Latest Offenders Essex

Description

A paedophile drug dealer has been banned for life from any unsupervised contact with children unless their parents know he is a sex offender and grant permission.

Terry Park, 31, from Basildon, was jailed for 12 years in December after a jury at Southend Crown Court convicted him of five child sexual offences: one count of rape and four of assault by penetration.

The cannabis dealer had plied a teenage girl with his stash and repeatedly assaulted her.

The court heard he received a caution in 2013, at age 18, for possessing indecent images of children of both genders, found on his Blackberry by his then-girlfriend, who reported him to Essex Police.

Judge Samantha Cohen said it was clear Park—who claimed at trial he was being framed—"harboured a sexual attraction to children for many years."

Police searching his phone for the recent offences found images of the victim in bed, which he said were planted, plus over 100 images of children and babies, which he insisted were innocent photos of friends' children.

Judge Cohen postponed a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) for further investigation.

Park appeared via video link at Basildon Crown Court on Monday for the resumed hearing, where prosecutor Dharmendra Toor said: “The phone review showed many images of female and male children.”

After reading a witness statement from the case officer—not read aloud—Judge Cohen said:

“That does, I have to say, make a good case for the proposed order restricting contact with any child under 18.”

She imposed a lifelong SHPO banning Park from supervised or unsupervised contact with any child under 18 unless their parent or guardian knows of his convictions and SHPO and consents, and a local sex offender monitoring officer also consents.

Other terms include a lifelong ban on owning any internet-capable device unless he makes it available for police inspection on request and allows monitoring software installation.

He is also banned from communicating with any other convicted sex offender unless approved by police.

“They all seem to me to be necessary to monitor Mr Park’s activities and are proportionate to the risk that he presents,” said Judge Cohen.

Description

He abused his position of trust to sexually assault children and take indecent images - and now he’s rightly facing justice.

The investigating officer spoke after a 45-year-old Maldon man was sentenced for his years of abuse.

Robert Slight held a position of trust in the town for more than a decade and used that role to gain access to vulnerable children.

And on Monday 2 March he was sentenced to 12 years in prison, with a further six on licence after finally admitting to his crimes.

Detectives from the Economic Crime Team initially launched a financial investigation in July 2023 after receiving information.

A warrant was executed at the defendant’s home address in Wantz Road and a concerning number of devices and items connected to children were found at the address.

Detective Constable Karen Venables explained:

We were faced with large quantities of data, across numerous phones, laptops, and USB sticks.

These were all seized and Slight was arrested.

Following interview he was released on conditional bail.

full extent of crimes uncovered

The full extent of his crimes was uncovered during a complex two-year investigation, led by our Economic Crime Team with support from our Child Abuse Investigation Team that required painstaking work by detectives and digital forensic experts.

Thousands of images were recovered and analysed, forming a crucial part of the evidence against him.

In July 2025 he faced a number of charges and when he first appeared at Chelmsford Crown Court he admitted two counts of taking indecent images of a child, but denied two counts of causing/inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, one count of sexual assault on a child under 13, one count of meeting a child following sexual grooming and two counts of fraud.

He was then remanded into custody.

finally admitted his crimes

As officers worked on preparing the case, which involved carrying out sensitive interviews with his young victims, Slight continued to deny a number of offences he faced, but as detectives built the case against him, he changed his pleas to guilty just ahead of his February trial.

He admitted three counts of sexual assault of a girl under 13 by touching, one count of causing/inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, two counts of taking indecent images of a child (Cat B and Cat C) and one count of making an indecent photograph of a child.

One charge of causing/inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, a charge of meeting a child following sexual grooming and two counts of fraud will lie on file.

Det Con Venables said:

This was a disturbing case involving a man who exploited his position to harm children.

The investigation demanded time, care and determination from our team, who worked tirelessly to uncover the full extent of his offending.

In these cases, we often must sift through vast amounts of distressing material to build a picture of someone’s behaviour.

It’s difficult, meticulous work — but it’s essential to securing justice for victims and protecting other children from harm.

At the same court he was also given restraining orders against his victims, placed on sex offenders register and will be subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

During sentencing Judge Sawyer told Slight that he engaged in “classic grooming behaviour” and ingratiated himself with family.

The real impact of what you have done may not be recognised by the victims for many years.

and

what you did to each of them will stay with them forever.

Det Con Venables added:

We are firmly committed to protecting children and bringing offenders to justice.
If you report abuse to us, we will listen, and we will investigate.
Your voice matters.

Description

The Police Online Investigation Team (POLIT) – specialists in tackling online child sex offences – have seen a paedophile jailed for five years.

Mark Baillie, of North Road in Westcliff, was first arrested and questioned by police in August 2025 after reports he had been engaged in sexual conversations online with what he believed were children, but were actually decoy accounts.

The 37-year-old's devices were seized and analysed as part of that investigation, where officers discovered more than 2,200 child abuse images, as well as evidence Baillie had engaged in sexual conversations via video with children online.

Once these were found Baillie was quickly arrested again and charged with:

• Five counts of causing a child to engage in sexual activity
• Four counts of making indecent images of children
• Three counts of distributing indecent images of children
• Two counts of causing a child to engage in sexual activity
• Two counts of attempting to communicate with a child
• One count of threatening to share intimate images

Due to the strength of the evidence and diligence by the Officer in Charge of the case, he pleaded guilty to all charges at Southend Crown Court and was sentenced to five years in prison on Friday 27 February at the same court.

"his crimes were heinous"

He was also given an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO), and added to the Sex Offenders Register for life.

POLIT’s Acting Detective Inspector Gavin Tuck said:

Our officers laid bare the extensive offending on Baillie’s devices, leaving him no choice but to plead guilty at court.

His crimes were heinous – a custodial sentence was the only punishment he could face.

He repeatedly sought out children on the internet to abuse, hiding his identity as he did so.

Child abuse such as this is insidious and preys on young people where they are often most vulnerable, in areas of the internet where those that seek to exploit them can disguise themselves.

Thanks to the SHPO we secured at court, he has to declare any devices in his possession and we can check them unannounced for the rest of his life, ensuring we can protect children from him.

Description

A man has been jailed after a meticulous investigation proved he had raped a woman in Basildon.

Daniel Ryan approached an unconscious woman in the Bonnygate area shortly before 4pm on Sunday 31 August 2025.

A member of the public then raised concerns around a man acting extremely suspiciously around the woman and police officers quickly arrived.

Ryan was arrested at 4.05pm and taken into custody.

The victim was taken to safety and has been supported by our specialist officers.

As a result of a fast-paced and detailed investigation, Ryan, 39, of Goldhanger Cross, Basildon, was charged with rape and appeared at Southend Magistrates’ Court on 2 September.

He admitted the charge on 24 October at Basildon Crown Court and was sentenced at the same court yesterday, Thursday 5 February, to six years and nine months in jail.

Behaviour among the worst I've seen

Detective Constable Chloe Dolce, of our crime and public protection team, said:

“Daniel Ryan is an opportunistic rapist. He took advantage of a vulnerable woman.

“Ryan’s behaviour is amongst the worst I have seen as a police officer, and I cannot overestimate the impact this has had on our victim. She is bravely working through it with her loved ones and our support, but I know her experience is not something which will pass quickly.

“However, I truly hope that this sentence shows her that there is only one person who deserves to live with these actions for the rest of his life – and that is Daniel Ryan. He is the only person at fault.”

Description

A serial south Essex sex offender has been jailed after being caught on a boat off Canvey Island with a stash of indecent images of children.

Barry Mills, 60, possessed photos and videos showing children as young as two being sexually abused, including digital and hard copy images—one of which he had kept in a toilet where it could have been seen by the public, the judge said.

Essex and Sussex police raided his vessel on December 16.

At Basildon Crown Court on Monday (February 2), the sentencing hearing revealed Mills had 75 prior convictions, many sexual.

In 1985, aged 18, he was convicted of indecent assault on a child under 14.

In 1990, he was convicted of possessing indecent images of children and indecent assault of a child under 16.

In 1994, at Chelmsford Crown Court, he received eight years in prison for indecent exposure, possessing indecent images, gross indecency with a child, and multiple indecent assaults on a child under 14.

After a long gap, in 2017 he was prosecuted for indecent exposure and given a suspended sentence.

Recorder Emma Nash noted that digital analysis showed Mills collected images in December while awaiting that 2017 sentence and during his court-ordered rehabilitation.

The digital images, on a Samsung phone and tablet, were downloaded between 2015 and 2018, with some acquired recently via Telegram.

Metadata indicated he last accessed a Category A image—depicting penetrative or sadistic child abuse—in June 2025.

Prosecutor Richard Scott said Mills had over 500 Category C images, 98 Category B, and over 100 Category A, including videos, plus extreme pornography and a prohibited child image.

“There is a clear history of sexual offending in respect of this defendant,” said Mr. Scott, citing aggravating factors like “the age and vulnerability” of victims and their “discernible pain and distress.”

Defense barrister Kerrie Rowan described Mills' “early life was marred with trauma, with abuse and instability,” adding, “Many, if not all, of those issues remain unresolved,” and he was “still clearly struggling with the same history of trauma.”

She argued he was capable of rehabilitation, having stayed offense-free for about 20 years after 1994 before relapsing due to “personal upheaval,” for which he was “very angry with himself.” With help, she said, he might achieve “very hopefully, another 20-year period where he is not back before the courts,” via a “stringent” order, “very heavy intervention from probation,” and rehab to “really try, in a significant way, to deal with this emotional dysregulation.”

But Recorder Nash cited a probation report noting poor prior compliance with supervision and a “high risk of sexual offending in relation to children.” Mills had used pseudonyms on Facebook and Grindr, and admitted stashing a hard copy image “in a toilet where both children and other people went on a regular basis.”

“There is no realistic prospect of rehabilitation in this case,” she said, sentencing him to 20 months in prison.

Mills, appearing via prison video link in a green t-shirt, showed no emotion.

He also received a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order banning contact with under-18s unless pre-approved by police and a parent or guardian aware of his record.

Description

A dangerous sexual abuser who carried out a campaign of offending against two women has been sentenced to 20 years in prison after 19 charges were secured against him.

This follows an investigation carried out over several months last year by specialist detectives within our Adult Sexual Abuse Investigation Team into offences in the Chelmsford area.

The evidence gathered avoided a trial, instead leading to guilty pleas by offender Ashley Bewick, 38, who admitted:

• Five counts of rape
• Four counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm
• Three counts of sexual assault
• Three counts of intentional suffocation
• Two counts of attempted rape
• One count of nonfatal strangulation
• One count of intentional strangulation

'I was isolated and silenced'

The first of the two victims came forward last year, reporting that she had been raped and physically abused by Bewick on many occasions, dating back as far as 2008.

This included incidents of rape, strangulation and physical assaults that left her injured.

Following his arrest, a second woman came forward to report instances of sexual assault at the hands of Bewick.

In an impact statement read to a sentencing hearing at Ipswich Crown Court, this victim said:

“He made me feel a thousand times more worthless than I already did.

“Because of him, I was isolated and silenced even further… I wish that I’d had the courage back then to report it.

“I just couldn’t. I genuinely believed that nobody would believe me.”

Now working as a police officer, this victim described the moment she came forward.

She said:

“When I saw that he was in custody, a feeling of panic rushed over me. I decided to tell my sergeant about what he’d done to me years ago.

“As the words were coming out of my mouth, I was almost in disbelief that I was finally reporting him. From that moment, the investigative team ran away with it.

“They said that it was my coming forward that further demonstrated the risk he posed to women, meaning remanding him in custody while he awaited court was the only option.

“It wasn’t just for me at that moment, and I knew I’d done the right thing to protect others too.

“My mind was all over the place, and I regretted not saying anything before – but I just thought, ‘I am a different person now, I am going to be believed, I am going to be listened to.’

“Even if you feel like something is minor and you don’t think it’s worth reporting what someone has done to you, it could help to build a bigger picture and a pattern of behaviour.

“Operation Soteria provides investigators with really valuable tools to strengthen sexual offence cases. Investigators can identify when a victim is ‘telling, not reporting’, and their wishes will be respected.

“You will be listened to and details of what the perpetrator has done to you will be recorded.

“Even if you don’t want to pursue or support a criminal investigation right now, the information you provide may be vital in strengthening any future cases that offender features in.”

Guilty pleas

In Bewick’s case, the investigative team put support in place for each victim as evidence was gathered.

Bewick admitted the charges against him on the day his trial was due to start, 12 January this year.

He was sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment on Friday 23 January, with indefinite restraining orders imposed.

Detective Constable Zoe Waddup, the officer in the case, said:

“It’s really important that victims in Essex recognise there is no ticking clock when it comes to what you have gone through.

“Sexual and physical abuse is often rooted in manipulation, fear and coercion – you might not feel ready or able to make a report until months or even years later.

“I hope cases like this prove that, when you are ready, there are specialist detectives in Essex who are trained to handle these investigations.

“We listened, and we took these matters incredibly seriously.

“As a result of this investigation and what we uncovered, I do feel a 20year sentence is a fair reflection of the horrific offending perpetrated by Bewick.

“He is a violent, committed sexual offender who cared little for the suffering of his victims.

“Bewick was left with little option but to plead guilty to what he had done, and it is a small mercy that the victims will not have to face a difficult trial.”

Description

A man who sexually assaulted a young child and had more than 125,000 indecent images and videos of children has been jailed following an in-depth investigation by our Police Online Investigation Team (POLIT).

Officers started investigations and executed a warrant after they were alerted to concerning activity on Steven Field’s devices.

Forensic analysis of the devices seized from his Southend home revealed a number of indecent images and videos of children, internet searches and accounts connected to the defendant.

Investigating officers became particularly concerned around some of the images which clearly showed the 52-year-old with a child.

"sensitive investigation"

Working sensitively with the child and their family, the child revealed that they had been sexually assaulted by Field.

Following a meticulous investigation and overwhelming evidence Field, of Marks Court, admitted one count of taking an indecent photo of a child and three counts of making indecent/pseudo photo of a child (Cat A – 2491 photos and 228 videos. Cat B – 3087 photos and 158 videos. Cat C – 118,633 photos and 496 videos) when he appeared at Basildon Crown Court.

He denied the charge of assault of a child under 13 by penetration but was found guilty in October 2025 following a jury trial.

At the same court on Monday 19 January he was jailed for seven years, with a further year on licence. As part of his sentence he must comply with the restrictions of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and he was placed on the sex offenders register.

"every child in every image is a victim"

Detective Constable Rob Guiney, who led this investigation, paid tribute to the young survivor in this case.

They have shown such strength and determination throughout this very challenging investigation. They have bravely told their story and realised what happened to them was wrong and against the law.

Field’s depraved offending has now been stopped, and he is rightly serving a prison sentence.

Every child in every image is a victim, and we are dedicated to finding those who prey on the most vulnerable people in our society.

Please do report any concerns you have to us, we are here and will thoroughly investigate all allegations made.

Description

A violent offender who raped and stabbed a stranger in Benfleet has been given a 19-year extended sentence after a dynamic investigation put him behind bars.

Judge Samantha Cohen, sentencing 24-year-old Kyle Pauley at Basildon Crown Court on Thursday 8 January, said the evidence gathered against him by our Serious Crime Directorate was "utterly overwhelming".

Officers responded quickly following a call to us at around 11pm on Monday 22 September last year.

We were told a woman had been approached by a man, soon identified as Pauley, in the area of Villa Road Recreation Ground.

The victim reported the man followed her, threatened her with a knife and told her to do as he said.

She was taken to a nearby field, where the rape took place.

After this horrific ordeal, she made an attempt to push Pauley away, at which point she was stabbed once to her stomach area.

Thankfully the stab wound, while serious and lasting in its impact, did not prove life-threatening.

Pauley fled the scene and the woman made it home, where the first call to the ambulance service and our officers was made.

Catching a dangerous offender

Our investigation immediately began in earnest.

Officers acted on the description given by the victim, and following an extensive search of the area arrested Pauley within an hour of the call.

Although he had discarded the knife, this was recovered by crime scene investigators following further searches.

The victim’s glasses, knocked off during the assault, were also found in the area.

It was established Pauley had recently been released from prison after serving a sentence for drug dealing.

He was wearing a GPS monitoring tag as part of the terms of his licence, which further helped to place him at the scene of the assault.

Careful analysis of CCTV footage further showed Pauley following the victim prior to the attack.

DNA evidence also tied Pauley to the offences.

Strength of case

Pauley, of Brook Road, Benfleet, was charged with two counts of rape, wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and possession of a knife in a public place.

The strong evidence resulted in guilty pleas to each charge when he appeared at Basildon Crown Court on Friday 24 October and he faced sentenced at the same court on Thursday 8 January.

In a statement, the victim courageously shared the impact of the offending on her:

“I am lot more anxious and struggle at work with my concentration and feeling overwhelmed.

“If I am at home, I spend a lot of time in my bedroom not having to speak to my family, as I just feel upset all the time.

“It is all about that night – I can’t move forward and don’t feel normal. I don’t know if I will again.

“I will always be scared of him.”

The victim’s father said:

“I know what happened to her was horrific and it was awful and heartbreaking to see her that night and then in the hospital.

“But what is most upsetting now is seeing the continued impact and what she is doing to herself because of this.

“I want to see her move forward and not let this define her future, as she is such a lovely girl with so much to offer.

“The feeling of being unable to protect my daughter from such a vicious attack has left me emotionally and mentally exhausted which has led to physical exhaustion.

“Still, I carry on as my children need me.

“To the person sitting in the dock: I am thankful that you have spared my daughter the mental torture of a trial and I hope that whatever sentence is passed today, you think about your actions.

“I hope that you use this time to make amends with your future actions and come out of this a better human being than the one you are currently.”

Extended sentence

Pauley was deemed to be a dangerous offender and given an extended sentence, comprising 12 years imprisonment and seven years on licence upon his eventual release.

Judge Cohen praised the "highly expert and thorough CCTV analysis undertaken by the policing team".

Detective Inspector Lydia George, senior investigating officer, said:

“I would firstly like to recognise the strength, courage and bravery shown by the victim. She has remained steadfast in her account and support for the investigation, helping us build our case and take a dangerous and predatory criminal off our streets.

“She is a credit to herself and her family.

“To be faced with an incident of this level of sexual and physical violence, in circumstances where the victim is not known to the attacker – this is very rare within Essex.

“Our response required speed, sensitivity and careful preservation of forensic evidence linking Pauley to the crime. We ensured we built an irrebuttable case against the person responsible.

“Call handlers were able to get those vital first pieces of information from the victim.

“Our officers were then on the scene within minutes, ensuring Pauley was promptly arrested.

“Further searches uncovered the knife used in the attack, despite his deliberate attempt to discard it.

“Due to the strength of the evidence presented, Pauley was left with no choice but to admit to the horrific crimes he had committed.

“This was a sexually motivated assault on a lone woman, committed by a violent offender who has today, deservedly, been given a lengthy custodial sentence.

“We take all incidents involving violence against women and girls in Essex extremely seriously and it’s vital victims feel confident in coming forward to us.”

Description

A sexual predator who targeted more than 100 teenage boys online over several years has been jailed following a meticulous and detailed investigation by Essex Police detectives.

Lead investigator Detective Sergeant Nicola Hadfield said:

This was one of the most horrific and far-reaching cases I have worked on.

This offender tricked and manipulated his victims and then stored the videos and images he had captured. It is right that he is now serving a substantial prison term.

forensic analysis revealed scale of offending

The Police Online Investigation Team (POLIT) received information that an online account associated with Conor Brady had uploaded indecent videos of children to the internet.

The 32-year-old was arrested in November 2022 and answered no comment in interview. A warrant was executed at his Basildon address, where he lived in a self-contained unit at the bottom of the garden, and a number of digital devices were seized.

Forensic analysis of these devices revealed the level of Brady’s offending.

Using social media platforms, such as Instagram and Snapchat, he communicated with boys between the ages of 13 and 17 years.

Using fake personas, often pretending to be a teenage girl, he would encourage and incite them to expose themselves or commit sexual acts.

Then without their knowledge he would use screen recording software to capture his criminal activity.

He further distributed and purchased child sexual abuse material.

It was also clear from the investigation that Brady used a number of different user ids to lure and deceive his victims into thinking they were communicating with different people.

Following a three-year complex and painstaking investigation, which included identifying, speaking to and supporting a number of victims, Brady was charged.

Facing an overwhelming amount of evidence against him Brady pleaded guilty to 47 charges on Friday 24 October when he appeared a Basildon Crown Court.

He admitted:

• Two counts of causing or inciting a child under 13 to engage in penetrative sexual activity
• 14 counts of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity
• 23 counts of causing or inciting sexual exploitation of a child
• Three counts of sexual communication with a child
• Making indecent photographs of a child (138 Cat A)
• Making indecent photographs of a child (473 Cat B)
• Making indecent photographs of a child (1272 Cat C)
• Distributing indecent photographs of children (8 Cat B)
• Distributing indecent photographs of children (4 Cat C)

"incalculable harm"

During the sentencing hearing at the same court, HHJ Samantha Cohen said that the offences were “carefully planned” and that Brady used “tried and tested methods to cause young boys to act in a way they would not have considered if they had known they were talking to a man in his 20s rather than a teenage girl".

She added:

Brady. of Long Riding, was jailed for 10 years with a further six years on extended licence. He was also placed on the sex offenders register for life and given a lifetime Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Investigating officers Det Sgt Hadfield and Det Sgt Neale Parker were thanked by the Judge for their relentless commitment and professionalism throughout this investigation and were both awarded a commendation.

Det Sgt Hadfield added:

I want to acknowledge the impact this offending has had on the victims and survivors. Their resilience and fortitude throughout this investigation has been resolute.

I would say to anyone who has concerns they have been targeted in this way to come forward and tell us, we will listen and we will thoroughly investigate.

Description

A 22-year-old rapist who isolated his victim from friends and family to control her movements 24/7 has been jailed for five years.

Marc Cheeney inflicted constant emotional abuse over four months, regularly belittling and degrading her, culminating in him raping her at an address in Halstead and leaving her to take a taxi home, Chelmsford Crown Court heard.

The sentence means Cheeney will miss the birth of his new partner's child later this month.

Prosecutor Richard Potts read the victim's impact statement, which described how Cheeney ruined occasions like her school prom and left her in constant fear.

It read: “I spent every night crying and crying and questioning what I did wrong to make me deserve this.

“Every time I saw him I prepared myself for him to belittle me.

"Things such as my prom were ruined due to him – I just wanted to enjoy being a young girl.”

She added: “When I reported him to the police, I only became more afraid – I was scared he would come after me.

“I worry he will do this again and again to other people.

“I am proud of myself for reporting him but nothing will ever completely heal me from the mental pain I suffer.

“Knowing he has received punishment has given light to my life knowing I can be at peace.”

Cheeney, of Toppesfield Road, Great Yeldham, admitted controlling and coercive behaviour but denied rape, only to be convicted by a jury.

Mitigating, Daniel O’Malley said Cheeney's actions stemmed from poor anger management and jealousy, adding: “By his own admission, his conduct towards the complainant was simply disgusting.”

Judge Jamie Sawyer told Cheeney: “You attempted to stop her wearing a skirt to school.

“You used the Life 360 tracking application to monitor her movements.

“She left the house in a taxi and was observed by the taxi driver to be very upset.

“It is very sad to see how you thought a relationship should develop and how you behaved to a young woman.”

He added: “You are from a loving, supportive family, which begs that question – where did you get attitudes like this from?

“They don’t just spring up from nowhere.”

Cheeney also received a 10-year restraining order and must provide indefinite notifications about his whereabouts upon release. He will serve two-thirds of his sentence before licence.

Description

Essex Police worked closely with officers from a force in the Midlands to ensure a dangerous online offender was jailed.

Investigating officer Detective Constable Matthew Wright said:

Our online investigation team worked with our colleagues from West Mercia after we were made aware of reports of online offences involving a child.

The safety of children is of paramount importance and an investigation was launched to quickly ensure all the evidence could be gathered and the suspect arrested.

Posed as a photographer

On Friday October 17 at Chelmsford Crown Court, Marc Yeomans was jailed for more than 14 years and ordered serve a further five on licence.

Posing as a photographer Essex-based Yeomans contacted a child, who lives in the West Midlands, through Instagram and asked him to send inappropriate images (including nude images) to him as part of an “opportunity to work as a model for a magazine”.

His offending came to light when the victim’s father contacted police after discovering messages from Yeomans on his son’s phone.

Between August and November 2019 Yeomans used the social media site to initiate a conversation with the child and repeatedly asked for images.

Following a detailed investigation Yeomans was arrested, and devices were seized from his work, car and later his house.

When interviewed he denied the allegations and said he had committed no offences and had not secretly communicated with a child.

Multiple charges

However further offending was discovered and 50-year-old Yeomans was further arrested and charged with the following offences:

• Attempting to cause or incite a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity
• Attempting to possess an indecent photograph of a child
• Engaged in sexual communications with a child
• Two counts of attempting to cause or incite a child to engage in sexual activity
• One count of attempting to cause or incite a child under 16 to watch or look at an image of sexual activity
• Two counts of attempted sexual communication with a child
• Six counts of making indecent photographs of a child (1 Category A, 4 Category B and 9 Category C)

Yeomans, formerly of Orchard Place, Clacton-on Sea, had denied all the charges, but ahead of his trial date on Monday 1 September he plead guilty to 12 of them and three charges - engaged in sexual communications with a child and the charges of attempted sexual communication with a child – were left to lie on file.

He was jailed for a total of 14 years and five months, with an extended five years on licence.

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

Following the sentencing Det Con Wright, from our Police Online Investigation Team (POLIT), added:

Yeomans preyed on a vulnerable child by pretending to be a photographer.

His father spotted what had happened after being concerned about his son’s behaviour and contacted police.

Social media is part of all our lives now, it’s worth checking your child’s privacy settings for each app and making sure they do not interact with people they do not know in real life.

We have lots of information on our website to help children stay safe online.

Description

A man who plied a teenage girl with vodka before raping her has been jailed for more than nine years. 

Sajeenthira Dharmendra, 24, met the 17-year-old on an online chat platform and arranged to meet her in St Neots on 11 October last year.

The victim, who was nervous about getting into his car, asked him to empty his pockets and checked the boot.

Once reassured, she got into his car, and they drove to a shop where he brought alcohol and a vape.

Dharmendra poured vodka into a bottle of cola and pressurised the teenager into drinking large gulps and told her she would be “wasting his time” if she didn’t.

After driving to the Riverside Car Park, Dharmendra sexually assaulted the victim, and she told him to stop.

But he made her drink more alcohol, resulting in her passing out.

When she came to, the victim realised the bottom half of her clothes had been stripped off.

She had no recollection of what had happened, but she felt pain.

The pair fell asleep in the car, and upon waking in the early hours of the next day, the victim unlocked Dharmendra’s phone and was horrified to learn he had filmed himself sexually assaulting her while she was unconscious.

The victim forwarded the video on to another phone, so she had a record of what he had done.

After he woke up, Dharmendra dropped the victim off in the town where she fled to a friend’s house and called the police.

Dharmendra was later arrested at his Essex home, 75 miles away.

Following a trial last month, Dharmendra, of Springfield Mews, Mill Road, Aveley, near South Ockendon, was found guilty of rape and assaulting a female 13 and over by penetration with part of a body/thing.

He pleaded guilty to voyeurism and make indecent photograph/pseudo-photograph of a child.

Yesterday (8 October), at Cambridge Crown Court, Dharmendra was sentenced to nine years and six months in prison and placed on the Sex Offenders Register.

Sentencing, Judge Andrew Hurst said Dharmendra deliberately had made the victim drink a large amount of alcohol with the intention of having sex with her – regardless of whether it was consensual.

“Everything that followed made it clear that she was only 17 - much younger than you,” he said. “Your sole, single-minded purpose was for sexual intercourse. You planned to buy alcohol to get her drunk. You were sober.

“You were responsible for this girl who was very drunk, late at night, in the back of your car. What you should have done was decide that she was far too drunk and take her home. Instead, you raped her.”

DC James Collinwood, who investigated, said:

“I would like to praise the victim for not only reporting what had happened, but having the foresight to secure evidence by sending the video on. She has shown tremendous strength and bravery during the investigation and trial.

“I hope it gives confidence to other victims to come forward, knowing they will be listened to, and the police and wider criminal justice system will do everything they can to get justice for them.”

Description

A registered sex offender has been sentenced to three years in prison after admitting 12 counts of making indecent images of children following an investigation by Essex Police.

Trevor Pearce was the subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) for 10 years and put on the sex offenders’ register after being convicted of previous indecent images of children related offences in 2021.

Our Management of Sexual Offenders and Violent Offenders (MOSOVO) team were making a routine visit to the 63-year-old’s home last year when they discovered indecent images of children.

Officers checking his devices found a number of indecent images of children.

These devices were seized and analysed by our digital forensics experts, and more than 600 images and videos were found either on the phones or in cloud storage associated with Pearce.

Further prohibited phones and tablets were seized in a warrant in February 2025 at Pearce’s address. This revealed further offending with the use of undeclared storage devices, deleting his browsing history, and failing to disclose his use of specific mobile applications – all of which were breaches of his SHPO.

The youngest victim in the materials is believed the be less than a year old. We also found upskirting images relating to offences committed in Loughton.

On 3 September at Chelmsford Crown Court, Pearce, formerly of Castell Road in Loughton, pleaded guilty to:

• 12 counts of making an indecent image of children
• one count of possessing extreme pornographic images
• one count of recording an image under clothing to observe another without their consent
• one count of breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order

At the same court on Friday 3 October Pearce was sentenced to three years in prison, as well as placed on the Sex Offenders' Register indefinitely and receiving an indefinite SHPO, applying even tighter controls on his behaviour when he is released.

'The importance of our monitoring'

This case reiterates the importance of the constant monitoring our team carries out across Essex every day.

Those who fail to adhere to court ordered restrictions will be brought back before the court.

They are there the keep others safe, and Pearce made it clear by breaching these he was willing to exploit the victims in these images.

On this occasion we found additional offending and while Pearce made excuses and denial during interview, the evidence we secured left him with no option but to plead guilty.

Today’s jail term reflects the seriousness of his offences, and I hope acts as a deterrent to other perpetrators. If you commit these crimes, you will be arrested and brought before the courts.

Description

We’ve been heard and have got justice thanks to the incredible work of Essex Police

A mum has thanked detectives for their “amazing support, understanding and dedication”.

I’ve always taught my children that when you do something wrong, you should face the consequences of your actions.

The police were so understanding and easy to talk to. They supported us throughout the whole investigation and worked so hard to secure the evidence.

He pleaded guilty to the horrendous abuse and now we can start rebuilding our lives.

We are working through the trauma we have experienced. They are starting to enjoy the simple things in life again and getting to know what they enjoy.

Things you take for granted like finding your favourite colours or your favourite tv shows, they are working these choices out for themselves and it’s beautiful to see.

The work by the police and the support of our counsellor is giving us back our future. It’s been really difficult at times and we have a long road ahead of us, but now he has been jailed we can look forward.

I would say to anyone who finds themselves in this awful position to speak up, tell someone you trust and report it to Essex Police. They will support you.

On Wednesday 24 September Duran Guscott, of Wakering Road, Shoeburyness, was sentenced to 17 years after previously admitting a number of child sexual offences.

Officers had initially responded to reports of an assault at an address in Southend in March 2023, but disclosures from those present indicated that child sexual offences had been committed, and Guscott was arrested.

An investigation was launched, and the 38-year-old was questioned about reports of sexual assault involving two children and indecent images on his phone.

He refused to answer questions and was bailed with conditions while our enquiries continued.

Following a complex investigation the following 13 charges were authorised:

• attempted rape of a child
• two counts of sexual assault of a child
• three counts of sexual assault by penetration
• four counts of taking indecent images of children
• Making an indecent image of a child
• Possession of extreme pornography
• Engaging in coercive and controlling behaviour

He later admitted 12 charges and the charge of engaging in coercive and controlling behaviour was left to lie on file.

At Basildon Crown Court the judge sentenced him to 13 years and 11 months in prison, with a further three years and one month on extended licence.

He was also given a lifetime restraining order against his victims, a lifetime Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) and will be on sex offenders’ register for life.

"dedicated to protecting children"

Detective Constable Kayla Perrie, who led our investigation, commended the survivors:

I want to thank the survivors in this case for their bravery, patience and fortitude throughout this investigation.

They have worked closely with us, sharing distressing information, to ensure this dangerous man is now behind bars.

Guscott is a very dangerous and manipulative offender. This sentence represents the gravity of his crimes.

I hope those impacted feel justice has been served and they can start to move forward with their lives.

Everyone at Essex Police is dedicated to protecting children and keeping them safe.
We will not tolerate those who seek to cause them harm and will take robust action.

Description

A Brentwood man has been jailed after admitting breaching the terms of his Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) and making indecent images of children.

Jack Weller, of Doddinghurst Road, appeared at Chelmsford Crown Court for sentencing on Friday 19 September after previously pleading guilty to two counts of making an indecent image of a child and one breach of his SHPO.

Thirty-two-year-old Weller was made the subject of a 10-year SHPO in October 2024 after being convicted of an offence relating to indecent images of children.

This order was issued with certain conditions and he must not possess any device capable of searching the internet or storing digital images/videos unless:

• It can retain and display history of internet use and he does not delete it
• He makes the device immediately available on request, providing pin or password
• Doesn’t interfere with any monitoring software installed by police.

His offending was identified in July through monitoring software which had been installed on his device by the Management of Sexual or Violent Offenders team (MOSOVO) at Essex Police.

He was arrested and taken into custody for questioning. He was then further arrested for breach of his SHPO after it was revealed he had flouted his conditions for deleting images.

A full review was carried out and found nine category A images and four category B images on his device.

He was subsequently charged and pleaded guilty.

He was jailed for two years and two months and has been placed on the sex offenders’ register for 10 years.

zero-tolerance

MOSOVO officer Jai Rivers said:

It is our duty to protect the most vulnerable people in our society fromo ffenders like Weller.

He was rightly subject to a SHPO and our management of sexual offenders like him enabled us to act quickly and prevent further offending.

We take a zero-tolerance approach to breaches of orders and his additional further offending is shocking and he has rightly been brought before the courts again.

I hope this sentence sends a clear message that we are committed to keeping people safe and will respond quickly, investigate thoroughly and ensure people intent on targeting children in this abhorrent way are brought before the courts.