Latest Offenders Chester

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A former police officer who was sacked earlier this year for sexually assaulting a child on duty has now been jailed for nine years.

Dean Dempster (aged 35), from Manchester, has also been ordered to sign the sex offenders’ register for life after previously admitting to sexually assaulting a child while on duty working as a response officer in Oldham.

He was convicted and sacked by the Chief Constable at an accelerated misconduct hearing earlier this year. He has since admitted six counts of making indecent images, and two counts of misconduct in public office.

On 29 December 2023 Dempster was one of three officers responding to a domestic incident involving an adult and children. It was while taking an account from a six-year-old girl, away from colleagues, that he sexually abused her when he should have been there to protect her.

After we investigated a complaint received later that evening, Dempster was immediately confronted by his supervisor when he returned to duty the next morning. 

He was arrested that day by officers in Oldham and relentlessly pursued by our Professional Standards Directorate to explore any further evidence of offending, in an investigation directed by the Independent Office for Police Conduct.

A review of Dempster’s devices revealed further serious offending to include making of indecent images of children, to which he pleaded guilty to six counts of including two counts of the most serious category A.

Our investigation also found images on his mobile phone taken from his body-worn video camera at the incident in December 2023 of a second clothed child, and of another clothed child at a separate incident dating back to 2022. The victims of both families have been made aware and kept updated throughout our investigation.

Dempster pleaded guilty to two counts of Misconduct in a Public Office for abusing the permission granted to him as a police officer and for using footage, captured for a policing purpose, to possess for his own perverse gratification.

We have reviewed thousands of Dempster’s previous deployments while at the force and did not find any further evidence of criminal behaviour. However, anyone who is affected by this case is encouraged to contact police and they will be listened to.

We sacked Dempster at the earliest legal opportunity in May 2024 and he has been barred from policing. He has been ordered to serve five years on license following his prison sentence.

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A man has been jailed after he used social media to prey on young girls for sex.

Thomas Hall, from Salford, exploited his victims 'purely to satisfy his own twisted sexual desires' and even offered some of them money to find him someone younger, police said. He was also found with dozens of indecent images and videos of children on his phone.

Officers first started probing the 34-year-old in November 2020 after a 12-year-old girl received 'sexual communications' from a man in east Cheshire on WhatsApp. Police linked the messages to Hall and his former home in Cheshire was raided.

He was arrested and police seized a number of mobiles and devices. Cheshire Police said officers found more than 30 incident pictures of children, as well as 30 indecent images.

Seven 'extreme pornographic' images and videos and a bestiality video were also uncovered. Investigations revealed that Hall had been communicating with his victims using fake identities including a woman called ‘Alex’ and a teenage boy called ‘Jack’.

Police said he would 'tell them fake stories' and manipulate them into sending him indecent images. Following an investigation, Hall was arrested and charged.

At Manchester Crown Court yesterday (October 24), Hall, of Rolling Street, Salford, was jailed for 11 years - plus three years on extended licence. He admitted four counts of engaging in sexual communications with a child and four counts of causing a child to engage in sexual activity.

"He has shown no regard for his victims and no remorse"

He also pleaded guilty to four counts of making indecent images of a child and facilitating the commission of a child sex offence. Following his sentencing, Detective Constable Peter Taylor, who led the investigation, said: "Hall is a predator, he is manipulative, and used his age and experience to prey on young girls purely to satisfy his own twisted sexual desires.

"He has shown no regard for his victims and no remorse for his actions. His offending only came to an end when he was arrested by our officers.

"While none of the victims will ever be able to forget what happened to them, I hope that Hall’s conviction and the sentence handed to him will provide them with some closure." DC Taylor added: "Sexual abuse can happen anywhere at any time and the impact can be lifechanging.

"Therefore, its vital that parents and guardians engage with their children to warn them of the dangers of communicating with people via social media. It also important to check that they are using those applications safely and to keep an eye out for any warning signs of sexual exploitation.

"I hope that Hall’s convictions and sentencing encourages anyone who has been subjected to similar offending to report it to the police. They should feel confident that they will receive the help and support they need from our specialist officers and other support agencies we work alongside.

"All victims will be treated with the dignity and respect they deserve, and any allegations will be taken extremely seriously and thoroughly investigated, with the wishes and the needs of the victim as our main priority."

Hall was also ordered to sign the sex offenders' register for life. He was made subject to a sexual harm prevention order.

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A prolific sex offender who was found with indecent images of children on their device has been jailed.

Thomas Quinn, who now identifies as Chloee-May Danvers, appeared at Chester Crown Court today, Monday 21 October where they were sentenced to 40 months in prison.

The 25-year-old had previously pleaded guilty to two counts of making indecent images of children, distributing indecent images of children, attempting sexual communication with a child, breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO), attempting to breach a Sexual Harm Prevention Order, and failing to comply with the requirements of the sex offenders register.

The case against Danvers began on Monday 15 July, when officers from the Sex Offenders Management Unit attended Danvers’ home address on Housman Close, Chester, as part of the routine checks made to monitor registered sex offenders.

During the visit, officers found two category A indecent images of children in a deleted folder stored on Danvers’ mobile phone.

Danvers also admitted to resetting their laptop which goes against the conditions of the SHPO.

They were arrested and subsequently charged with making indecent images of children and breaching their SHPO.

Danvers was released on conditional bail ahead of their court appearance, however just three weeks later, Cheshire Police received information that Danvers was continuing to offend.

On Monday 5 August, officers reattended Danvers’ address, and arrested them on suspicion of sexual communication with a child.

Officers also seized Danvers’ mobile phone that had messages which show Danvers attempting to sexually communicate with a 9-year-old girl.

Two unregistered social media accounts - unknown to police - were also found on Danvers’ phone, evidencing further breaches of their SHPO.

Danvers would exchange indecent images of children with other users via these unregistered social media accounts, some of which recovered were of category A and category B.

When interviewed, Danvers answered “no comment” to all questions, but was later charged with the offences.

Upon appearing at Chester Crown Court on Tuesday 13 August, Danvers was left with no choice but to plead guilty.

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A predator who took advantage of a teenage boy's infatuation with him has been jailed.

Matthew Helliwell, 36, preyed upon the young boy and sexually abused him on three occasions, Sheffield Crown Court heard on Friday, October 4. His victim - now an adult - bravely faced him in court as he told him: "I have got closure from people listening to me."

Helliwell, of Chesterfield, was found guilty of three counts of sexual activity with a child following a trial. It was said that he undertook a "meaningful" attempt on his own life in the court's cells following the jury's verdicts.

The victim took to the witness stand to read out his statement and said: "I reported this nearly four years ago. It had been delayed for some time. I have had to deal with this ever since it happened but it was amplified when my family found out. My mental health has been really suffering for two years...

"It all started when I was 13 to 14 years old. I was diagnosed with depression last year and have been given medication to help...I don't think anyone should have to go through this...There are moments where I forget about it and am my happy self again, then I have moments where I cry myself to sleep because I have to face him again.

"This experience has made me realise how strong I am. It made me feel I can take control of my life and move on. I got closure from people listening to me.

"The happy child I once was had to endure explicit sexual abuse and felt trapped because I had to keep it secret and I didn't realise what was happening. It has taken everything in my willpower to come to court today but I will no longer feel embarrassed because I was a child and he was a grown man."

Mitigating, Laura Marshall said Helliwell had no previous convictions on his record. She added there was a doctor's report given to the court. She told Recorder of Sheffield Judge Jeremy Richardson KC: "There are no real concerns - you know hat happened in the cells when he was remanded but the doctor has no real concerns."

The barrister said the delay in proceedings was of no fault of Helliwell, who was first interviewed in 2020 but then not ordered to appear at the magistrates' court until September 2022. She said: "You will see he has been making very good progress while in custody, making the best use of his time there the best he can. He is anxious to know his fate but he is realistic."

The court heard Helliwell's partner killed themselves last year.

Jailing him for seven years Judge Richardson told him: "These were individual and single acts. He was an adolescent boy when these crimes occurred. At the time you were in your early 30s...It appears that he had an infatuation or certain feelings for you. As a consequence, you took advantage of that situation.

"His feelings were reciprocated and this involved the sexual abuse...I have read the psychiatric report against you and I find you made a very real suicide attempt at this court when you were convicted..."

The judge said there was an "element of grooming" and a "breach of trust" committed by Helliwell against his victim. He added: "Although your sexual misconduct was repeated, it was not repeated many times...This was not one of those cases where there is sexual abuse going on for months on end. There were three separate, individual occasions."

The judge made Helliwell the subject of a restraining order prohibiting him from contacting his victim for 10 years, and notification requirements indefinitely.

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Alan Cunningham (08/01/1961) pleaded guilty in June 2023 to four counts of sexual activity with a girl under 13 and possessing indecent photograph/pseudo-photograph of a child.

Cunningham was also made to sign the sex offenders register indefinitely today (Friday 4 October 2024) at Liverpool Crown Court.

Cunningham was already serving a three year prison sentence for other child sex offences. He will now spend another 15 years in prison and a further four years on extended licence. 

In May 2019, Cunningham began sexually assaulting a nine-year-old child and forced her to send him indecent photographs of herself.

His behaviour continued until March 2023 when the mother of a the child noticed inappropriate text messages from Cunningham to her daughter.

Text messages were sent by Cunningham to the victim with comments such as “Where are my kisses at the end of messages” and “you could have took me to the bath too”.

Following examination, a number of category C images were found on the device seized from Cunningham, with him requesting that the victim send nude pictures in return for money.

His conviction follows an investigation led by the Wigan Complex Safeguarding Team and Detective Sergeant Vicki Flemming.

Description

A Chester sex offender has been jailed after trying to meet an underage girl for the purposes of sexual activity.

Ivan Jones, 35, of Osprey Court, previously pleaded guilty to all charges.

Appearing at Chester Crown Court on Monday, September 16, Jones was jailed for a total of four years.

The court heard that Jones, who already had a Sexual Harm Prevention Order imposed in January 2022 for previous offences, tried to get a 14-year-old girl to engage in sexual activity in March this year.

Jones also tried to breach his SHPO by arranging to have unsupervised contact with an underage girl in Chester.

The defendant also attempted to send messages to an underage girl requesting images and videos of that girl's breasts, and sent an image of his private parts while trying to request images of another girl's breasts.

Judge Michael Leeming sentenced Jones to a total of four years and extended his SHPO so it was now indefinite.

Jones is now on the sex offenders register indefinitely and, as part of the SHPO, is not allowed to have unsupervised contact with any child under 16, and has restrictions imposed on his internet usage.

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A sex abuser who's campaign went on for more than half a century has finally faced justice.

Atherton man Peter James Wilson, 67, began his series of crimes in 1972 and would go on to abuse seven victims over the next 51 years.

Bolton Crown Court heard how his crimes had ranged from incident assault, rape and others.

Judge Abigail Hudson said: “The reality of your offending is that damage you have caused will go on forever.”

Starting in 1972 Wilson began a horrifying pattern of abusive behaviour towards young people that went on for decades.

He subjected multiple victims to deeply traumatising experiences, ranging from inappropriate advances to devastating acts of coercion and rape.

Wilson’s crimes continued over the years as he manipulated and took advantage of his victims, shattering their innocence and trust.

But 2023 marked a turning point, as Wilson was arrested on suspicion of sexual assault involving a child following an incredibly brave disclosure from one of his victims.

This led to a police search of his home where police found two mobile phone devices, a disc enclosed within an envelope, and a small camera containing an SD card and a hidden camera.

Analysis of the camera and mobile phones unearthed videos showing the exploitation of a female child.

These videos fell under the category of first-generation, type A indecent images of children, capturing deeply distressing and sadistic acts.

Upon gathering this information, people were interviewed, and evidence was taken.

This led to the discovery of further victims of Wilson's horrific abuse and Operation Bunker was initiated to manage all 28 counts of Wilsons abuse and his crimes.

Brought before the courts Wilson, of Bowling Green Row, Atherton, pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a child under the age of 13 by touching.

He also admitted to sexually assaulting a child under the age of 13 by penetration, and creating an indecent image of a child.

But after a trial he was also found guilty by a jury of 23 further sexual offences relating to child and adults including indecent assault and rape.

Judge Hudson commended the courage of Wilson’s victims and jailed him for 27 years with an extended licence period of five years.

He will also be on the sex offenders' register for life and is subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Description

A man who 'clearly poses a danger to children' has been locked up after he tried to abduct a 14-year-old boy in Stockport.

Sheraz Bhatti was sitting in his orange and black Mini car on Jacksons Lane in the Hazel Grove area on March 20 last year when he spotted the boy walking home. He shouted him over to get his attention, a court heard.

Bhatti, 43, then asked him if he wanted to get in the car. He offered to take him home and told him he had drinks to give him. Thankfully the boy continued walking and told his parents what had happened when he got home. They contacted the police.

Officers later found that Bhatti had searched on the internet for a school on the street where he had parked up and spoken to the boy. They tracked down the distinctive Mini as belonging to him and found it parked outside his home in Wythenshawe the following day.

They seized two phones and found almost 300 indecent images of children on them, according to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). Some were category A, the worst kind, with others category B and C.

Bhatti was also found to have four bank accounts which he had not informed police about - which was in breach of the sex offender indefinite notification requirements he was made subject to following a conviction for sexual offences in 2008. He initially denied attempting to abduct the boy, but accepted he was on the scene.

In December last year, he then pleaded guilty to attempting to abduct a child. He also pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent photographs of a child, two counts of possessing indecent photographs of a child, one count of distributing an indecent photograph of a child. and failing to comply with notification requirements.

Today (August 16), at Minshull Street Crown Court, Bhatti, of Longhope Road, Wythenshawe, was jailed for four years and three months. Richard Holliday, Senior Crown Prosecutor for CPS North West, said: "This incident encapsulates every parent's worst nightmare. Sheraz Bhatti clearly poses a danger to children.

"I would like to thank the boy for his quick thinking in raising the alarm which has helped us bring him to justice and protect other children from any other potential abuse. The Crown Prosecution Service takes offending of this nature extremely seriously and will work tirelessly to bring offenders to justice."

Description

A vile paedophile instructed women to sexually abuse their own children in ‘disturbing’ online chats. Persistent offender Kevin Watson has been locked up again for another series of disgusting crimes.

Police discovered the ‘extremely graphic’ chats on devices which he’d tried to hide when they checked up on him. After they made the grim discovery, Watson, 61, from Stretford, was hauled back before the courts and is now serving another jail sentence.

The sex offender realises he has ‘come to the end of the road’ and is ‘determined to make long lasting change’, according to his lawyer.

Minshull Street Crown Court heard Watson had previously been handed a sexual harm prevention order when he was locked up and in 2020. He thought he was chatting to who he believed to be a 13-year-old boy and a 10-year-old girl, but in fact they were undercover police officers posing as children to snare paedophiles.

Last year, Watson was jailed for two years for breaching the order. Officers from GMP’s sex offender management unit attended his home and asked him to hand over electronic devices for inspection.

Watson handed over some of them, but after searching on his wireless router the officers realised there were a further two devices which he hadn’t disclosed. Two further devices were found hidden behind a gas meter and under some drawers in his bedroom.

By the time he was sentenced to two years, the devices had not been fully examined. But they eventually were and officers discovered further incriminating material.

“On these devices the police discovered text message threads between the defendant and four females,” prosecutor Joshua Bowker said. “All of the chat threads were extremely graphic and disturbing.

“They included the defendant instructing these women to commit sexual offences against their own children.” He added: “These four females are unknown, the police cannot identify who they are. They appear to be from other countries.”

Police checked up on Watson again in April this year, and he handed over a phone and laptop to officers. They discovered that he had been accessing ‘teen chat rooms’ on five separate dates, which he was banned from doing as part of the sexual harm prevention order.

Watson pleaded guilty to four counts of publishing obscene articles, and breaching a sexual harm prevention order. Defending, James Hudson said of the defendant: “He knows full well, if he continues on this path, sentences will just get longer and longer.”

Mr Hudson said Watson lives a ‘fairly lonely and solitary life’, and said his ‘daily consumption’ of alcohol affected his ‘judgement and control’. Watson is ‘determined to make long lasting change’ and ‘knows he can’t continue in this way’, Mr Hudson added.

Recorder Geoffrey Lowe sentenced Watson to a further two-and-a-half years in prison. “You are acquiring a very unenviable record for sexual offences,” the judge told him.

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Today, Friday 26 July, a man has been sentenced to 19 years in prison after being found guilty of historical child sexual abuse in Liverpool.

Raymond Andrews, 57 years, was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court after a jury found him guilty of two counts of rape and six counts of engaging in penetrative sexual activity with a girl aged 13 to 15.

His heinous offences was committed in Liverpool between 2014 and 2016.

Andrews, who is from Liverpool but has been living in Oldham, was also issued a restraining order, Sexual Harm Prevention Order and will be required to sign the Sex Offender Register for life.

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A teenage rapist who loitered outside a gym before kidnapping a lone woman at knifepoint has been jailed.

Arselaan Nawaz, 17, had cycled to the car park in Oldham at around 6.30am and waited until the woman arrived in her car. He was seen on CCTV ‘loitering’ around the area as she parked further away from the entrance to the gym.

Due to the time of day she was alone as she got out of the car. Nawaz approached her and told her to hand over the keys to her car whilst brandishing a knife, Minshull Street Crown Court heard.

He then ordered her into the backseat as she pleaded with him to let her go. He told her he would ‘kill her’ if she shouted or tried to run. He drove them to an industrial estate before getting into the back seat of the car where he ‘kissed’ her.

Summarising the case, the presiding judge said Nawaz left the woman with a bruise to her neck before ordering her to remove her clothes and putting on a condom.

Nawaz then raped the woman as she wept, telling her to “shut up and stop crying”. After the attack he demanded her mobile phone, and used her sock to clean the interior of the car.

He then ‘arrogantly’ kissed her before leaving with her phone. He was later arrested, and found to have put his SIM card into her phone.

The 17-year-old was convicted of rape and possession of a knife following a trial.

Description

A 'monster' who sexually abused three girls was told by one of his victims: "I lost my childhood because of you." Colin Ruscoe, 64, has been locked up for 10 years for a series of sickening crimes. A jury found him guilty following a Manchester Crown Court trial.

He was convicted of six counts of causing a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity; two counts of sexual assault of a child under 13; sexual activity with a child; and assaulting a child under 13 by penetration.

Ruscoe, from Longsight, was told of the impact his crimes has had on his victim as they bravely faced him in court. Two of the women read statements in person.

"I lost my childhood because of you," one of them said. "The impact of what you did caused so much distress and hurt. I wanted to end my life. My relationships have been affected and I no longer trust men. You were dishonest and a coward."

The second woman said: "You caused me so much pain, anger, hurt and made me hate myself and hurt myself to try and block it out. You are a monster. I was a child. My mental health suffered greatly and I found it difficult to talk about it. I tried to end my life six times in six months. Today, because of you, I have no trust in men."

The third victim told Ruscoe: "This was not something I wanted or consented to. How could I... I was just a child? I have never felt so isolated and alone. The last few years I feel like I have been on a rollercoaster blindfolded. It's a numbness I've never felt before.

"I have been getting flashbacks multiple times a day and they've started to turn into nightmares. I am now free and you can never hurt me again."

Mitigating for Ruscoe, who has no previous convictions, Simeon Evans said: "He continues to maintain his denials. He has a number of health issues. He does not have much of a life."

Sentencing, Judge Kate Cornell told Ruscoe: "It was hard to listen to their account and the impact on them of your actions has been profound. They felt confused and disgusted by what happened and feared they would not be believed.

"It was clear to the jury who unanimously found you guilty that the girls were telling the truth and I too agree. You continue to deny your guilt. It's clear you are capable of being a kind man, but that can't take away from the darkness. How you behave in public is far from how you behaved with those girls."

Ruscoe, of Cornford Avenue, was jailed for 10 years. He was made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order and was ordered to sign the sex offenders register for life.

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A depraved man who left people “traumatised” by handing out graphic images of children on trains has avoided prison.

Perverted Steve Blackthorne, 38, of Winchester, has been sentenced to two years in prison, suspended for two years, after pleading guilty to making and distributing indecent photographs/ pseudo-photographs of a child. Blackthorne will be put behind bars if he offends again in the two year timeframe.

He has been placed on the Sex Offenders Register for 10 years, and issued a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for 10 years. Investigating officer, Detective Constable Phil James, said: “Such was the level of Blackthorne’s depravity that the images he had collated left those who inadvertently happened upon them deeply traumatised.”

Winchester Crown Court heard a train guard was handed six pages of A4 sheets by a passenger left by a men who got off the train at Basingstoke on January 23, 2022. The pages contained horrific indecent graphic images of children - 16 Category A pictures (the most severe), five Category B and 16 Category C.

Court heard the train guard was left in tears, who reported it to British Transport Police officers at Southampton Central railway station. On January 31 of that year, a cleaner found another batch of images when he pulled down a folding table. They were left horrified and upset, reporting it to his manager.

Those pages contained 16 Category A, five Category B and 16 Category C indecent images of children. CCTV footage found Blackthorne left the printouts on the train. Officers arrested him on March 14 at Basingstoke railway station.

His mobile phone contained 60 Category A, 27 Category B and 81 Category C images, with further pictures being discovered on the laptop he was carrying. Another portable computer was found at his address, containing even more sickening images.

Blackthorne admitted during a police interview that he printed out the images out at work from a work device. DC James added: “No one in their right mind would ever willingly choose to see these sickening images. Blackthorne showed no shame in his perversion even transferring the images to a work computer so he could print them out at work to look at at his leisure.”

Description

James Paterson (07/04/1992) of Cheadle, Stockport was found guilty at Bolton Crown Court of two counts of sexual assault by penetration and three counts of sexual assault involving three different victims in March 2024, and was sentenced yesterday (Thursday 11 July 2024) to 10 years in prison.

He must service two-thirds of this before being considered for release.

In addition, he received an extra three years on licence and has been placed on the sex offender’s register for life, with lifetime restraining orders in place for the victims.

At the time the offences were committed both Paterson and the women were colleagues, working at a company based in Didsbury, South Manchester. The company would reward employees by organising social events after work hours. Back in June 2019, a night out came out of one of the events which meant meeting up in the City Centre. When going back to a flat to continue to celebrate before sleeping, one of the victims woke up to being penetrated without consent and then later being touched inappropriately despite turning down the advances on each occasion.

Telling a friend and colleague later that day it was reported to her workplace.

A few months later in September 2019, another event was organised in Didsbury where Paterson offered to drop another woman off home afterwards. After going in a short time later further advances were made which were abruptly rejected. Waking up later that morning to Paterson crouched down beside her bedside before seeing him on top of her, again sexually penetrating without consent.

Once safe, she later reported the concerns to her workplace. This was subsequently passed onto our officers some time later and in June 2020 following an investigation Paterson was arrested, denying the claims outright.

In July 2020, a social gathering was taking place in Wilmslow and when it came to an end they went to sleep in separate rooms. Waking up to being touched inappropriately under her clothes, she ran downstairs to tell a friend in horror. Upon being confronted he left. Once they knew he was under investigation a further report was made to our officers to help with enquiries and ensure safeguarding as well as further prompt action.

He was later found guilty of the offences in court and sentenced.

Description

A man has been jailed for multiple historical sexual offences committed against minors, including a number in the Swansea and Neath Port Talbot area.

Gavin Corcoran, 44, who most recently lived in Manchester, previously resided in Morriston, Swansea.

In 2020 a 14-year-old girl came forward to police to report that Corcoran had sexually assaulted her when she was 10 years old.

Two other women then came forward and disclosed sexual abuse by Corcoran on numerous occasions when they were children.

Gavin Corcoran was charged with the above offences in 2021 and remanded into custody after failing to attend his trial later that year. He has remained in custody ever since.

In 2022, a fourth victim came forward to Greater Manchester Police disclosing that Corcoran had sexually assaulted her. He was charged with two further offences relating to this victim. 

On May 21 2024, Gavin Corcoran was found guilty on all eight counts of child sex offences against the four separate victims.

He has today been sentenced to 21 years in prison extended for four years and will be on the sex offenders register for life.