Latest Offenders Leicester

Description

An Uber driver who raped a passenger at knifepoint has been jailed for 16 years – following the victim’s swift actions in reporting the offence.

Officers were able to locate and arrest Adam Daley an hour after the incident in December last year, after the woman he attacked immediately contacted police.

Her rapid reporting enabled officers to carry out some swift enquiries to identify the defendant’s car and to track its movements through CCTV and ANPR cameras.

Crucially, it also ensured vital forensic and digital evidence was preserved.

This evidence proved key in securing Daley’s conviction and following a trial last month he was found guilty of one count of rape, one count of sexual assault, one count of possession of a bladed article and one count of threats to kill.

On Friday (10 July), at Leicester Crown Court, the 33-year-old of Chester Close, Leicester, was sentenced to a total of 16 years’ imprisonment. He has also been subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) until further notice and a restraining order preventing him from contacting the victim.

At sentencing, he also pleaded guilty to two counts of making incident images of a child – evidence found by officers when his mobile phone was examined.

Specialist detectives from the force’s rape and serious sexual assault team, who investigated the incident, are now urging anyone else who could have been a victim of Daley’s to come forward.

Arresting Daley

The rape was reported to police shortly after 5.30am on Monday 29 December and had taken place in the back of Daley’s white Toyota Auris in a layby close to Soar Valley Way.

The victim, a woman in her 20s, and her friend had been outside a bar in Leicester city centre about to order an Uber when Daley pulled up alongside them. He offered to take them both home if they booked the trip through the app.

After dropping her friend home, Daley and the victim continued the journey to her address.

During the drive, Daley started making sexualised comments towards the victim and asking her inappropriate questions.

While heading out of the city, Daley then pulled over in a layby – claiming he needed to go to the toilet.

He then ordered the victim to move into the front of the car before before forcing her to perform oral sex on him by threatening her with a knife.

During this incident he has also pulled down the victim’s top and touched her breasts.

After pleading with Daley to stop, he left the woman in the layby and sped off. She immediately called 999 and an officer was dispatched to her.

Quick enquiries identified the registration of the vehicle and Daley as the insured driver.

Officers on shift in the force’s Roads Policing Team were put on alert and Daley was stopped at the junction of Vaughan Way and Great Central Street at 6.37am.

While officers were attempting to arrest Daley, he attempted to grab his phone and also to stamp on it - in a bid to destroy any evidence.

While in custody, detectives began carrying out extensive enquiries, including forensic examinations and reviewing CCTV and mobile phone data in order to track the defendant’s movements both before and after the attack.

Despite the victim’s DNA being found on his penis and underwear, Daley continued to deny the offence and claimed her DNA had transferred to him as she had drunk from a water bottle in the car, and he had later used the same bottle to wash his penis after urinating in the layby.

Following examination of his phone, detectives were able to establish Daley had driven past the victim while she was in the layby three times after the incident had taken place.

Detective Constable Matt Smith from Signal – the force’s dedicated rape and serious sexual assault team is the officer in the case.

He said:

“I want to commend the victim in this case during what has been an extremely difficult six months. Her actions that night and the strength and bravery she has shown during the investigation and trial has ensured a dangerous individual is now behind bars.

“Despite her deeply traumatic and distressing experience, that night she demonstrated exceptional presence of mind and was able to contact police immediately after Daley had driven off.

“Thanks to this, officers were able to act quickly to identify and locate the suspect in a very short space of time. This was crucial to our investigation and ensured not only key forensic evidence could still be detected but that he was apprehended before he attacked anyone else.

“Daley targeted a lone woman after she trusted him to get her home safely. Given his job as an Uber driver it is possible there could be more victims that have not come forward.

“We take reports of sexual assault very seriously and anyone who wishes to report offences will be spoken to by specialist officers in the team.”

At the time of his arrest, Daley also refused to provide a drugs wipe, so a blood sample was sent for testing and later came back as positive for cocaine.

He was charged and pleaded guilty to two counts of drug driving at Leicester Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday 1 April. He was banned from driving for 20 months, fined £200 and order to pay £85 court costs and an £80 victim surcharge.

Senior Investigation Officer, Detective Inspector Majid Zaveri, said: “The courage of the victim and the professionalism and dedication of the response and investigation officers has led to this outcome.

“My thanks go to the victim who bravery and co-operation led to this quick arrest and allowed vital evidence to be secured. Thank you to the response officers for their quick actions and to the investigation team – including Detective Sergeants George White, Jon Davies and Detective Constables Matt Smith and Charlotte Worley – for their tireless work to ensure the defendant was brought before the courts.

“If you are a victim of a sexual offence, please know that we are here to listen to you, to help you and to support you. Please report to us or speak with someone you can trust.”

Description

A detective’s perseverance to get justice for teenage victims of grooming has resulted in a man being jailed

In 2021 Kieran Ridgway came to the attention of the force after a report was received from concerned parents of two teenage girls.

Ridgway used Snapchat to strike up a conversation with the girls under an alias.

He would ask random questions and when he received a response he continued the conversation, offering them alcohol if the children engaged in sexual acts with him.

That initial report in July 2021 was allocated to Detective Constable Stacey Swan from the force’s Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) team.

She was able to establish that the girls, who were 12 and 13 at the time, had met a man in a car park who said he would give them alcohol if they carried out a sexual act on him.

On this occasion no physical contact was made between the victims and they alerted their parents to the incident.

Those enquiries then led DC Swan to identify and arrest 29-year-old Ridgway in October 2021.

Through her diligent investigation she was able to identify further victims who had also been contacted in the same way.

Three girls, who were all under 16 when the offences occurred, reported being contacted by Ridgway on the social media platform and over time they all struck up a friendship with him.

He lied to them regarding his age and preyed on their vulnerability to entice them in.

Between June 2017 and February 2020 Ridgeway carried out sexual activity with all three of these victims. One of the victims truly believed she was in a relationship with him. However, he continued to contact underage girls.

During the investigation Ridgway was interviewed on two different dates and throughout he maintained that an unknown third person had set up a fake profile on Snapchat under the name ‘Josh Whitcombe’ using his details. He denied asking the children to engage in sexual acts with him, stating he bought the alcohol for them out of kindness.

After a trial in May, Ridgway of Coalville, was found guilty of five counts of penetrative sexual activity with a child, sexual activity with a child (non-penetrative), sexual communication with a child, meeting a child following grooming and causing a child to engage in sexual activity.

On Friday (10 July) he was sentenced to nine years in prison and will be subject to a three-year extended licence period following his release. The court also imposed a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).  Ridgway has been placed on the Sex Offenders Register for life.

DC Stacey Swan said:

“This has been a complex investigation into repeated grooming and sexual offences against children carried out by the defendant.

“An initial report to police regarding two teenage girls being groomed and given alcohol by the defendant lead to the uncovering of a history of repeated behaviour, where the defendant has contacted teenagers, exploiting their age, vulnerabilities and locality to groom and commit sexual offences against them.

“Lying about his age, pretending to connect with shared troubles, before coercing the girls to engage in sexual activity, for his own gratification.

“The victims in this case have shown immense bravery in coming forward and discussing these awful experiences. I hope that they take some comfort that Kieran Ridgway has now been brought to justice for his crimes.”

Detective Chief Inspector Hazel Sandall is the force’s child safeguarding and exploitation lead. She said:

“Two of the three non-recent victims were very reluctant to provide any formal evidence.  DC Swan worked tirelessly, listening to them and supporting them to be able to give crucial evidence in the form of video interviews.

“Due to the delays in the legal process and distress this caused them, the victims were reluctant to stay engaged with the court process. DC Swan visited them personally on several occasions, offering them support and reassurance throughout, ensuring they remain invested in the trial.

“It’s down to the victims’ courage and DC Swan’s commitment to see justice served that has led to the successful outcome of this case.

“The child exploitation team is a specialist department equipped to deal with exploitation offences. The team works closely with partner agencies to ensure that victims of exploitation are listened to and supported throughout the investigation, and perpetrators are held to account and brought to justice.

“Throughout this investigation our social care partners were also a vital support in keeping the victims on board.

“All those involved in the investigation are expert practitioners who go above and beyond for the young people they support, we’re very proud to be a part of a multiagency approach which safeguards children.

“Ridgway contacted some of the victims through Snapchat where he groomed them with promises of alcohol in exchange for sexual acts. This is a timely reminder for parents and carers to check their child’s use of social media and that they are engaging with suitable persons.”

DC Swan added:

“Due to Ridgway’s offending and the way he conducted himself over many years, we believe there may be other victims of his crimes, who for whatever reason, have not reported what’s happened to them.”

Description

A senior detective has praised the courage shown by a rape victim after a man was jailed today (Friday 10 July).

Having been convicted of attempted murder, rape, sexual assault and robbery following a trial in April, Macauley Worden was sentenced to 34 years’ imprisonment when he appeared at Leicester Crown Court.

He attacked his victim on the canal towpath near Belton Road in Loughborough in the early hours of 30 August last year, pushing them to the ground and repeatedly punching them.

Twenty-eight-year-old Worden then raped and sexually assaulted the victim while attempting to strangle them. Following the incident, he made off from the scene with their phone and wallet.

On 3 September Worden, of no fixed abode, was found sleeping rough in a tent around a mile from where the incident occurred.

Today Worden was also placed on the sex offender register indefinitely and also made subject to an indefinite restraining order, prohibiting contact with the victim.

Detective Inspector Majid Zaveri, from Signal – our specialist rape and serious sexual assault team – was the senior investigating officer. He said:

“I hope the sentence passed today has provided the victim with a degree of closure which will allow them to move on with their life.

“The strength and courage they’ve shown throughout the investigation – and particularly during the court process – is testament to their character and determination to ensure that Worden was brought to justice for what was undoubtedly a violent and incomprehensible attack.”

Detective Constable Chris Fox, the officer in the case, added:

“We will always take a zero-tolerance approach to anyone committing sexual offences.

“Today’s sentence shows that the courts also take a similar approach and will ensure that those responsible are locked up for a significant amount of time, meaning that they cannot cause harm to our communities.

“I hope this outcome provides reassurance to the public and encourages anyone who has been a victim of a sexual offence to come forward and seek justice.”

Description

A man who raped and began sexually abusing a teenage boy in 2015 has been jailed.

Mark Watson was sentenced to 12-and-a-half years at Leicester Crown Court yesterday (Thursday 9 July).

The 55-year-old’s offending was brought to the attention of police in 2021 when the victim, who is now an adult, told a third-party what had happened between 2015 and 2018.

He told officers from our Child Abuse Investigation Unit (CAIU) that Watson had raped him on several occasions and forced him to engage in other sexual activity. He said Watson had also physically assaulted him during that time and regularly threatened him with violence.

On 2 March, at the same court, Watson was found guilty of two counts of rape and two counts of sexual activity with a child following a trial.

Watson, of Linford Street in the Belgrave area of Leicester, was also made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) until further notice, placed on the sex offender register for life and made subject to a restraining order prohibiting contact with the victim for life.

Detective Constable Aisling McPhillips, the investigating officer, said:

“I want to praise the victim in the case for his continued support and understanding from the moment the incident was reported in 2021 to the end of the court process.

“Without the information and accounts he was able to provide, Watson would not have been convicted and sentenced for what is without doubt, abuse that no person should ever have to go through.

“I hope this sentence provides him with a sense of closure and allows him to move on with his life.”

Description

“It’s changed my identity and it has changed how I see myself” – Those are the words of a woman who was attacked by a registered sex offender in Leicester’s Frog Island.

The incident happened on the evening of 11 June last year while she was out for an evening walk along the canal towpath.

She was seen by Warren Laight, who began to closely follow her as she walked towards North Gate. During the walk Laight overtook her before stopping under a bridge.

The victim, who thought he might have been following her, tried to walk past him but Laight grabbed and sexually assaulted her. Struggling to break free, she managed to shout and attract attention which spooked Laight and caused him to run off.

The victim, who is in her 20s, provided a description of Laight to officers which assisted in identifying him through CCTV enquiries. Witnesses from nearby properties were also spoken to and provided a description of him.

On 13 June, Laight was arrested. In interview, he said he could not have carried out the attack as he was not in the area at the time and was staying with a family member.

Laight’s relative was spoken to by police and said Laight had been at her home address that day and had only left for 15 to 20 minutes to buy cigarettes.

However, officers were able to identify that Laight’s phone was not at her address at the time the incident occurred and was in fact at the scene of the attack.

Despite his denial Laight was charged. On 16 December, at Leicester Crown Court, he pleaded guilty to one count of attempted rape and one count of assault by penetration.

He was sentenced at the same court today (Friday 17 April) to a total of 13 years and six months in prison.

In her Victim Personal Statement, the victim said:

“The impact has gone far beyond the immediate incident. It has changed my identity, and it has changed how I see myself.

“I feel disconnected from who I used to be, I no longer find joy in the things that once defined me and feel I will never be able to do those things again.
“He has taken my life away from me the way in which I knew it. He has handed me a life sentence and now I am left to serve it.”

Detective Constable Josh Evans, the officer in the case, said:

“This is a deeply concerning case given the victim appeared to be chosen at random by Laight, who displayed predatory behaviour.

“She has told me how much the incident has impacted her day-to-day life and the way it’s changed her as a person. She’s afraid to go out alone and feels vulnerable when out in public.

“However, the fact that despite what’d just happened she was able to provide a description of him that allowed officers to identify him on CCTV and arrest him is a testament to her presence of mind.

“Despite initially denying he had any involvement – and a family member providing a false statement on his behalf – this evidence was key in leaving him with no alternative but to admit what he’d done.

“Hopefully today’s outcome provides the victim with a degree of closure and relief that Laight is back behind bars.”

• A 41-year-old woman was dealt with by way of a conditional caution for providing a false witness statement

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Jack-Leland Webster of Cedar Road, Earl Shilton, Leicester has been sentenced to nine years and five months in jail for several offences including rape, strangulation and stalking, while living in Manchester. 

On Wednesday 8 April 2026 at Manchester Crown Court, Webster was found guilty of rape and strangulation. He pleaded guilty to stalking the victim at a previous hearing. 

In June 2024, Webster, previously Jack Malone, had accused the victim of cheating with her ex-boyfriend, and as she attempted to exit the flat, he blocked the doorways to prevent her from leaving. 

The victim had been in communication with her ex after he had reached out to her to let her know he was concerned after he found out Webster had been impersonating him to message the victim and test her loyalty throughout their relationship. 

He got on top of the victim and while he strangled her, he said, “Don’t make me kill you. If you do, I’ll have to kill myself so we can be dead together.” He then sexually assaulted her. 

While on bail, Webster purchased numerous fake social media accounts to follow and contact the victim, as well as her family and her friends, which was in breach of his no contact conditions. 

On one occasion, the victim was followed by over 100 accounts on a social media platform in a matter of seconds. Webster also sent her messages whilst pretending to be her ex-partner. 

During interviews, Webster denied all charges against him.

When an officer tried to arrange his second interview, he was obstructive and told the officer to “pick me up from KFC” and “catch me if you can”. 

When he arrived for his interview, he brought with him a book on how to be a good debater and said this was to give an idea of how his interview would go. 

Webster showed no remorse throughout the investigation and treated it as a game. 

He pleaded guilty to stalking before he went to trial where a jury found him guilty of rape and strangulation.

On Wednesday 8 April 2026 at Manchester Crown Court, Webster was sentenced to nine years and five months in prison. He has also been given an indefinite restraining order.

Investigating officer, Detective Constable Lucy Hatton said:

“Thank you to the brave victim in coming forward and reporting the abuse Webster subjected her to, as well as her continued support throughout the investigation, which allowed the police to safeguard her appropriately. 

“Jack-Leland Webster (formerly Jack Malone) is a very dangerous individual who was rightly remanded in custody following a prolonged stalking and domestic abuse campaign where he breached bail conditions multiple times. 

“I hope this sentence offers some reassurance for other victims of stalking and sexual offences.  

“We take all reports of stalking, rape and sexual assaults very seriously and will pursue these offenders and bring them to justice.” 

Description

A repeat sex offender has been jailed after offering to pay a “teenage girl” £300 for sex.

Zacharie Hall, 31, of Bishop Road, Castle Donington, had already served a 16-week youth custody sentence in 2013 for a sexual offence against a girl under 16. Last January he befriended “Tilly” on Facebook — a decoy run by paedophile hunters.

Over 18 days he sent her explicit messages, including a photo of his genitals, urged her to perform sexual acts on herself, and told her it was “normal” for girls of her age to have sex. He discussed taking her virginity, taking drugs and alcohol with her, and offered her £300 to sneak out and meet him. In one message he said: “Don’t bring any clothes — you won’t be needing them.”

Hall pleaded guilty to three counts of inciting a girl under 16 to engage in sexual activity. At Leicester Crown Court on Thursday, April 2, Judge Philip Head told him: “You made it clear your intention was to have sexual intercourse with her. You offered her £300 to meet. You told her to come to your house and talked about videoing the two of you having sex together.”

The judge described Hall’s attitude in the pre-sentence report as “really concerning” and said he was “minimising” his offending. Hall has a history of anxiety, depression, schizophrenia and emotionally unstable personality disorder.

He was sentenced to four years and eight months in prison, with an extended licence period of four years and four months. He will serve the first two-thirds behind bars and can only be released early if the parole board deems him no longer a risk. He was also made subject to an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order and placed on the sex offenders register for life.

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A phone store manager who stole videos and images of children from his customers mobile phones for his sexual gratification has been jailed.

Steven Drew, 38, of Newstead Way, Loughborough, Leicestershire appeared at Lincoln Crown Court earlier today (23 March) where he was jailed for seven years. Drew will also serve an extra two years on licence for the following:

• Sexual assault of a girl aged under 13.
• Five counts of taking indecent images of children.
• Three counts of making indecent images of children.
• Possession of prohibited images of children.
• Possession of extreme images.
• Two counts of voyeurism.
• Possession of a Paedophile manual.
• Three counts of causing a computer to perform function to secure/enable unauthorised access to a programme or data.

In 2022, Lincolnshire Police received information that an Emule user, a file sharing website, had shared and was offering to share indecent images of children online. A warrant was executed at an address in Lincolnshire on 11 January 2023, and Drew, who was living and working in Lincolnshire at the time, was arrested two days later on suspicion of distributing indecent images of children.

His digital devices were seized during the warrant. After forensic examination, detectives uncovered thousands of Category A-C images, as well as prohibited images of children and extreme images, with some of them dating all the way back to 2007.  It was also found that Drew had been using his position as a manager in a phone shop to obtain images and videos of children when customers would bring their devices in.

Drew was further arrested on 8 January 2024 for possession of indecent images of children, taking indecent images of children and voyeurism. He was released on bail with one of the conditions being not having contact with any child under the age of 18.

Other evidence found on the 38-year-old’s phone also showed that he had sexually assaulted a young girl under 13 prior to him being arrested.

Whilst Drew was on bail the Paedophile Online Investigation Team (POLIT) worked tirelessly with their victim identification colleagues to ensure Drew’s victims were identified and safeguarded.

Drew was arrested for a third time in June 2025, on suspicion of 14 offences and was remanded into custody. During investigations it was found that Drew continued to take indecent images of children whilst he was on bail.

He pleaded guilty to 17 counts at a hearing at Lincoln Crown Court on Thursday 30 October and remained in custody until his next court appearance.  

Drew has been placed on the sex offenders’ register for life and has also been given a lifetime Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).

The officer in charge of the investigation, DC Nicola Paradowski from POLIT, said:

“Drew is a dangerous individual who has manipulated and exploited people to obtain images of their children for his sexual gratification. The type of offending Drew has conducted is abhorrent, and it’s evident from this case that Drew has a clear sexual interest in children, and that he would stop at nothing to fulfil his needs.

“I would like to thank the families for their courage and support throughout the investigation, even though this has been a deeply upsetting time for them. Lincolnshire Police take this type of offending extremely seriously and we continue to be relentless in our pursuit to bring people like Drew to justice.”

Judge Hirst who passed today’s sentence stated that Drew had a long-standing sexual interest in children and that he posed a significant risk of causing serious harm.  Judge Hirst therefore deemed Drew as a dangerous offender which means he will serve an extended sentence period in prison.

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A paedophile has been jailed for sexual offences against girls which began more than 50 years ago.

George Davey, 76, abused the first victim between 1975 and 1985 and a second girl between 1983 and 1986. 

He sexually abused a third girl between 1995 and 2003, and a fourth victim between 2001 and 2002, and later in 2022. 

Davey also sexually assaulted a fifth victim in 1993 and exposed himself to a woman more recently between 2019 and 2020. 

Davey’s crimes came to light in December 2022 when one of the victims reported she had been sexually abused by him. This encouraged others to come forward. 

On Wednesday (18 March), at Cambridge Crown Court, Davey, of Shelthorpe Road, Loughborough, Leicestershire, was jailed for 22 years and four months, having pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to:

• nine counts of indecency with a child 
• two counts of attempted rape of a girl under 16
• one count of indecent assault on a girl under 14
• one count of indecent assault
• one count of sexual assault on a female
• one count of exposure

DC Louise Wick, who investigated, said:

"This conviction for historic offences shows that justice is possible no matter how long ago the crimes occurred. 

“The sentence reflects the gravity of Davey’s predatory abuse and the devastating harm it has caused to his victims.

“I would like to thank them for their remarkable courage in coming forward and supporting a prosecution, which has led to Davey being jailed for a very long time.

“I hope this result offers some reassurance to the victims and their families as they continue rebuilding their lives.”

Description

A 31-year-old man has been jailed for nearly three years after he admitted to breaching the terms of his Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).

Simeon William James Weekes, previously of Wigston, Leicestershire, was issued with a SHPO in February 2018 following his conviction for making indecent photographs/pseudo photographs of children.

The SHPO was issued with certain conditions he was required to abide by, including not deleting any search history or downloading and deleting mobile phone apps.

However, on September 16 last year, when police officers made an unannounced visit to Weekes’ home address in Northampton, they analysed his mobile phone and found that he had downloaded and then deleted a social networking app.

He was arrested and subsequently charged with breaching his SHPO.

On October 29 last year, Weekes appeared at Northampton Crown Court where he pleaded guilty, returning to the same court earlier this year (January 15) where he was sentenced to two years and eight months in prison.

Investigating officer PC Leanne Tyson, from the Force’s MOSOVO team, said:

“Being given nearly three years in prison for deleting your app history may seem harsh to some, but we will never apologise for taking a zero-tolerance approach when it comes to the management of sex offenders.

“The conditions of a SHPO are put in place for a reason and there are no excuses for not abiding by them.

“We will always seek prison sentences and we will continue working hard to bring more people like Weekes to justice.”

Description

The offences occurred in September 2023 and throughout the last two and a half years the victim has showed incredible strength and determination to ensure the man who abused her was brought to justice.

Riaz, 29, of no fixed address, deliberately targeted the vulnerable teenager after encountering her alone in the Hamilton area of the city shortly before midnight on Thursday 7 September 2023.

The girl had left her address a short time before and had been reported missing to police.

Riaz forced the teenager to go back to his-then home address in Harringworth Road. Once there he supplied her with cannabis and raped her.

She was able to leave the address and thanks to a night shift worker, who found her at around 4am the next morning (Friday 8 September), police were called.

While supporting the victim, detectives in the force’s specialist rape and serious sexual assault team – known as the Signal team – also carried out extensive enquiries during the next few days to identify and locate the suspect and the address where the offences had taken place.

This led to officers identifying the address in Harringworth Road and arresting him a few days later.

For more than two years, the officer in the case - DC Jon Williamsn - and other detectives in the team, have continued to carry out enquiries and gather evidence ahead of the trial.

This vital work led to Riaz being found guilty of two counts of rape against the victim.

DC Williams, from the Signal team, said:

“Throughout her ordeal the victim has shown incredible strength. It took extreme courage for her to share the details of what had occurred so that officers and staff could carry out a thorough investigation.

“It has been two and half years since this incident occurred but the victim’s determination and persistence to see this perpetrator punished for his actions has stayed with her. It is thanks to her that he is now going to spend many years behind bars.”

Description

A dangerous sexual predator who groomed a 12-year-old girl with a torrent of over 1,000 messages has been jailed for nearly five years, following a British Transport Police (BTP) investigation.

Michael Lawrence, 38, of Tudor Road, Hinkley, was found guilty and sentenced for two counts of Inciting a Girl Under 13 To Engage In Sexual Activity on 13 February, following an earlier trial at Leicester Crown Court.

Despite maintaining his innocence and pleading not guilty, Lawrence was sentenced to four years and 11 months in prison, plus two years on extension.

He was also ordered to sign the sex offenders register indefinitely and also handed an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) which prohibits him from having unsupervised contact with a child under 16 unless with consent where they know of his convictions.

The order also prevents him from using social media or apps to contact children as well as deleting search history, wiping or encrypting any devices.

The court heard how Lawrence befriended the school child at Kettering station in summer, 2022. Over a period of two years, he sent the victim a barrage of more than 1,200 messages and voice notes on social media.

Once he had groomed her into a friendship, he then began sending increasingly brazen sexual messages where he told her had a “crush” on her and repeatedly tried to instigate sexual contact. In one message he said “sorry if I’m being flirty with you I’m naughty.” Before the next day then suggesting they could “be together secretly.”

In one 30-day period alone, he sent 223 messages, including one conversation where he warned her to be careful with what she tells her dad about him.

The barrage of messages only came to light following a separate police investigation. When officers went to the remorseless predator’s address to arrest him, he said “do you think I’m f****** dangerous?”.

BTP Detective Constable Alex Price said:

“This sentence is testament to the courage of the young girl who supported our investigation to get this extremely dangerous sexual predator behind bars.

“The disgusting motive for Lawrence’s behaviour is obvious from the sheer number of messages he sent to her and his deliberate, escalating behaviour over two years, yet he’s never shown any remorse for his actions nor the lifelong impact they will have had on the young girl.

“If you experience or witness any sort of behaviour which makes you feel uncomfortable on the railway, text us discreetly on 61016, or call 999 in an emergency. We will always take you seriously, and we’ll stop at nothing to bring sexual offenders like Lawrence to justice.”

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A police detective has spoken about the courage of a girl which has led to a man being convicted of multiple counts of sexual assault against her.

Leon Blake, 59, was sentenced to six and a half years imprisonment at Leicester Crown Court last Thursday (12 February) after being found guilty of three counts of assaulting the girl by touching.

The girl was under 13 at the time of the offences. The offences came to light following the girl confiding in her mum. The victim’s mum then contacted the police.

Blake, of Tuckey Close, Sapcote, was arrested in February 2020 following the report being made. A police investigation, carried out by the force’s Child Abuse Investigation Unit, led to him being charged in March 2021.

During the investigation, continued support was provided to the victim and her family. This included specialist interviews with the young victim to help her feel as comfortable and as supported as possible.

Officer in the case, Detective Constable Ritik Devji said:

“I know it took time and a lot of courage for the victim to speak with her mum about the offences and I know she understandably found it extremely difficult during the investigation. Equally, I know it must have been devastating for the victim’s mum to hear this and to then contact police.

“However, this courage and dignity of both the girl and her mum has ultimately led to a sexual offender being convicted in court and sentenced. I am extremely grateful to them for this. We have continued to provide support to the victim and her family throughout the investigation and court hearing to ensure the right action was taken.”

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For more than three years a woman was subjected to malicious communications online at the hands of her former partner.

After a lengthy and complex investigation, Declan Guess was jailed yesterday (Thursday 12 February) for three-and-a half-years at Leicester Crown Court. He was also made subject to a restraining order, a sexual harm prevention order and will be placed on the sex offender register.

The victim was in a relationship with 24-year-old Guess, but after their relationship ended, he began sharing intimate photographs of her online, taken when she was a teenager.

In October 2022, the victim’s family reported that strangers were visiting their home looking to engage in sexual activity with her.

When the visitors were challenged, they showed posts that had been published on multiple websites advertising the victim as providing sexual services.

After an investigation was launched Guess was identified as being involved in these malicious posts.

When officers seized his mobile phone they discovered a quantity of intimate images of the victim, indecent images of other children as well as images depicting bestiality.

During the investigation over 500 indecent images of children were discovered across his devices.

Once Guess’s devices were examined, new evidence was uncovered relating to his online offending and he was further arrested again in June 2025 for stalking.

In August 2025 a Stalking Protection Order (SPO) was issued by the courts prohibiting 24-year-old Guess from having any form of contact with the victim, whether in person, online or by third party.

Despite the order being in place he breached the conditions in September 2025 when he started following the victim on Instagram, this led to him being arrested and remanded into custody.

He was subsequently charged with stalking, breach of stalking protection order, possession of extreme pornographic images, three counts of making indecent images of children and three counts of distribution of indecent images of children (IIOC).

Earlier this week Guess was due to stand trial but pleaded guilty on the first day to stalking and distribution of IIOC (category A and C).

Investigating officer, PC Kate Butler from the Artemis team, said:

“The impact these offences have had on the victim are immense. Her whole life was turned upside down. “

In her Victim Personal Statement (VPS), the victim, who is now in her 20s, said: “Men started turning up at my family home looking for me and I found out this was because my name, my intimate photos and my address had been put online advertising me for sex. This was frightening and left me feeling very vulnerable.

“The whole situation has caused me so much stress and upset over the years. I just wanted it to stop. What Declan has done to me has had a very severe impact on my self-esteem and mental health. In many ways it has ruined my life.”

PC Butler added:

“While we can’t turn back time for the victim, we hope that Guess’s guilty plea helps her to put those events behind her. We are pleased his admission of guilt has meant that the victim has not been subjected to giving evidence in court. 

“This has been an extremely complex investigation, and we thank the victim and her family for their courage in reporting what they had been through and we hope this reassures the wider community that we do take these offences seriously and will use our powers to bring people to justice.

“We also believe there may be other victims of Guess, who for whatever reason have not reported offences to us, we would urge you to get in touch. We have specialist officers who can support and guide you through the process and put you in touch with other support agencies.”

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The man pictured is Jacob Atkinson and he is a sex offender.

During the 1980s he raped and indecently assaulted a child.

The catalogue of offences happened in Rossendale and started when she was just nine-year-old. The offences stopped when Atkinson left the area to go to university.

The offences only came to light four decades later when the victim first told her husband, then the Truth Project and then the police.

Atkinson, 55, of Birkdale Road, Anstey, Leicester, was questioned and later charged with a number of sexual offences against the victim.

Following a trial at Preston Crown Court in April, Atkinson was found guilty of rape, indecent assault and indecency with a child.

He returned to the same court today (30th January) where he was jailed for seven years, with the Judge taking into account Atkinson’s age and their sentencing powers at the time the offences were committed. Atkinson was also ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register for life.

Dave Hindle, from our Major Crime Review Team, said:

“Atkinson targeted his vulnerable victim for his own sordid sexual interests.

“Once he got to his 50s he probably though he had gotten away with his detestable crimes. However, it’s thanks to the victim’s bravery in reporting these offences to us and then giving evidence in court that a light has been shone on who Atkinson truly is.

“While it’s not for me to comment on the sentence handed down to Atkinson, I am pleased that the victim finally has justice all these years on.”