean Hamilton, 47, appeared at Winchester Crown Court today (13/02) where he admitted one count of rape, one count of assault by penetration and two counts of sexual assault.

He has been granted conditional bail ahead of sentencing at a later date.

Hamilton’s offences relate to the wider criminal proceedings involving Joanne Young, who has waived her right to anonymity.

Four other defendants previously pleaded not guilty to various sexual offences against Joanne, including rape and sexual assault.

A trial for the four men is due to take place at Winchester Crown Court in October.

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A man has been jailed for six years and will be monitored by police for life after admitting to sexual activity with a child he groomed on social media.

Lewis Plane had initially denied the offences but changed his plea at the start of his trial at Ipswich Crown Court in December last year.

Following detailed work by Essex Police’s Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) team Plane, of Prince Philip Road, Colchester, was arrested and interviewed. He refused to answer any questions.

Used fake profile

The 33-year-old had messaged the victim on Snapchat in October 2023. Using a fake profile, he asked her to add him as a friend and told her he was 17 years old.

Knowing how old she was, Plane then sent the girl multiple inappropriate and sexualised messages, including videos of him performing indecent acts.

He then told the victim his profile kept being shut down, they exchanged numbers and started communicating via WhatsApp.

And within a few weeks of the initial online contact, they had arranged to meet in Clacton. They would later meet in Colchester.

These meetings happened regularly, with the victim believing she was in a relationship with the defendant.

This continued until the victim stop seeing the defendant in the Spring of 2025.

Subject to Sexual Harm Prevention Order

Through a separate investigation officers became aware of the victim and spoke to her. Following sensitive enquiries, she was able to confirm what had happened to her.

With the weight of evidence against him, Plane admitted three counts of sexual activity with a child, meeting a child following sexual grooming, sexual communication with a child and controlling or coercive behaviour in an intimate or family relationship.

At Ipswich Crown Court on Friday 6 February Plane was jailed for six years, will be subject to a lifetime Sexual Harm Prevention Order and was given an indefinite restraining order.

"supported me throughout"

Following the sentence, the victim said:

I would like to thank PC Eleanor Rutherford and Detective Constable Emmie Yeo who worked on my case and my independent sexual violence advisor Kate Allen who have all supported me through everything, I don’t know how I would’ve handled this case without them they are angels.

"child protection is utmost priority"

PC Eleanor Rutherford said:

I want to pay tribute to the victim for her resilience and strength throughout this investigation.

By sharing what happened to her, she has ensured that not only is this dangerous predator behind bars, but other children are protected.

Child protection is our utmost priority, and we will work relentlessly to keep them safe.

And when Plane is released, he will be monitored and have strict restrictions placed on him to protect children going forward.

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Following the courage of a young girl and a jury who saw through a Derbyshire man’s deception, Paul Dowsing has been sentenced to 16 years in prison for repeatedly raping a child.

Dowsing, 61, of Creswell Road, Clowne, Derbyshire was found guilty by jury at Sheffield Crown Court earlier this month (16 January) following a five-day trail where the court heard how Dowsing had continuously raped a child over a three-year period.

Dowsing’s victim has showed incredible bravery throughout the investigation and officers have commended her bravery in ensuring that Dowsing serves times in prison for his actions.

Investigating Officer Simone Stacey from the Rotherham Protecting Vulnerable People Team said:

“The courage this victim has shown is extraordinary. Coming forward to report such a traumatic crime takes immense strength, and throughout the entire investigation she has displayed resilience that commands deep respect.

“Her determination to speak the truth after such a prolonged period of abuse has been vital in securing justice.

“I personally want to commend her bravery and other victims of sexual abuse who may be suffering in silence — that we will always listen, we will always support you, and we will do everything in our power to hold offenders accountable. We are here for you when you’re ready to talk.”

Dowsing appeared at Sheffield Crown Court today (30 January) and was sentenced to 16 years in prison.

He was also given a restraining order and a 20-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

IO Stacey added:

“While I understand that today’s sentencing does not erase the abuse the victim has suffered, I hope it brings some closure to this chapter of her life and enables her to move on.”

Victims of rape are automatically granted lifelong anonymity under the Sexual Offences (Amendment) Act. Please remember that it is a criminal offence to identify them in any way.

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Usama Al-Sari (14/08/1997) of Moorton Avenue, Manchester has been sentenced today (16 January) at Manchester Crown Court after pleading guilty to rape, sexual assault, intent to commit a sexual offence, possession of a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence, making threat to kill, and possession of a class B controlled drug.

He will serve 14 years in prison and an additional eight years on license. He will also be subject to an indefinite restraining order and a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

On Tuesday 9 September 2025, we received a report that a woman had been raped at Heaton Mersey Park, Stockport. Our officers then worked quickly and effectively to find and detain the offender and ensure the victim was safe from further harm. He was arrested within the hour of the original report.

The victim disclosed to officers that Al-Sari had approached her and forced her to come with him whilst threatening her with what seemed to be a firearm. Upon arriving at the park, Al-Sari proceeded to rape the victim, who managed to later escape and run to a place of safety.

Thanks to the immense support of the public who helped the victim after the incident, and following further calls to report from the public and the offender, our officers were able to attend the location where they arrested Al-Sari and found the weapon, which was thankfully deemed a non-viable firearm.

Following the sentencing, the victim shared:  "I want to thank the police for their care, professionalism, and safeguarding-led approach. Being supported and treated with dignity made a huge difference, and I hope this case encourages all institutions to reflect on how they support victims of serious violence."

Detective Constable Heather Parke, the officer in the case, said:

"Following this sentencing I hope this outcome provides reassurance to the victim and our wider communities.

"I want to commend the victim for her courage during this investigation. Coming forward and reporting this incident enabled our officers to ensure the offender saw justice and the victim was able to receive the right support.

“This is a shocking and incredibly rare incident and will have an immeasurable impact on the victim. We understand this incident is deeply concerning, and I want to reassure our communities that incidents of this nature are treated with the highest priority.

"Our commitment is to protect victims, provide the right care and support and pursue justice and we encourage any victims to come forward and report."

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A Bury resident has been convicted of child sex offences.

Stephen Shaw, of Cornwall Drive in Bury, appeared at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court on Thursday, January 8, charged with engaging in sexual activity with a child and sexual communication with a child.

The 24-year-old was sentenced to a total of 22 months' imprisonment and placed on the sex offenders register for ten years.

A ten-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) has also been put in place on Shaw.

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Jordan Gouldmartin (28/11/1994) of Ludlow Drive, Leigh, was found guilty by a jury of sexual assault of a boy under the age of 13.

Following the verdict yesterday (Thursday 8 January 2026) Gouldmartin was sentenced to five years imprisonment at Manchester Crown Square Court.

On release, Gouldmartin will be subject to a five-year licence period. The court also imposed a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order and a lifetime restraining order to protect the victim.

Detective Constable Jennifer Bradley said:

“We welcome the sentence handed down at Crown Court. This outcome reflects the gravity of the offence and the importance of safeguarding vulnerable members of our community.

“I want to personally thank the young victim for their courage in coming forward and reporting this horrific incident to the police.

“Their strength has been instrumental in securing justice and ensuring protections are now in place to prevent further harm.”

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A man has been jailed at Manchester Crown Court for the sexual abuse of a vulnerable teenage girl between 2016 and 2018.

Hasnain Ahmed (22/08/2000), of Blakey Street, South Manchester, was jailed for two and a half years yesterday (Monday 5 January 2026) after being found guilty in November 2025 of:

• Four counts of sexual assault of a child under 13 by touching
• Sexual assault of a child under 13 by penetration
• Two counts of causing/ inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity

Ahmed has also been given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) and a restraining order against the victim, both for a period of ten years.

The court heard how Ahmed, who was 17 at the time of the offences, repeatedly coerced the victim into sexual acts without consent. The victim bravely disclosed the abuse in April 2021 and later provided a detailed video interview to police. Her account revealed a pattern of escalating abuse over a two-year period.

She said:

This abuse changed the course of my entire life. What should have been years of innocence, safety and growth were instead filled with fear, shame and confusion.

[To Ahmed]

I want you to understand that your actions did not end when the abuse stoppedthey continue to affect me every single day, shaping my future in ways I never chose. You took my childhood, my trust, and half of my youth, and I will carry the consequences of your crime for the rest of my life.

Detective Constable Sarah Dixon of GMPs Online Child Abuse Investigation Team, said:

I would like to commend the courage and bravery of the victim in coming forward. She was just 11 when the abuse started, and her detailed testimony has ensured that Ahmed is held accountable for his actions.

We hope todays sentencing alongside the SHPO offers a measure of justice to the victim and her family. Reports of this nature are treated with the utmost seriousness, and our dedicated investigation team worked tirelessly to ensure that those responsible were held to account.

Offences of this nature have no time limit. Regardless of when it occurred or the age of the victim at the time, we will listen, provide support, and pursue a thorough investigation. We remain committed to taking decisive action against perpetrators and to treating all victims with dignity, respect, and compassion.

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A registered sex offender has been jailed after being found in possession of indecent images of children.

Jason McCall, a convicted paedophile, is subject to an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention order which poses prohibitions on what the 49-year-old is allowed to do.

This includes the use or possession of any electronic device with internet access, without notifying police within three days, and making any such device immediately available upon request for examination by officers.

Detectives made an unannounced visit to McCall’s address on 12 November.

At first it appeared that he wasn’t at home, so an officer called his mobile.

McCall answered and claimed he was miles away from home. Officers then spoke to staff at the address, who advised them McCall was at home and accompanied them to his door – which he answered.

McCall was then asked to hand over all internet enabled devices, which he did but claimed he couldn’t find his phone. An officer then called the phone, which began ringing, and McCall eventually produced it from his trouser pocket.

When handing the device over he told officers ‘There is stuff on there’.

McCall was arrested but refused to be interviewed by officers. His devices were found to contain several indecent images of children.

He was charged and remanded to appear at Southern Derbyshire Magistrates Court on 13 November, where he admitted making two category A images, one category B image, and two category C images.

McCall, of Derby Road, Wingerworth, was then remanded into prison custody ahead of a sentencing hearing at Derby Crown Court on 12 December.

He was handed a three-year jail term by a judge.

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A man has been jailed today, Friday 19 December, for the rape of a woman in St Helens.

Greg Brookes, 37 years, of Farm Meadow Road in Wigan, appeared at Liverpool Crown Court and was jailed for four years four months and was issued with a five-year restraining order for victim.

He was found guilty of rape of a woman 16 years of age or over following a week-long trial earlier this month.

Detective Constable Lauren Baker, who led the investigation, said:

“Following a lengthy investigation and despite the evidence against him, Brookes put the victim through the trauma of a trial.

“I would like to praise the courage and dignity shown by the victim throughout the investigation and court proceedings. Today’s results shows that violence against women and girls will simply not be tolerated and we will work tirelessly to bring perpetrators to justice.

“We are committed to protecting victims of sexual offences, and anyone who reports an incident to us will be safeguarded and supported throughout the investigation by Specially Trained Officers and Sexual Violence Advocates who will provide all the relevant support.

“Anyone that has been a victim of a sexual offence, is concerned for the safety of someone they know or suspects someone to be engaging in this criminal activity, should come forward and speak to us.

“We have a team of dedicated staff who will expertly and compassionately deal with your reports and we will do everything we can to bring offenders to justice.

“We take all such reports extremely seriously, and work with partner organisations such as Victim care Support Service and RASA who are there to support victims if this crime.”

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I will not let what happened to me define who I am. It is a part of my story, but not the end of it. I choose to keep fighting, to love more, and to rebuild the parts of myself that were broken.

A man has been sentenced to eight years in prison in his absence for sexually assaulting a woman in Colchester thanks to the work of detectives who tracked him down just hours after the incident.

Arjun Rajan, of Affleck Road in Colchester, was seen on city centre CCTV from about 12.30am on 24 July 2022 having driven there alone and parked in High Street, then walking to Head Street.

After 30 minutes, the 33-year-old saw the victim as she walked to get a taxi home. He continued to watch and follow her as she walked to the High Street before offering her a lift.

Believing he was a taxi driver the woman got into the car and Rajan drove away towards her home address, but he sexually assaulted her in the car before they arrived.

The woman told him to stop the car, and she walked the remaining journey home where she then disclosed what had happened and the police were alerted.

Our officers quickly identified Rajan and arrested him the same day.

He was later charged with sexual assault and first appeared at Colchester Magistrates’ Court on 14 July 2023, but subsequently left the country. A warrant for his arrest has been issued.

On Tuesday 7 October 2025 a jury found him guilty of the sexual assault in his absence and on December 4 he was sentenced to eight years in prison, as well as being added to the sex offenders’ register for life and being given an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

'Fought through fear, shame and heartbreak'

In her victim personal statement shared in court, the woman in this case said:

After the assault, I shut myself away from the world. I was too afraid to leave my house, terrified that he might find me or approach me it.
I kept what happened a secret from most people in my life.

For over three years, this has weighed on me and my family.

But I can say this: I fought through fear, shame, and heartbreak not because I wanted to, but because I had to for my daughter, for my family, and for every survivor who feels voiceless.

I will not let what happened to me define who I am. It is a part of my story, but not the end of it. I choose to keep fighting, to love more, and to rebuild the parts of myself that were broken.

'Remarkable strength throughout'

Speaking after the sentencing, Detective Sergeant Jade Lawton said:

The woman in this case has continued to show remarkable strength as this case reached its conclusion.

She has supported our work consistently since this began more than three years ago, and I cannot thank her enough for that commitment.
Every interview, appointment and court hearing requires courage on her part and she has faced them all as well as delays to this trial, made longer after Rajan fled the country.

Despite the distress this caused she waited months longer to give evidence in court with dignity and help secure this conviction.

Rajan took advantage of a vulnerable woman alone after an evening in Colchester.

He had the opportunity at every stage of this offence to leave this woman alone or to go home and he never took this. He deceived her, assaulted her, and the judge was left with no choice but to impose a lengthy custodial sentence.

Our work with law enforcement partners internationally is ongoing and we remain committed to ensuring Rajan faces justice.

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Greater Manchester Police detectives have praised a woman's bravery after her rapist was jailed for seven years.

Andre Reid, 26, of Woodside Street, Tameside, was sentenced for rape at Manchester Crown Court on Friday, December 5, 2025. A restraining order was issued, prohibiting contact with the victim.

The anonymous woman, aiming to encourage others to report abuse, bravely read her impact statement in court.

She said: “I’ve chosen to stand here and read this to you myself. Because for the last seven years, my voice has been taken from me. For seven years, I have carried the weight of what you did in silence.

“You need to hear the impact of your choices in my own words, in my own voice. Because I am the person you hurt, and I need you to hear it from me to face the pain you caused, the fear you left behind, and the way my life changed because of you.

“You need to understand that no matter what you took from me that night, you cannot take my ability to stand here and speak my truth to you.”

She concluded: “I can finally say this – I survived you, Andre. I am free from your control, free from your lies, free from the shame that never belonged to me. I can finally start to live again, and that’s something you will never be able to take away from me ever again.”

The non-consensual rape occurred in June 2018 while she was asleep.

Detective Sergeant John Dineen of GMP’s Rochdale district said:

“This was a devastating assault on a victim which occurred when she was at her most vulnerable – asleep in a bed. She showed immense bravery to report Reid’s offending, and to continue through the trial process.

“To stand up in court and face him despite everything she has been through should be commended and I hope the sentence he has received will be of some comfort to her to give her some closure to this devastating ordeal.

“Detectives conducted a full and thorough investigation to establish the facts of the case with several witnesses spoken to, as well as the woman continuing to be supported throughout the case.

“We want this to be a message to everyone that if you are a victim please come forward and report offenders to us. We will support you with care and consideration to ensure it is thoroughly investigated and perpetrators can be brought to justice.”

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A man has been jailed for three years following a collaborative investigation by Essex Police and officers in the East Midlands.

Neil Wilkin had denied attempting to engage in sexual communications with a child and attempting to arrange or facilitate the commission of a child sex offence.

However following a three-day trial at Ipswich Crown Court in October, the jury found him guilty on both counts.

They heard that in 2022 the 55-year-old used an online chat room to discuss and plan committing child sexual offences with another user on the platform who he thought was the mother of a teenage girl.

What he didn’t know was that he was interacting with police officers from the East Midlands Special Operations Unit.

"pack of lies"

In November 2022 Essex Police officers arrested Wilkin at his home in Rose Allen Avenue, Colchester.

He was sitting with numerous electronic devices around him and these were all seized. During a forensic examination of his devices, which showed signs of evidence being deleted, conversation threads between Wilkin and the officer were recovered.

Wilkin didn’t answer questions during interview, but in a prepared statement he denied the allegations, claiming it was all “fantasy”.

On Friday 28 November Judge Kelly sentenced him to three years in prison and said Wilkin told a ‘pack of lies’ during his trial.

He was also placed on the sex offenders’ register indefinitely and is subject to 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).

Essex Police investigating officer Detective Sergeant Nicola Hadfield said:

Wilkin is a sexual predator who preyed on the vulnerability of someone who he believed was under-age.

His deviant behaviour was stopped by collaborative working by police here in Essex and in the Midlands.

We will be managing him as a sexual offender upon his release, and he will be closely monitored.

Safeguarding children and keeping them safe is our priority and we will relentlessly pursue offenders and bring them before the courts.