Latest Offenders Rugby

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A SEX offender from Rugby who downloaded almost a thousand indecent images of children has been jailed for two years.

Martin Harvey, 66, of Ferndown Road, was being monitored by officers and the probation service following a previous sexual offence.

And in 2023 it was discovered that he had deleted some of his internet browsing history – breaching his Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).

He was also found to have a hard drive containing almost a thousand indecent images of children.

When Harvey was interviewed by officers, he claimed he had deleted browsing history on his phone because he had been having issues with ‘pop ups’ and he believed that might fix it.

He then claimed that he had bought the hard drive because he wanted to research ways to reinstate his search history.

When officers asked why the hard drive contained indecent images of children, Harvey said he had ‘drifted back into the old days,’ adding, ‘I was stupid’.

He was subsequently charged with breaching his SPHO and for downloading indecent images of children.

On Wednesday May 29, Harvey appeared before Warwick Crown Court where he was jailed for 24 months.

DC Lauren Cooper said: “We are thankful to the courts for this sentence.

“I hope this serves as a warning to others who believe they can continue to offend in this way.

“Viewing indecent images of children creates a market for the sexual abuse of children, and I want to be absolutely clear – if you are involved in the production or viewing of materials like that, it’s only a matter of time before we are at your door.”

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A man has been jailed for child sex offences after police were presented with an audio recording of his offending.

Matthew North, 28, from the Eastlands area of Rugby had pleaded guilty at Warwick Crown Court and was sentenced on Monday (15 April) to five years and four months in prison.

North pleaded guilty to nine counts of penetrative sexual activity with a girl aged 13-15. The offences occurred in the early 2020s at a house in the Rugby area.

A key witness had suspicions that North was in a sexual relationship with the girl and hid an iPad to record the offending. She contacted police and North was arrested.

North originally denied the offences in interview but later admitted to them after being presented with the recording along with the account from the victim.

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A Rugby man has been jailed for one year after breaching his Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).

Marcus Hicks, 23, of Balcombe Road, Rugby was sentenced last week at Warwick Crown Court.

Hicks became a registered sex offender after being convicted of making indecent images of children and possession of extreme pornographic images involving animals. He was also made subject to a SHPO.

Hicks was found to have breached these conditions by:

• Having communication with someone online to obtain indecent photographs of children.
• Failing to notify the police about a bank card he possessed.

When officers from the Warwickshire Police Offender Management Unit paid an unannounced visit to Hicks in February 2023, they found bank cards he had not declared to police.

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A RUGBY pensioner’s has been jailed for the sexual abuse of a young boy in the 1990s.

Ronald Brown’s victim eventually went to the police after the incidents had preyed on his mind in the intervening years.

And at Warwick Crown Court the 69-year-old, of Grendon Road, was jailed for three-and-a-half years and ordered to register as a sex offender for life.

He had been found guilty following a trial of two charges of indecent assault and one of gross indecency with the boy, after which the case was adjourned for a pre-sentence report to be prepared on him.

During the trial the victim said he had to go to Brown’s then Rugby home in Freemantle Road to borrow a pair of secateurs for his mother, who was doing some gardening.

In the house he was given a drink of juice, and sat on the sofa in the living room while Brown went to get the secateurs from the garden shed.

When he came back in, Brown put them by the front door and sat next to the boy, who was under 14 at the time, and touched him sexually over his shorts.

Brown’s victim said: “He questioned me about whether I was going to tell my mum and my dad. I told him I wouldn’t say a thing to anybody. I was scared.”

The jury had heard there had been an earlier incident, also at Brown’s home, when Brown had touched him intimately and had taken the boy’s hand to get the boy to touch him.

Brown denied either incident had taken place.

At the resumed hearing Brown’s barrister Marcus Harry said Brown had been “a hard-working man” and had health problems, having suffered from angina for a number of years, as well as type two diabetes and osteoarthritis in his neck.

But Mr Harry said what was of more concern to Brown was his wife’s health problems, including an eye problem for which he takes her to appointments to have injections every six weeks, and arthritis in her knees.

Jailing Brown, Judge Peter Cooke told him: “What you did was wicked.

“You are a man of 69, previously outwardly of good, even impeccable character, but you were a man with a dark secret, which remained secret largely because you procured your victim’s silence.

“I accept you are in poor health, and that your wife is in poor health, and you will therefore find the inevitable custodial sentence more difficult than most.”

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POLICE have launched a nationwide appeal for help in tracing a suspected paedophile after fears that he may be living with a family grooming their children for sex.

Brian Hughes (pictured) is wanted by police on suspicion of abusing children over a 40-year period - including the alleged rape of a girl who officers believe he groomed for seven years.

The 48-year-old went missing from his family home in Rugby, Warwickshire, in July last year, after his family found out about his alleged activities.

He left a note apologising for what happened, but has not made contact with his family since.

Despite an extensive search, the bricklayer remains missing and police believe he may be living elsewhere in the country, within a family environment and grooming other children.

It is believed Hughes' last job was working as a block paver and he is also a qualified bricklayer.

Detectives also believe he has used internet dating sites to meet women.

Police investigator Peter Herring said: "This man is a danger to the community and needs to be found.

"We are aware of four victims, girls and boys - one of whom was four - but we fear there may be others who haven't come forward.

"It is essential to trace him and I would ask anyone who believes they know where Hughes is to call police immediately."