Latest Offenders Walsall

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Former Walsall Council leader Sean Coughlan has pleaded guilty to two child sex offences. The 65-year-old admitted one count relating to sexual communication and one count relating to attempted sexual activity with a child under 16 between August and December 2021 when he appeared at Wolverhampton Crown Court on Friday. Coughlan spoke to change his plea to guilty from not guilty. There was no application for bail. A trial had been due to be held on July 18. However now the veteran politician has pleaded guilty he will be sentenced in four weeks. Coughlan, of Martin Drive, Short Heath, Willenhall, was remanded in custody until then. Coughlan was the elected representative for the Willenhall South ward but resigned in December following his arrest after being caught in an internet sting. Self-styled paedophile hunters confronted Coughlan and posted a 30-minute video of them questioning the Labour politician on social media. He was then arrested and charged by West Midlands Police and spent Christmas behind bars after being kept in custody. A spokesman for Walsall Council said at the time: The council received Councillor Sean Coughlans written notice of resignation from his office as a councillor. His resignation was formally and immediately accepted. He is no longer a Walsall MBC councillor. He was first elected in 1995 and has successfully defended the seat on a number of occasions, the latest being in May this year. During his career he rose to become deputy leader and then leader of both his party and Walsall Council, which he was in charge of between 2016 and 2018. He stepped down as leader of the Walsall Labour Group in 2019. It is understood that Councillor Coughlan was also suspended from the Labour Party following his arrest.

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A man from the West Midlands travelled nearly 90 miles to Bedford with the intention of sexually abusing an 11-year-old child.

He was handed five years in prison at Luton Crown Court on Thursday, January 21.

Jamie Macpherson, 46, from Walsall was arrested at Bedford Train Station by police soon after arriving in Bedford, Bedfordshire, on June 18 last year.

He was found with two hard drives containing "huge" amounts of indecent images of children.

The images included category A images which means: "Images involving penetrative sexual activity, images involving sexual activity with an animal or sadism."

These were described by investigators as "some of the worst and most abhorrent child sexual abuse material" they had ever seen.

Following his arrest Macpherson pleaded guilty to facilitating and arranging the commission of a child sexual offence, possession to show or distribute indecent images of children, and possession of indecent images of children.

Additionally, he also pleaded guilty to distributing indecent images of children, in relation to offences committed in the West Midlands.

His five-year sentence was comprised of three years for the Bedfordshire offences and a further two years, to run consecutively, for the West Midlands offences.

He was also served with an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Macpherson's plans to travel to Bedford were uncovered as a result of a proactive operation by the Eastern Region Special Operations Unit.

Once Macpherson was arrested, the investigation team worked with digital media investigators, who were instrumental in securing the evidence from the hard drives in his possession.

Investigation Officer Paul Baddeley, from Bedfordshire Police's Cyber Hub, said: "Macpherson is an extremely dangerous offender who has travelled a long way from his home with a clear intent to sexually abuse a child.

"Following his arrest, he was found in possession of huge amounts of indecent images of children. Some of these have been described as some of the worst and most abhorrent child sexual abuse material the investigation team have ever seen.

"Thanks to close collaboration with our colleagues at West Midlands Police and the Eastern Region Special Operations Unit, this horrific offender will be locked up away from our communities and children he could pose a risk to."

He added: "We are seeing an ever increasing amount of referrals of this nature, we would like to take this opportunity to remind parents and guardians of how important it is to ensure their children know how to keep themselves safe online.

"Any child can become the victim of grooming, no matter what their gender, ethnicity or background. If you think that this might be happening to you or someone you know then it's important you speak out and tell someone you trust."

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A MAN who planned to rape an eight-year-old girl travelled across the country with sex toys.

Lance Baynes was caught with restraints, sex toys, and lubricant at a Hampshire service station.

The 48-year-old had arranged to meet another man at Sutton Scotney Services and then rape an eight-year-old girl.

However, he was arrested during a police sting on August 21 this year.

When police seized Baynes' electronic devices they found 1,430 indecent or extreme images.

Officers also discovered he had been the admin of an online account which had been sharing images of children with other paedophiles.

Baynes formerly of Cedar Close in Walsall had also been communicating sexually with a 13-year-old girl, a Winchester Crown Court heard.

He pleaded guilty to the following ten charges:

• Arranging/facilitating the rape of a child under 13-years-old

• Three counts of making indecent images of children

• One count of possession of extreme indecent images

• Three counts of distributing indecent images of children

• Intentionally encouraging an offender to commit an indictable offence.

He was today, sentenced to eight years in prison and will be on license for four years after his release.

DC Steve Hill, of Hampshire Constabulary's ICAT said: "Prior to his arrest Lance Baynes had been planning to commit an atrocious offence against what he believed was an 8-year-old girl. He is a dangerous offender, and I hope his sentencing reassures the public.

"This was a complex and difficult investigation, and I would like to thank our colleagues at SEROCU for their assistance in bringing this case to justice.

"We take all reports of sexual offending very seriously, and will do anything in our power to bring those responsible to justice and to protect vulnerable people from such predators."