Search results for Lancashire

Description

The man pictured is Gary Sheilds. He is a paedophile and was sentenced for his crimes earlier this month.  

In January 2024, the victim, a girl who was aged 12 at the time, was contacted on TikTok by Sheilds. Sheilds complimented the victim, and they swapped numbers and continued to communicate through WhatsApp, Snapchat and video calls. 

Sheilds, who lived in Scotland at the time, arranged to meet the victim in Penwortham on 2nd February. Sheilds drove the victim to a car park where he raped and sexually assaulted her.  

It was reported to us after the girl’s parent uncovered messages on her phone.  

Sheilds was arrested and whilst he admitted to conversing with the girl online, he denied raping or sexually assaulting her. 

He was asked if he knew how old the victim was. Sheilds said that he couldn’t remember, but he knew she was young.  

When asked if he knew the victim was wearing her school uniform at the time they met, he said that he thought so.  

Throughout his interview Sheilds blamed a drug addiction for his behaviours. When asked if he was sexually attracted to children during his drug addiction, he responded ‘could be.’ 

At the time of the offence, he was on bail by Police Scotland with conditions to not have contact with anyone under the age of 16. 

Examination of Sheild’s devices found images of the victim and google searches including the name of the victim’s school.  

There were also indecent images, and an indecent video found on his phone.  

Following a consultation with the Crown Prosecution Service, Gary Sheilds, 37, of no fixed address was charged with the rape of a girl under 13 and causing or inciting a girl under 13 to engage in sexual activity.  

He pleaded Guilty at Preston Crown Court on 16th July 2025, where he was later sentenced, on the 3rd November to 9 years imprisonment with an extended licence period of 1 year. 

In a victim personal statement read to the court, the victim said:

“When I met him, I was shocked because he did not look the age he had told me, he looked older. This worried me as I thought that he would not let me out of the car if I said anything, so I felt I had to go along with it.” 

DS Jenny Cobham of Preston Child Protection team said:

“Gary Sheilds is a despicable, perverted individual. Despite saying he couldn’t remember his victim’s age, he was well aware that she was a child and still chose to prey on her. 

“Despite her young age, the victim has shown an incredible resilience throughout proceedings, and I can only commend her for her bravery. I hope the knowledge that Sheilds is now serving a significant prison sentence will allow her to begin to move forward.  

“These types of crimes will never be ok. We are committed to preventing it and bringing anyone responsible to justice.  

“If you, or someone you know, is a victim of any sexual offence, I want you to know that we will listen to you, we will investigate appropriately and we will do all we can to get you justice.” 

Description

The man pictured is Shaun Fuller, he is a child rapist and yesterday (17th November) he was jailed for 15 years.

In 2021 he raped his 15-year-old victim three times inside a property in Burnley.

The brave victim told her mum what had happened in March 2023 and the police were informed.

Fuller, 40, of Todmorden Road, Burnley, was arrested and later charged with raping a girl aged 13 / 14 /15 and sexual assault on a female.

Following a trial at Burnley Crown Court, Fuller was found guilty of three counts of raping a girl aged 13 / 14 /15 and sexual assault on a female.

He returned to the same court where he was jailed for 15 years, made subject of an indefinite sexual harm prevention order and told to sign the Sex Offenders Register for life.

In an impact statement to the court, the victim wrote:

“When the incidents with Shaun happened I was still at school. This all had a massive impact on my education, I often struggled to focus/concentrate at school. I didn't get the results I wanted at school and my school work was affected. In school I struggled to maintain friendships due to what Shaun did to me. All my friends at school used to talk about their relationships and boyfriends. I struggled to talk about anything like this because of what happened to me. I knew I couldn't talk about what had happened to me so I used to keep myself to myself.

“I now struggle to trust anyone, especially males. If I found out someone liked me, I used to cry and would feel uncomfortable as this would trigger the bad memories from Shaun. I also struggle to make friends due to this. I have lost contact with my old friends due to moving away and struggle to make new friends. I find it hard to engage in sexual relationships due to the flashbacks I get with Shaun.

“My mental health has been impacted massively. I have since received therapy from a free service which made it even worse by bringing up everything that happened to me. I struggle to open up and talk about it. I try to block everything out, that's how I deal with it. When it all came out and the police got involved I struggled even more - I didn't eat, I didn't sleep, I never used to leave my room. I used to sit and rock in my room and bang my head on the wall to try and numb the pain.

“I now don't go out and don't like opening up about what happened to me.

“I want Shaun to know the impact all of this has had on me, and how it will continue to impact me for the rest of my life.”

DC Sarah Holmes, from our East Child Protection Team, said:

“Fuller is a purely wicked individual who robbed the victim of her childhood due to his sordid sexual interests. His offending continues to have a profound impact on her life.

“While she showed immense courage and bravery in coming forward, Fuller showed his despicable nature by forcing his victim to go through the ordeal of a trial – despite knowing exactly what he had done to her.

“I welcome the sentence handed down to Fuller, which reflects the seriousness of his offending and the danger he poses to female children.”

Description

The man pictured is 18-year-old sex offender Kai Edmundson and he is dangerous.

Over a four-month period Edmundson groomed a 14-year-old girl on social media and encouraged her to self-harm.

The pair never actually met in person. She lives in Derbyshire and Edmundson lived in Oswaldtwistle. However, he used social media platforms Telegram, Discord and WhatsApp to target the vulnerable child.

The victim told Edmundson she was 14 when they first started communicating over Discord last September.

Edmundson openly referred to himself as a paedophile, as well as sending her up to five indecent images of children and a link to a website where indecent images of children could be accessed. On that website were images of children as young as four.

Edmundson also demanded images and video of the victim undressing and committing leud acts on herself.

He also told her to refer to him as a disgusting paedophile and described how he wanted to commit illegal acts.

As the conversations between the pair continue, Edmundson encouraged the victim’s eating disorder and told her to carve his name into her skin.

Edmundson also encouraged the victim to self-harm and requested evidence to prove that she had done it.

Contact between the pair stopped on 31st January 2025.

The matter was reported to our colleagues at Derbyshire Police and they visited the victim.

They recovered screenshots of conversations between the victim and a profile on Discord which was being operated by Edmundson. They also saw the faint marks on the victim’s neck of the name Kai which had been scratched into the skin.

Edmundson was arrested on 1st April by officers from our East Internet Child Exploitation Team.

His phone was seized, and our officers found indecent images of children on it.          

Following consultation with the Crown Prosecution Service, Edmundson, formerly of Oswaldtwistle but now of no fixed address, was charged with engaging in sexual communication with a child; causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity; encouraging or assisting serious self-harm; and possessing indecent images of children.

He pleaded guilty to all the offences when he appeared at Preston Crown Court earlier this year. He was back in the dock today (24th October) and was sentenced to five years and three months in custody. He was also made subject of an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order and told to sign the Sex Offenders Register for life.

DS Nicholas Barker, from our East Internet Child Exploitation Team, said:

“Edmundson is an extremely troubled young man with some extremely disturbing views and behaviours. He is someone who presents a serious risk to children due to his online activities.

“I hope the outcome of this case, and the fact that Edmundson has been given a custodial sentence sends out a clear message that the police will not tolerate this abhorrent behaviour online. We will work with other forces to protect the victims and put the offenders before the courts.

“We are also working hard to get that message out to parents and children to be wary of online predators, such as Edmundson. They may act like they are your friend and that they care about you, but they are actually dangerous individuals who mean you serious harm.

“Finally, I want to praise the victim in this case for the immense bravery she has shown throughout this process. Now the court process is over, I hope she can now begin to move on with her life.”

Description

The man pictured is Muhammad Zahid, he is 59 and in 2021 he attempted to rape an 11-year-old girl in Burnley. 

On Tuesday, 7th October, he was given a sentence at Burnley Crown Court totalling 10 and a half years. That consisted of nine years and six months custody and a further one year on extended licence after the trial Judge deemed Zahid to be a dangerous offender.

Despite forcing his victim to give evidence, Zahid went on the run halfway through the trial and is now wanted on a Bench Warrant.

If you see Zahid call 999. Anyone with information about his whereabouts is asked to email [email protected] or call 101, quoting log 349 of 28th November 2022.

In an impact statement to the court, the victim’s mum said: “Before it came out, my daughter was quiet and withdrawn – both at home and at school. She would stay in her room which she didn’t normally do. She then told the school, but she was fearful still. She was having nightmares and waking up at night. For this reason, she started sleeping with me.

“After disclosing it, it seemed like it had hit her again and she became further distressed. During the process of the investigation and having to talk about it, the incident became fresh for her and that caused her distress.

“Now that she’s got justice, she’s managed to move on with her life and she’s happy.”

Zahid, from Burnley, denied a single count of attempted rape but was found guilty by a jury at Burnley Crown Court earlier this year. As well as being given the custodial sentence, he was made subject of an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order and ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register for life.

DC Hannah Brown, from Lancashire Police said:

“Zahid is a dangerous individual saw an opportunity to rape a child and attempted to take it. It was only because of her bravery that he was unsuccessful in his sordid behaviour.

“I want to take this opportunity to praise the victim for the bravery she has shown, first in reporting what had happened to her and then giving evidence in court.

“Despite his denials, Zahid knew exactly what he had done and the conclusion the jury would come to. I am convinced that’s why he took the cowardly choice of not staying around to face justice and instead chose to go on the run. He should know that Lancashire Police will never stop looking for him and I would ask anyone with information on his whereabouts tells the authorities, so he can face justice for what he did to his child victim.”

Description

The man pictured is 23-year-old Dylan Sherratt and he is a paedophile and a rapist.

You won’t see him on the streets of Colne any time soon after he was given a sentence at Burnley Crown Court on Friday, totalling 16 years and 10 months.

In August 2023 Sherratt befriended and groomed a 12-year-old girl in Colne, before going onto rape her.

In his initial messages to her in August 2023, Sherratt asked the victim to send her intimate images of herself. He then acknowledged she was 12 years old and stated he would ‘get done’ should she become pregnant.

Sherratt had his victim saved as ‘mine’ in his phone and continued to send her sexualised messages.

CCTV footage captured Sherratt meeting the victim in Colne on 1st September 2023 where he is wearing a balaclava to help disguise his identity. The footage captured Sherratt sexually assault the victim.

The matter was brought to the attention of our officers on 12th September after one of the victim’s friends raised the alarm with a school safeguarding officer about Sherratt’s behaviour.

Sherratt was arrested at that time on suspicion of sexual assault. He answered no comment to all questions put to him during his police interview.

The victim was spoken to and over the span of two interviews, she described how Sherratt had raped her twice – once in woodland and the second time behind a laundrette.

During the examination of Sherratt’s phone, our officers found a significant amount of messages between the pair. Those included countless messages where Sherratt was being sexually inappropriate towards the victim, others where he was being controlling and others where Sherratt made reference to being in a relationship with the victim. In one conversation he stated he had ‘hooked up with another girl’ but then continued ‘doesn’t mean we can’t be mates with benefits’.

When referring to the victim meeting his cousin, Sherratt stated: “you tell him you’re 15, not 12,” and continued “don't act like a child act like an adult.”

The messages ended on 12th September 2023, when Sherratt stated: "I'm sorry and I really like you as a person, but I don't feel a connection between us.”

He stated that they ‘would be better as friends’ and again referenced her age when stating: "right listen you’re a twelve year old yeah. I can’t be doing this anymore. It's gonna get me in trouble. I can't deal with it anymore.”

Sherratt’s behaviour did get him in trouble, and he was arrested on suspicion of raping a female child in November 2023.

Following consultation with the Crown Prosecution Service, Sherratt, of Belgrave Road, Colne, was charged with rape, engaging in sexual communication with a child, sexual assault and making indecent photographs / pseudo-photographs of a child.

He pleaded guilty to all the offences when he appeared at the court at an earlier date.

And on Friday, Sherratt was sentenced to 10 years in custody, with a six year and 10 month extended licence period after Judge Daniel Prowse deemed him to be dangerous. He was also made subject of an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order and was told to sign the Sex Offenders Register for life.

In a statement to the court, the victim wrote:

“Since the incidents I struggle to control my emotions. I cry all the time even at the smallest of things and often feel very sad. I struggle to understand why I get upset or why I feel sad. I put this down to the incidents that happened with Dylan. I get angry at the people closest to me for no reason and often lash out them. This makes me feel even worse as I know I have upset them, especially my grandma and grandad.

“I often get flashbacks about what happened to me. I also suffer with nightmares twice a week. I struggle to sleep after these nightmares or often wake up early which then affects me at school.”

She added:

“I have been diagnosed with PTSD via referral through my doctor. I have been receiving counselling to help me try and deal with what happened with Dylan. I have been suffering with nightmares for months which means I am tired most days. I get so tired and stressed, I get upset and I get angry about what happened with Dylan. I have also missed a lot of school which has started to have an impact on my education. I don't want to go to school as I get bullied after what happened with Dylan.”

DC Sarah Jones, of the East Child Protection Unit, said:

“Sherratt is a dangerous and manipulative individual with a sordid sexual interest in children.

“His sordid behaviour has had a significant and long-lasting impact on the victim. Although the headlines will inevitably be about Sherratt, my thoughts are very much with his victim, who continues to show immense bravery.”

Description

A man who took advantage of a vulnerable woman before raping her has been jailed.

Martin Glover (pictured) met his victim on a night out in Morecambe in April 2023.

He acted as a good Samaritan by offering the woman a place to stay but then proceeded to rape her at an address in the town.

Glover, 39, of Clarendon Road West, Morecambe, pleaded guilty to rape at a hearing in June of this year and was back at Preston Crown Court for sentence today (Friday, October 3rd).

He was jailed for seven-and-a-half years and ordered to sign the sex offenders register for life.

In a statement the victim, in her 30s, described how she was a shadow of her former self as a result of the attack, that Glover had stolen her dignity and that she suffered from anxiety and sleepless nights.

Det Con Kirsten Bell, of Lancaster CID, said:

“First and foremost I would like to praise the victim for having the courage to support this prosecution – that cannot have been easy, but it would not have been possible to reach this conclusion without her.

“Glover took advantage of and preyed on this vulnerable woman for his own sexual gratification, and I am pleased that other woman are now safe from his offending for some time.”

“I hope that this case gives others who may have suffered similar ordeals the strength to come forward confident in the knowledge that we will investigate sensitively and professionally”

Description

A wanted sex offender from Lancashire has been arrested.

Stephen Pennington, 37, was sought for breaching his Sexual Harm Prevention Order and had links to Blackpool, Blackburn, and Wigan.

Lancashire Police confirmed yesterday that he was apprehended 300 miles away in Devon and Cornwall.

A police spokesperson said:

“Last week we asked for your help to locate 37-year-old Stephen Pennington from Blackburn who was wanted for breaching his Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

“Pennington, who uses different names including Steven Cayzer and Stuart Rigby, is 5ft 10 and has tattoos on his neck, hand and body. He has deformed toes which turn outwards.

“Just to update you, Pennington was arrested on Thursday (October 2) by our colleagues in Devon and Cornwall Police and is no longer on his toes.

“While we can confirm the arrest came as a result of information received from you, the public, we cannot confirm whether a foot chase was involved.

“Thank you to everybody who shared our appeal.”

Description

A man who boasted about having sex with a woman 'when she was asleep' and had said 'no' has been jailed for 19 years.

In 2022, police launched an investigation into Martin Crossley, 41, following information he had raped a woman on multiple occasions in East Lancashire and Preston.

He told one witness he ‘saw women as a piece of meat’ and referring to the victim, he said: “I’ve had sex with her when she’s been asleep and after she’s said no.”

In 2023, officers received further information that Crossley had raped a teenage girl.

Crossley, of no fixed address, was charged with five counts of rape. He pleaded guilty to all five counts when he appeared at Preston Crown Court earlier this year.

Crossley returned to the same court where he was jailed for 19 and a half years and given a further five-year extended licence period after a Judge deemed him to be a dangerous offender.

In an impact statement to the court, Crossley’s first victim spoke about how the defendant had destroyed her life.

She continued:

“I could never describe enough how much I hate Martin for what he has done, he does not deserve to use up the oxygen of another human being. I want to be able to move forward with my life finally.”

She added:

“Martin Crossley is a dangerous sexual predator, and I do not want anyone else to be at risk from suffering at the hands of him.”

DC Alyson Richards, from Lancashire Police, said:

“No words I can say will ever truly reflect the impact Crossley’s perverted and deviant behaviour has had and continues to have on his victims.

“I hope the sentence Crossley has received will allow them to begin to rebuild their lives knowing their attacker is behind bars for a long, long time.

“I want to take this opportunity to place on record my thanks to both victims for the bravery they have shown throughout this process and for the trust they placed in us to bring Crossley to justice.”

Description

A MAN who kidnapped and raped a young woman at knife point has been jailed.

Neil Reid approached the victim as she sat in her car after finishing work in the Leyland area. He got in the front passenger seat and threatened the woman at knife point before demanding she drive to Lostock Hall.

Terrified for her life the victim did as he asked, and Reid then subjected the woman to a horrific rape ordeal in a street in Lostock Hall. She finally managed to break free and run to a nearby pub where she sought help.

Reid then made off in the victim’s car which he dumped in Preston before breaking into a house still armed with the knife and demanding the keys to another car, but he then fled empty handed.

Reid was quickly identified as a suspect, and further enquiries captured him on CCTV.

The offences happened in April this year.

Reid, 43, of Towngate, Leyland, appeared before Preston Crown Court in May and admitted two counts of rape, two counts of attempted robbery, one of kidnap, one of committing an offence with intent to commit a sexual offence, and one of threatening another with an article with a blade or point.

He appeared before the same court today (Wednesday, September 24th) where he was jailed for 20 years six months with an extended licence of a further 8 years.

In a statement the victim, in her early 20s, described how she suffers from anxiety and sleepless nights and is on medication since her ordeal. She said she no longer trusts anyone, has lost her freedom and is scared to go out alone.

The victims of the break-in described how they had been left suffering sleepless nights and of the lasting and massive impact on their lives.

Det Insp Ian Derbyshire, of South CID, said:

“Neil Reid is clearly a dangerous sexual predator who targeted a lone woman and subjected her to an absolutely horrific ordeal before breaking into a property armed with a knife and confronting the occupants.

“He has shown no remorse for the trauma he has caused with his brutal crimes which have left a deep and lasting impact.

“I would like to thank the victim for having the courage to support our investigation and this prosecution which ensures that women will be protected from Reid for a considerable time.”

Description

A senior hospital consultant convicted of abusing his position to sexually assault female members of staff has today been jailed.

During the course of his trial earlier this year the jury heard Dr Amal Bose was the root cause of a toxic and sexualised culture at Blackpool Victoria Hospital.

His behaviours including touching women inappropriately and making sexualised comments.

Despite claiming his actions were ‘only flirting’ and ‘banter’ Bose was found guilty by a jury after a trial in June.

He was convicted of 12 counts of sexual assault relating to five female members of staff at the hospital between 2017 and 2022.

He was cleared of two other counts.

Bose (03/02/1970) of Main Road, Thurnham, Lancaster appeared at Preston Crown Court today (Monsay, September 15th) and was sentenced to six years in prison.

In personal statements read to the judge the victims said Bose’s behaviour had left them feeling unsafe at work and less trusting of male colleagues.

Some changed work patterns to avoid him, called in sick or were even forced to leave the profession.

They said they suffered anxiety, panic attacks and loss of confidence.

One said Bose had not only violated her body but had violated the trust and respect that should exist in any professional workplace.

Temp Det Chief Insp Kirsty Wyatt said:

“Everyone should feel able to go to work and feel safe, confident and secure but Mr Bose has undermined that by abusing his position of power to sexually assault these female members of staff and by doing so has caused enormous damage.

“I would like to thank the victims for having the courage to come forward and speak about what happened to them – that cannot have been easy.

“While he may have considered his behaviour as merely flirting Mr Bose’s actions have clearly had a deep and lasting impact on his victims and in some cases has caused them to abandon the profession they loved.

“I would like to thank the jury for their careful consideration of the facts of this case and the Crown Prosecution Service for their presentation of the evidence.

“Finally, I hope that the guilty verdicts in this case give others who may have suffered similar ordeals the confidence to report it to us safe in the knowledge we will investigate professionally and sensitively.”

Description

A man has been jailed after an investigation by our South Internet Child Exploitation (ICE) team.

Officers paid a routine visit to David Hawkyard, a registered sex offender, in July 2025 but when they went in, he was acting suspiciously and delaying handing over his mobile devices.

He was arrested on suspicion of breaching his sexual harm prevention order and when detectives from the ICE team examined his devices, indecent Images of children were identified. Detectives secured three charges of making indecent images of children, and one charge of a breach of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order against Hawkyard, and he was remanded into custody.

Hawkyard, 24, of Lady Acre, Bamber Bridge, admitted the charges and was sentenced at Preston Crown Court this week to 21 months in prison. He was also given an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) which will allow police to closely monitor his activities online following his release.

Detective Constable Pippa Jackson, of the South ICE team, said:

“We believe Hawkyard poses a significant risk if his behaviour continued to escalate and we welcome this sentence.”

The purpose of the ICE teams is to investigate offenders committing online child exploitation offences within Lancashire to safeguard vulnerable children. We act on information where indecent images of children have been uploaded to the internet. A child is exploited every time their image is shared. By taking positive action, we aim to identify offenders, gather digital evidence of their activities, and put them before the court. We aim to prevent escalation in their offending and prevent future contact offences against children.

Online child abuse is a crime that affects all our communities and has a significant impact on children that are exposed to it. We are determined to do all we can to prevent it and continue to investigate offences where children are targeted and exploited online.

Description

A Paedophile has been jailed after he was extradited from the United States to face justice for crimes he committed almost 50 years ago.

Robert Flynn, an American citizen, was working in the UK in the 1970s when he sexually abused his teenage victim over a number of years.

Flynn returned to the US in 1976 but after the victim reported what had happened to him to police in 2021 an extradition process was launched.

And in May 2025 the U.S. Marshals Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force (NOVFTF) and the U.S. Marshals Office of International Operations (OIO) arrested Flynn at an address in Ohio.

He was flown back to the UK and was arrested at Heathrow Airport in June this year.

Flynn, 77, of Dunham Road, Maple Heights, Ohio, earlier admitted four counts of indecent assault on a boy under 16. The crimes were committed in the Rossendale area.

He appeared at Preston Crown Court today (Thursday, September 11th) where he was jailed for nine years and eight months. He was also given a lifetime Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO)

In a statement the victim, now in his 60s, said Flynn’s actions had affected his whole adult life but that with the help and support of friends he had survived and after coming forward and reporting the abuse to police he was rebuilding his life and was ready to be happy.

The investigating officer Mick Cross, of the Major Crime Review Team, said:

“First and foremost I would like to thank the victim in this case for having the courage to come forward and speak about what happened to him. Flynn’s abuse has had such a significant impact on the course of his adult life, and I hope the fact that Flynn has admitted his guilt and now been jailed for his crimes gives the victim some sense that justice has been done and that he can continue to move forward with his life.
“I also hope that the fact that we have secured justice after so long and after securing Flynn’s return to the UK might give others who have suffered similar abuse the confidence to come forward and report it safe in the knowledge we will investigate professionally and with sensitivity.”

Description

The man pictured is Danny Dunne and he is a paedophile.

You won’t see him on the streets of East Lancashire any time soon because he is today starting a long stretch in prison after officers from our East RASSO (Rape and Serious Sexual Offences) Team put him before the courts.

Dunne committed a number of sexual offences against a child in Pendle between 2009 and 2019.

After suffering in silence, the brave victim informed police of what Dunne had done to him in June 2024.

Dunne, 28, of Glen Street, Colne, was confronted about his offending and confirmed it was true.

He appeared in the dock at Preston Crown Court earlier this year where he pleaded guilty to multiple offences, including rape, attempted rape, sexual assault and inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.

Dunne appeared back at the same court today (22nd August) where he was given a sentence totalling nearly 17 years. He was jailed for 10 years and eight months and given an extended licence period of seven years. He was also ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register for life and made subject of an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

DC Dan Healey, of the East RASSO Team, said:

“I would like to pay tribute to the victim for coming forward and showing incredible bravery in facing the abuser and to see justice through to the end after being subjected to the abhorrent offences committed by Danny Dunne.

“The victim is now able to look forward with life and begin the process of seeking closure. In contrast, Dunne will hopefully reflect on the horrendous crimes he has committed, from within his prison cell.

“Lancashire Police want people to know, that if you report a sexual offence, then we will do all we can to ensure justice is sought, whether it's a recent offence or a non-recent offence, all reports are treated the same and we will leave no stone unturned in the pursuit of justice."

Description

A man who sexually assaulted a woman and told her she looked "disgusting" when blood dripped down her head from a wound he inflicted has been jailed for more than seven years.

Saul Rajski, 49, was verbally abusive to the woman and also assaulted her from December 2023 onwards.

The case was opened at Preston Crown Court earlier this month but Judge Ian Unsworth adjourned sentencing so he could consider the proper sentence.

A further hearing also had to be adjourned.

Julian Goode, prosecuting at Preston Crown Court earlier this month, said the victim was left with a black eye on one occasion.

Mr Goode continued by saying that on November 24 last year, police received a report from the victim of the defendant hitting her.

When they arrived, Rajski had left the area, but was stopped in his vehicle a short time later and arrested on suspicion of assault.

Officers noticed swelling around the victim's eye, which she told them was a result of Rajski hitting her two days before.

She also told them Rajski had hit her on another occasion and told her to "shut up".

The victim also disclosed that Rajski would often grab her breasts to the point it would cause bruising, and on one occasion, he sexually assaulted her, telling her to "shut up and enjoy it".

On another occasion he punched her in the head, and when he saw blood running down her head from a cut he caused, he told her she looked "disgusting" and to "wash it."

Rajski was arrested again and denied he caused the injury.

Rajski, 49, of Chequers, Clayton-le-Moors, pleaded guilty to sexual assault, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and battery.

Appearing in the dock at Preston Crown Court again today (August 18), Rajski was jailed for seven years and two months, and also ordered to sign the sex offenders register for life and made subject of an indefinite restraining order.

The victim said in an impact statement:

“This statement has not been an easy thing for me to provide as it involves a time in my life that I would rather not think about or even remember.

"he abuse that he subjected me to is extremely difficult for me 

"I have lost count of the sleepless nights I have had since Saul was arrested and remanded to prison.

"I have been overwhelmed by all sorts of feelings – sadness, fear, disbelief, shame, guilt, the list goes on. I have had no choice but to seek help from my doctor in relation to this.

 “The abuse that Saul subjected me to has had really negative effects on all other relationships in my life. I have been argumentative with friends and family and have pushed them away at times when really everyone has just wanted to help me.

"I have not had the tolerance for it, and I have just felt incredibly emotional and frustrated. I still struggle with flashbacks to this day. I dream about what has happened, and I wake up feeling down and full of fear. This happens on most nights, and I long for the day when I hope that it will stop.”

DC Claire Scott, from Lancashire Police's east rape and serious sexual offences (RASSO) investigation team, said:

“Rajski’s behaviour was completely unacceptable, demeaning and has had a long-lasting impact on her. It is not something that will be tolerated by Lancashire Police or society as a whole.

“I hope she can now begin to move on with her life, knowing that Rajski has been held accountable for what he has done.

“If anyone finds themselves in a similar situation, I would urge them to contact the police, knowing we will listen to you and we will do everything in our power to put the abuser before the courts.”

Description

A registered sex offender has been jailed after uploading hundreds of indecent images of children to the internet.

Mark Davies, 36, (pictured) used social media platforms Snapchat and Discord to upload the images.

The offences were committed after Davies had recently been released from prison for the sexual assault of a child.

Lancashire Police officers first arrested Davies and seized his mobile phone in Skelmersdale in July 2024, as part of an investigation into possessing indecent images, after which he was promptly recalled to prison.

Whilst under investigation for this offence, police identified that further accounts linked to Davies had uploaded indecent images of children - when on police bail in July 2024 and shortly after release in May 2025.

Davies was arrested again by officers from Lancashire’s South Internet Child Exploitation team, who obtained the evidence needed to remand Davies into custody.

Davies, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to six offences of making indecent images of children and one offence of possession of extreme pornographic images.

Appearing at Preston Crown Court on Wednesday (6th August), Davies was jailed for 22 months, given an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order, and made subject of sex offender notification requirements for 10 years.

Det Con Pippa Jackson, of our South Internet Child Exploitation team, said:

“I welcome the prison sentence which has been imposed on Mark Davies for his abhorrent behaviour.
“Davies poses a serious risk to the public with his offending and the investigation by our team has prevented this man from committing further offences.”