Latest Offenders Stafford

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A man has been jailed for 31 years after being found guilty of 29 sexual offences.

Brian Lines, 84, of Leek, was sentenced to 30 years’ imprisonment, with an extended licence period of one year, at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court on Tuesday (21 May) after he was found guilty by a jury following a trial earlier this month.

He was also given an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order and will be on the Sex Offenders Register for life.

He was found guilty of three counts of the rape of a female under 16, three counts of the rape of a female over 16 years or over, attempted rape of a female under 16, 16 counts of indecent assault on a girl under the age of 16 years, four counts of sexual assault, assault of a girl under 13 by touching and sexual activity with a girl aged 13 to 15.

The offences took place in Staffordshire between 1970 and 2009. They were reported in August 2021 and Lines was arrested shortly afterwards. Following an investigation by our Rape and Serious Sexual Offences team, he was charged in January 2023.

DC Annie Blairs, of our Rape and Serious Sexual Offences team, said: “The sentence was only possible thanks to the sheer determination and bravery of Lines’ victims. Despite denying the offences, a jury saw through his lies and he will now spend the rest of his life in prison.

“The impact on the victims is significant and long lasting and I hope this sentence provides some comfort in knowing they did the right thing in reporting his heinous crimes to us.

“We are committed to investigating those who carry out sexual offences, bringing them before the courts so that they can face justice, while supporting victims.”

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A twisted predator has been jailed after grooming a teenage girl from Birmingham. Vile Aaron Harvey was caged for 18 years for rape and sexual assaults on the victim.

The 35-year-old, from Rugeley, Staffs, groomed the girl over a period of two years. Harvey’s sick crimes came to light when the girl bravely spoke out, telling officers the abuse first started when she was 14.

Harvey was arrested on August 14, 2022 and taken into custody. Officers seized his iPhone where they discovered extreme pornographic videos and website searches for extreme sex.

Harvey pleaded guilty to one charge of rape, eight sexual assaults and one charge of possessing extreme pornography when he appeared at court earlier this month. He was then handed a sexual harm prevention order and a restraining order as he was sent to prison at Wolverhampton Crown Court on Friday, April 26.

DC Kayleigh Driscoll, from the complex child abuse investigation team, said: “Harvey was a predatory individual who groomed his victim, sexually assaulted her on numerous occasions and raped her.

"We are pleased with the sentence which send out a clear message that people who target vulnerable young people for their own sexual gratification will be taken to court, convicted and will face many years behind bars.

“I must praise her courage for speaking out and reporting Harvey’s offending. We hope her bravery encourages others subjected to sexual abuse and rape to come forward. We are here to help and listen.” The force noted "survivors of rape are protected by law and have life-long anonymity."

Description

A man has been jailed for 10 years after admitting sexual offences involving children at a nursery in Burton-on-Trent.

Craig Ordish, 39, of Burton-on-Trent, who worked at the Co-operative Childcare Burton nursery, was sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment, with an extended license period of three years, today (Friday 19 April) at Stafford Crown Court. 

He previously pleaded guilty to two counts of assault a girl under 13 by touching at a hearing on 19 November 2023 and then pleaded guilty to cause/incite a child under the age of 13 to engage in sexual activity, five counts of making indecent photograph/pseudo-photograph of a child and possession of extreme pornographic images on 19 January 2024.

Ordish was given an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) and put on the Sex Offenders Register for life.

He was arrested in October 2023 after being reported to us. He was charged with the offences and remanded.

Description

A great-grandad drove for two hours to Leeds to meet what he thought was a 13-year-old girl, but was confronted by a paedophile hunter group.

Pervert pensioner Malcolm Allwood spent months grooming the "girl" online, telling her he wanted to take her to his caravan and back to his home.

The 77-year-old then drove from his home in Burton-on-Trent in Staffordshire to meet the youngster at McDonald's in Hunslet, where he was intercepted by members of the Yorkshire Predator Hunters, who had set up the decoy profile of the girl. They then livestreamed the confrontation.

He appeared at Leeds Crown Court this week where he admitted attempting to meet a child following grooming, and attempting to engage a child in sexual communication. Prosecuting the case, Emily Hassell said that Allwood contacted the fake profile online in December 2022, with the supposed girl telling him she was just 13.

He told her that he "loved her photo" and asked if she was single. Over the months he bombarded her with messages and would tell her that that she was "gorgeous". He sent photos of himself with his top off and asked her for photos.

He would repeatedly ask her what she was wearing in bed and quizzed her about sex education she had in school. He said he would massage her and take her away in his caravan or take her abroad. Then in April 2023 he suggested they meet for food, and that she should stay at his address. On April 21 last year he travelled the 85 miles from his home on Calais Road, Burton-on-Trent, to meet her at the McDonald's. Having been detained by the hunter group, he was then arrested but gave a no-comment interview to officers.

Mitigating, Stuart Field said that Allwood has no previous convictions and pleaded guilty at an early opportunity. He said: "He is not able to explain how this all arose. Thankfully, it was not a 13-year-old girl."

Judge Tahir Khan KC gave him a 12-month jail sentence, suspended for 18 months. He also gave him 40 rehabilitation days, put him on the sex offender register for 10 years and handed him a 10-year sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) to limit his internet use.

Description

A child sex offender in Staffordshire has been locked up for more than two decades.

Robert Mold, aged 63, of Bridgtown, Cannock, was arrested in July 2020 after the survivors bravely came forward and told us what he had done.

The offences happened between 2016 and 2017.

Once the survivors came forward, we started work to gather evidence and take Mold to court. He was questioned by detectives in custody and charged with the offences despite originally denying what happened.

On 26 February, Mold was sentenced to 24-years behind bars after he pleaded guilty to two counts of rape of a child, two counts of sexual activity with a child and six counts of sexual assault of a child.

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

Detective Sergeant Sophie Boden, from our Child Protection and Exploitation Team said: Id like to recognise the immense courage and bravery that the survivors have shown throughout this investigation.

Mold is a truly dangerous man who has inflicted an immeasurable deal of anguish on the victims.

Officers and staff from our Child Protection and Exploitation Team (CPET) have worked tirelessly to secure this conviction, support the victims and put a dangerous sex offender behind bars for a very long time.

I hope this serves as an example to any survivors of rape and sexual assault that they will be listened to, no matter how recent the offences may have been. We want to relentlessly pursue sex offenders, put them before the courts and deliver the toughest punishment possible.

Description

A man has been jailed for 19 years after pleading guilty to a series of child sexual offences.

Richard Griffiths, 33, from Stafford, admitted four counts of raping a girl under 13, two counts of inciting a girl under 13 to engage in sexual activity, taking an indecent photograph/pseudo-photograph of a child and engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child under 13.

He also pleaded guilty to sexual penetration by a person with a living animal.

Four other charges will lie on file, the court said.

Griffiths was placed on the sex offenders register for life and given an indefinite sexual harm prevention order.

Staffordshire Police said his crimes were reported to the force in November.

Det Sgt Sophie Boden, from the force’s child protection and exploitation team, described Griffiths as "truly a dangerous man" adding that the sentence would protect the community from him.

Description

A former Trowbridge school teacher has been sentenced to four years imprisonment for non-recent child sex offences.

Robert Kalton, 88, of Ashby Road, Burton upon Trent, was sentenced at Salisbury Crown Court today (15/02).

The former teacher and church choirmaster of St Augustine's Roman Catholic School pleaded guilty to four counts of gross indecency with a boy under the age of 14 and two counts of gross indecency with a man over the age of 16 at a previous hearing at Salisbury Crown Court on November 24.

At the hearing today Kalton was sentenced to four years for one count of indecent assault on a boy under 14. On three further counts of indecent assault on a boy under 14 he received sentences of 20 weeks, two years, and two years respectively. On two counts of indecent assault on a man aged 16 or over he received one year and one year respectively. The six sentences will run concurrently.

He is also on the sex offenders register for life.

The court heard that at the time the investigation commenced Kalton was already serving a four year prison sentence for similar offending. In total Kalton has been convicted of 32 sexual offences against at least six young boys. His offending spanned a period of two decades and he operated in various locations across the UK.

The victim in this case came to police in December 2019 and reported that Kalton, who was a Maths teacher at a Catholic secondary school in Trowbridge, had abused him multiple times over a 5 year period when he was aged between 11 and 16 years old, with these offences dating back to the 1970s.

In a statement released by his victim to the court, the former pupil said: "Robert Kalton was a teacher. He was also a religious man. As such he had power and respect. He occupied a position of trust, and he abused that trust in the worst way possible. School is a place where you spend a large proportion of your childhood. It is a place where you should feel safe. Instead, I was made to dread and fear going to school."

Detective Sergeant Rachel Winter of Wiltshire Police said: Robert Kalton is a sexual predator who used his position of authority as a teacher and member of the Catholic church to systematically abuse young boys. He stole his victims childhoods and changed their lives forever. They have lived with what happened to them for many years, and undoubtedly the crimes committed have affected them ever since.

"The victim in this case has shown immense courage throughout the investigation and legal proceedings. It is their perseverance which has resulted in the conviction.

"This case also highlights that no matter the length of time that has passed, the public should feel reassured that we will thoroughly investigate non-recent offences and support and work with victims throughout.

Description

Pervert Steven Hawkes was caught with horrific child abuse photos - after serving time for similar offending. The 42-year-old was jailed for 16 months in 2019 after he took personal photographs off customers’ computers at a Currys PC World store for his own sexual gratification.

Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court heard at the time he secretly copied hard drives while transferring shoppers’ data from their old devices to new ones which they had bought from the retail giant. He then viewed customers’ photographs – including a teenage girl’s school prom and pictures of women's breasts – at his home.

As part of the investigation, thousands of indecent images and films of children and extreme pornography featuring sex between humans and animals were also uncovered. He pleaded guilty to three charges of making indecent images of children, possessing extreme pornographic images, computer misuse and possessing cannabis.

But he received no help to address his problem and in December 2021, while misusing alcohol, he returned to perverted ways. Now Hawkes has been sentenced to nine months in prison, suspended for two years, at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court as the judge wants to give him a chance to receive treatment to address his issues.

Prosecutor Jas Dhaliwal said police received intelligence that the defendant's IP address had been used in connection with indecent images of children. They visited his address in Langley Street, Basford, at 7am on December 9, 2021.

Mr Dhaliwal said: "They seized two devices, a tablet and a mobile phone. They were analysed by experts. The tablet contained no indecent images. However there was evidence the device had been used to access folders regarding child sexual abuse."

Police recovered six accessible category A moving images from the phone; two category B movies; 58 prohibited still images and one moving image of a child; and one extreme pornographic image.

In his police interview in March this year Hawkes said he was misusing alcohol at the time. He said he was looking for that material so the police would arrest him and send him to custody.

Hawkes, of Langley Street, Basford, pleaded guilty to two charges of making indecent images of children; possession of a prohibited image of children and possession of an extreme pornographic image.

Hamish Noble, mitigating, said this offending was less serious than the 2019 matters but conceded his client's position was precarious because of his previous convictions. He said Hawkes did not receive much help to address his problem when in custody. He was released in April 2020, during lockdown, and had just two face-to-face meetings with probation in a 12-month period.

He said Hawkes is fortunate to have the support of his parents. But his finances were in a mess and he returned to alcohol misuse. Mr Noble said: "His position was quite bleak. He had no work, no money, debts, no relationship, and poor mental health. Alcohol may have acted as a disinhibitor."

Mr Noble said the offending happened during a two-week period. Hawkes has since consolidated his debts and reduced his alcohol consumption. Mr Noble added: "He recognises that is an issue. He can be punished in the community. There is a realistic prospect of rehabilitation."

As part of the suspended sentence Hawkes must complete an iHorizon course; a rehabilitation activity requirement for 25 days and 160 hours unpaid work.

Judge Graeme Smith said: "This case is unusual because normally people who are found with indecent images are initially given a suspended sentence with a treatment requirement. If they then re-offend they are sent to custody.

"In your case, you were sent to custody the first time you offended. You were not given any assistance by way of treatment. The purpose of the court is not just punishment but also rehabilitation.

"The fact you have re-offended in exactly the same way would normally lead to immediate custody. However, the extent of your offending is less than on the first occasion and it is much shorter in terms of length. There has been a significant delay since your arrest in December 2021."

Hawkes was made the subject of an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) and was placed on the sex offenders' register for life.

Judge Smith added: "This is to rehabilitate you as well as punish you. If you are unwilling or unable to change, be in no doubt what will happen next time, custody."

Description

A child sex offender has been jailed for two decades after being found guilty by a jury.

Carl Smith, 36, of no fixed abode, inflicted a campaign of physical and emotional abuse on the survivor. It happened in South Staffordshire.

He was arrested in July 2022 after offences were reported to us. He continued to deny the offences and was brought before a jury in September (2023).

Following a four-day trial, the jury found Smith guilty on a number of offences, including:

• Two counts of rape a girl
• Six counts of sexual assault a girl

He was jailed for a total of 20 years at Birmingham Crown Court on Friday (10 November). Smith was also made subject to an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) and a restraining order against the survivor.

Detective Sergeant Claire Mace, who dealt with the case, said: “The survivor in this case has shown immense bravery to come forward and report what happened. I can only hope the outcome of this investigation has given her some form of closure following the abuse she suffered at the hands of Smith. 

“We are committed to pursuing perpetrators of violence, abuse and intimidation against women and girls. Work is continuing around preventing offending and protecting those affected by it, changing behaviours and taking robust action against perpetrators.

“We want victims to know that they are our priority. Teams of specialist officers are here to speak to you in confidence, put a stop to those responsible and support you as much as possible.”

Description

A sex offender who once groomed and seduced a schoolgirl was caught by police living in the same house as children. Antony Bailey was previously jailed in 2017 after meeting up with a 13-year-old girl several times for sex.

The court heard at the time that he plied her with vodka and coaxed her into bed. He went on to admit charges including sexual activity with a child and causing or inciting prostitution or pornography involving a child.

As well as a seven year and nine month prison term, Bailey was placed on the sex offenders' register and made the subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) which banned him from accessing the internet without notifying the authorities. But he breached both by staying at his partner's Abbey Hulton home with her children and using Snapchat.

Now Bailey, aged 27, of Albert Terrace, Wolstanton, has been jailed for 18 months at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court. Prosecutor Antony Longworth said police and an offender manager carried out an unannounced visit to Bailey's Wolstanton address on September 19 this year.

Mr Longworth said: "He was asked to provide any internet enabled devices. He produced a phone which was checked. It showed he had been shopping for women's clothing.

"He disclosed he was in a relationship with a Polish woman. She had two sons and he had been staying with her. He was arrested.

"The property was searched and the items were found on an iPhone. It showed he had been using a user name which he had not notified to the police. He had been accessing Snapchat which he had not notified to the police.

"His partner had not been informed of the nature of his convictions. In June 2022 he had been staying at her house five nights a week and in July he had effectively moved in there when the children were still living there.

"She was aware he had criminal convictions but had been told they were for violence. He agreed he lived there until May 2023 when he moved out.

"He accepted he should have notified the police of the phone and his user name. He said he was remorseful and angry with himself."

The breaches included him:

• Using an iPhone to access Snapchat which he is banned from doing as it does not retain the history of internet use.
• Failing to make two internet enabled devices - an iPhone and Xbox - available to police when requested.
• Failing to notify the police that he had stayed seven days or more at his partner's house in Abbey Hulton.
• Failing to notify that he had spent 12 hours or more with a child under 18.
• Failing to notify his Snapchat user name within three days.

Bailey pleaded guilty to three charges of breaching a SHPO and three charges of failing to comply with the notification requirements of the sex offenders' register.

Anis Ali, mitigating, said Bailey has been recalled to prison on licence and his earliest release date is in 2025. He added: "I ask you to recognise the level of compliance demonstrated by him, in particular his guilty pleas."

Judge Graeme Smith said: "You were candid in your interview. You knew about the restraints that you had to comply with and you failed to do so."

He said there was clearly a significant risk to the children but there was no suggestion there was any harm caused to them. He added the offending was aggravated because Bailey was on licence at the time and because of his previous convictions.

The judge made a deprivation order for the phone.

Description

A former assistant headteacher at Wakefileld high school is facing jail after pleading guilty to accessing thousands of indecent child images.

Gareth Mellor, 43, was a senior staff member at Kettlethorpe High School at the time of the offending, which took place over seven years.

None of the offences relate to any children at the council-maintained school.

The school’s headteacher said he was “appalled” at the way Mellor had “betrayed the trust placed in him during his time at the school.”

Mellor was arrested following an investigation led by the National Crime Agency (NCA).

The 43-year old appeared before Leeds Crown Court today (November 8) where he pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent child images, between January 2014 and May 2021.

One count involves 520 category A images – the most serious level of offending.

Mellor also admitted making 690 category B and 10,450 category C images.

He pleaded not guilty to two further counts of possessing extreme pornographic images involving animals and possessing prohibited photographs of children.

Prosecutor Heather Gilmore said the pleas were acceptable to the Crown.

Mellor, who has no previous convictions, was released on bail until his sentencing hearing on December 7.

His bail conditions forbid him from having contact with children.

Mellor, of Pennycroft Road, Uttoxeter, Staffordshire, must also inform the NCA of any use of internet-enabled devices.

The Recorder of Leeds, Judge Guy Kearl KC, told Mellor that all sentencing options are open to the court, including a prison sentence.

He must also register as a sex offender.

Tudor Griffiths, headteacher at Kettlethorpe High School, said: “Although the crimes committed by Gareth Mellor have absolutely no connection to our school community, we are appalled at the way he has betrayed the trust placed in him during his time at the school.

“The safeguarding checks and procedures we, and all schools follow, did not identify any concerns. His ability to hide in a position of responsibility is shocking and upsetting.

“We take some comfort in the fact that the NCA investigation found that Mellor’s crimes had no association with any pupils, past or present.

“However, his crimes have affected the lives of other children and young people and our thoughts are with them.”

Vicky Schofield, Wakefield Council’s corporate director for children and young people, said: “As soon as were made aware of the allegations, Gareth Mellor was immediately suspended and dismissed shortly after.

“The National Crime Agency investigation was clear that these crimes do not relate to any students past or present at Kettlethorpe High School.

“But they do involve other children and young people and we are grateful to the NCA for bringing Mellor to justice.”

Danielle Pownall, NCA operations manager, said: “Gareth Mellor worked with children nearly every day and was entrusted to protect them.

“This investigation showed that he deeply betrayed this trust through amassing a huge collection of material showing the horrific abuse of children.

“Despite his attempts to conceal his activities by using cryptocurrency and encrypted storage services, this investigation was able to identify him as a committed buyer and consumer of child abuse material.

“The NCA is committed to tackling this criminality in all its forms, breaking the chain of supply and demand and protecting children from the most harmful offenders.”

Description

A pervert caught with sex abuse pictures on a mobile hidden under his pillow claimed he did not know the phone was there because he 'had not changed his bedsheets in a year'. Sex offender Kieran Slater has been locked up just weeks after walking free from court in another case.

The 26-year-old avoided jail when he was handed a suspended sentence in August after admitting child sex offences. He was made subject to a court order which he then breached, forcing him back before the same judge.

Now, he has been jailed for two-and-a-half years. Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court heard how Slater received a suspended sentence on August 30 after admitting downloading and distributing indecent images of children.

He was made subject to a sexual harm prevention order at the time. But he breached the order by installing Snapchat and failing to give police his user name, StokeonTrentLive reports.

Police found a mobile phone containing indecent images of children under his pillow. In his interview with officers, the convict claimed he had not changed his bedsheets for 12 months and did not know the phone was there.

Anis Ali, defending, said the sexual harm prevention order was in its infancy. He said Slater had resigned himself to receiving a custodial sentence.

Slater is 'relatively immature', Mr Ali added. The defendant, of Hallfield Grove, Tunstall, admitted making indecent images of children, failing to comply with the notification requirements of the sex offenders register, and three charges of breaching his sexual harm prevention order.

He was also in breach of the earlier suspended sentence. Sentencing, Judge Graeme Smith said: "It is very disappointing to see you back in front of me a couple of months after I sentenced you.

"It is clear that the police had given you very clear instructions and you decided to go outside the instructions." Slater was told he remains on the sex offenders register and will be subject to the sexual harm prevention order for 10 years.

Description

A sex offender gave an underage girl alcohol before illegally having sex with her in Derbyshire. Derby Crown Court heard how Daniel Jeffries was six years older than his victim when he carried out the offence against the “vulnerable” 15-year-old.

In heartbreaking victim impact statements, the brave girl told how since it took place, what happened has “affected her every day” while her father said his daughter “had taken a huge emotional dip”.

Now the defendant is tasting custody for the first time at the age of 23. Jailing him for 15 months, Judge Shaun Smith KC said: “It is important to say from the outset you were six years her senior, you knew how old she was and you knew she had mental health issues. The pair of you had drunk alcohol and you were no doubt both disinhibited.

“You then had sexual intercourse with her, it was unprotected and, in short, you took advantage of a young girl you knew was vulnerable. You showed no remorse and you then embarked on victim blaming in pursuit of that.

“The consequences for her have been drastic, she had regressed and it was effectively mid-trial (when you changed your plea) and the fact of the matter is this has made her worse when she was getting better.”

Kevin Jones, prosecuting, said the incident took place in Derbyshire when Jeffries was 21 and the girl was 15. He said the defendant was drinking alcohol with a friend and contacted the victim saying he had booze and she joined them. Then, after his friend had gone, he had sex with the girl.

The prosecutor said: “He knew she had been drinking alcohol as he had provided her with it. She told her parents 'something bad has happened,’ they gave her some comfort and she then rang her boyfriend and told him and it was him that made contact with the police.

“Mr Jeffries was arrested at his home address and gave a different account of what had happened to the one she gave.” A number of victim impact statements were summarised by the judge who read them out in court.

In hers, the teenager said what took place “affected her thoughts every day” and that it “affected her self-confidence and self-esteem”. The victim’s father, in his statement, told how the family had moved to Derbyshire to help his daughter and “things were on the upturn” until she was abused by the defendant.

He said: “Everything has changed since, she has regressed and does not feel safe. It is an emotional rollercoaster, she is permanently on edge and cannot relax. In short, she’s taken a huge emotional dip.”

In another statement, the girl’s mother told how Jeffries “has damaged our daughter and we are trying to fix it”. And the teen’s aunt said: “She is now a shell of the person she once was, she now has no zest for life.”

Midway through his trial, Jeffries, of Chapel Lane, Rangemoor, Burton, pleaded guilty to sexual activity with a child. Lucy Jones, mitigating, said: “He comes to crown court with his (prison) bag, it (the offence) was out of character and unfortunately what happened that night caused the consequences we have heard about (in court)

As well as the jail sentence, Judge Smith handed the defendant a five-year restraining order and a 10-year sexual harm prevention order. He also placed him on the sex offender register, also for 10 years.

Description

A man who groomed and sexually assaulted a child in North Staffordshire has been jailed.  

Callum Dobing, 26, from Stone, groomed the victim through social media and arranged to meet with her in April this year.

He then sexually assaulted the victim, who later reported the incident to us.

Dobing was arrested shortly after and questioned in custody. He went on to admit the offences in court and was given a ten-year extended sentence at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court on Wednesday 23 August.

As part of his sentencing, Dobing was handed an indefinite sexual harm prevention order. He pleaded guilty to failing to comply with sex offender notification requirements, meeting a girl under 16 following grooming and three counts of sexual activity with a child.

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A housing association is facing questions over why it employed a convicted rapist who was out on licence from prison.

Ian Mycock was employed by Homes Plus this summer, within months of his release after three and a half years of a seven-year sentence.

The 39-year-old attacked a woman as she slept in bed next to her two-year-old son. His victim, Samantha Key said she was sickened to learn Mycock had been working for the social landlord in what is understood to have been a role supervising a team of maintenance staff.

StokeonTrentLive has heard from tenants who say the sex offender had visited their homes in the course of his work.

And Homes Plus bosses and the Probation Service are now facing demands for answers as to how the situation was ever allowed to happen.

The housing association, which is responsible for over 19,000 properties in Staffordshire and Shropshire, says that Mycock is no longer working for it, and that it will be beefing up the checks it does on all employees.

But the incident has raised questions about how robust its policies and procedures were prior to employing Mycock, who started working for the social landlord around a month ago.

His employment came to light when a Homes Plus worker known to Ms Key contacted her to tell her someone had been asking after her family.

Mum-of-five Ms Key, who has waived her right to anonymity as a victim of a sexual offence, said: “One of two things must have happened: either he’s not disclosed that he’s a sex offender because they’ve not asked or he’s not told them, and they’ve not done any kind of checks on him; or someone has thought it acceptable to send a rapist into people’s homes. Either way it is totally unacceptable.

“Where is the Probation Service in all this? Are they just taking the word of a sex offender that he’s declared his conviction to an employer? How can that be right?”

Mycock, who is from Stafford, was jailed in 2019 for the rape of Ms Key. She said he and his partner had been among a group of friends who had visited her home one day in August 2018. She said Mycock and his partner stayed overnight, and that she awoke in the early hours to find him sexually assaulting her in the presence of her sleeping toddler son.

As part of the conditions of his release in February, he is banned from entering Stone, where retail worker Ms Key lives and where Homes Plus manages properties.

StokeonTrentLive knows of three tenants of the housing association who have claimed Mycock has been in their properties in the Stafford area. One of them described Mycock arriving in a white van along with another male member of staff to assess work that needed to be done.

The tenant said she was now “very nervous to let anyone in”.

As well as his conviction for rape, for which Mycock will remain on the sex offenders’ register for life, he also has a now spent 2017 conviction for being caught in possession of two bags of cocaine worth around £100.

It is not clear whether Homes Plus asks applicants to declare if they have unspent criminal convictions, and the law makes clear that the burden is on the employer to ask the question, rather than on the applicant to volunteer the information.His rape conviction will never be legally spent.

But if an applicant is asked, they must tell the truth about any unspent convictions.

StokeonTrentLive has found that with roles currently available at Homes Plus, applicants are asked to apply online by submitting a CV and cover letter. Some job specifications mention there will be a need for a Disclosure Barring Service (DBS) check, but others do not. StokeonTrentLive has been unable to find evidence of any information on the Homes Plus website and vacancies portal about the declaration of criminal records or any request for them to be declared.

Homes Plus would not tell StokeonTrentLive whether it had asked Mycock whether he had a criminal record, or whether he volunteered the information.

StokeonTrentLive understands the Probation Service was aware of his employment, and that it was approved by a supervisor.

If an offender doesn’t seek approval, they risk being recalled to custody.

But there is no requirement for the Probation Service to check whether a sex offender or other convicted criminal it is supervising has declared convictions.

A probation supervisor will “make a judgement about approving any employment to ensure it does not undermine public protection”, according to guidance.

Sex offenders can be breaking the law by even applying for certain protected roles that involve working with children and vulnerable adults. And Homes Plus says that up to now it carried out DBS checks on staff who have “significant contact with vulnerable tenants”.

Ms Key said while she welcomed plans to toughen up procedures, she believed the employment of Mycock showed the housing association’s policies, and those of the Probation Service, had not been robust enough.

She added: “I can’t believe that it’s a question of ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ even where employing sex offenders is concerned.

“And it’s incredible that no-one in the Probation Service seems to have asked whether he had told Homes Plus that he was a convicted rapist on licence, and whether they were okay with that.

“If he was going into people’s homes at all, then there’s every chance he was coming into contact with vulnerable people. And what about the duty of care to other staff working at Homes Plus? I understand some of them are livid they were working alongside a rapist and didn’t know it.”

As of this week, Mycock is no longer employed by Homes Plus, whether he resigned or was sacked has not been confirmed.

Generally, if an employee hasn’t been asked about unspent criminal convictions, they can only be sacked when one comes to light if the offence is relevant to the job they are doing.

They might also be sacked if employing them risked serious harm to the employer’s reputation.

Les Clarke, executive director of housing and care at Homes Plus’s parent company Housing Plus, said “immediate steps” were taken once the allegations came to light, in order to “safeguard our customers and colleagues in connection with this matter”.

He added: “We are deeply sorry for any distress or anxiety caused to customers and offer our sincerest apologies to anybody who has been affected.

“Housing Plus Group has procedures in place to deal with situations of this nature and they have been implemented as a matter of urgency. The member of staff is no longer working for the organisation.

“Housing Plus Group requires DBS checks for staff who have significant contact with vulnerable tenants and our intention now is to extend this to all roles where there is any contact with customers.

“We will be doing this retrospectively for all existing staff who do not already have DBS clearance.”

A Ministry of Justice spokesman said: “Offenders on licence are subject to robust risk assessments before they can undertake work and must abide by their strict licence conditions – which if broken could see them returned to jail.”