Latest Offenders

Description

A man has been jailed for more than eight years after a jury found him guilty of attempted rape and three sex assaults.

Daniel Scott will remain on the sex offender's register for the rest of his life. The 40-year-old had denied the charges but was found guilty by a jury at Teesside Crown Court.

On Monday, July 28, Scott, of Cranwell Grove, Thornaby, appeared at the court for sentencing. He was sentenced to a total of eight and a half years behind bars and a restraining order was made indefinitely.

Detective Sergeant Bonnie Dowson, who investigated said:

“The bravery of the victim in coming forward and giving evidence, will no doubt safeguard others from Scott.

“Sexual assaults like this will always be thoroughly investigated and those responsible should expect to be put before the courts. Please come forward and speak to police if you have ever been a victim of a sexual offence, where we can help victims to access support services and bring those responsible to justice.”

Description

A sex offender inadvertently revealed his illicit activities to police after reporting an apparent attempt to blackmail him.

Andrew Mayfield called Nottinghamshire Police on 16 September last year after receiving a message via social media accusing him of exchanging explicit messages with a teenage boy.

When officers arrived at his house, Mayfield handed over his mobile phone and displayed a series of messages and images, some of which had been deleted in a failed bid to avoid incriminating himself.

After his arrest on suspicion of engaging in sexual communication with a child, Mayfield’s phone was forensically examined and was found to contain multiple indecent images of children.

Mayfield was interviewed and released on conditional bail, with clear instructions not to have contact with anyone under the age of 18.

Despite this condition, he then began exchanging explicit messages with a person he believed to be a teenage boy.

In reality, he was exchanging messages with members of an online activist group, who confronted him at his home on 5 November and called Nottinghamshire Police.

His phone was later found to contain a series of sexually explicit messages to a boy who – despite not giving his age - told Mayfield he was still at school.

Despite this experience Mayfield then committed an almost identical offence with another decoy he believed to be a 14-year-old – an offence that led him to be arrested for a third time.

Mayfield, now aged 50, was remanded into custody and later charged with multiple sexual offences.

He later pleaded guilty to three counts of making an indecent photograph of a child and two counts of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child.

Appearing at Nottingham Crown Court on Wednesday via video link from prison, Mayfield, formerly of Farnsfield, was jailed for 20 months.

He was also added to the sex offenders register and made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order which will tightly restrict his online activities and access to children in the future.

Mayfield, the court was told, rarely left his home and had been driven to commit the offences by his loneliness and mental ill-health.

Detective Sergeant Adam Taylor, of Nottinghamshire Police, said:

“For obvious reasons most of the people we deal with try very hard not to have any contact with the police.

“Mayfield is unusual in that he made the decision to call us claiming to be the victim of a crime.

“In doing so he inadvertently handed over damning evidence of his illegal online activities.

“Seemingly unphased by this first arrest, he then went on to commit two other serious sexual offences before he was remanded into custody.

“I am pleased he has now been held to account for his actions and hope this case serves as a warning to others about the potential consequences this kind of behaviour.

“Because we will find out about it, we will investigate and we will put you before the courts.”

Description

A CONVICTED paedophile set up a Snapchat account and pretended to be a teenager to encourage children to share explicit images of themselves.

Terry Hughes was ordered to register as a sex offender in 2020 for engaging in sexual communication with a child. He was sentenced for the same offence in June 2022, before appearing again later that year for possession of indecent, prohibited, and extreme pornographic images.

He was also made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order.

Prosecutor Alycia Carpanini told Swansea Crown Court that Dyfed-Powys Police attended Hughes’ Waterston home on June 25 after receiving intelligence that his IP address was linked to a Snapchat account involved in online child sex offences.

Hughes initially denied having a device, but then handed officers an unregistered phone and gave them the PIN.

Officers found a Snapchat account on the phone claiming to be a 15-year-old boy, and the account had set up a group encouraging teenagers to post indecent images.

Two accounts were also found on Session – an encrypted instant messaging app where users remain anonymous.

One of the accounts – in the name ‘Terry Teacher’ – had been communicating with accounts which claimed to be children, as well as with other adults who had a sexual interest in children.

During conversations between June 11 and 14, Hughes asked for sexual pictures from an user who said they were a teenage girl. He also sent pictures of himself naked and a video of himself masturbating.

In the early hours of June 25, he asked a user claiming to be a 10-year-old child for indecent images and sent naked images of himself. The user sent an image of a young child “in a state of undress”, however Ms Carpanini said this did not meet the criteria as an indecent image.

Hughes had also been speaking with a man with a young child, and encouraged him to send indecent images of his son.

The court heard Hughes could only be charged with attempted sexual communication with a child because the real age of the other account holders could not be identified.

Hughes, of Meadow Way, made full admissions in interview, and pleaded guilty to two offences of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child, attempting to cause a child to watch sexual activity, making a Category C indecent images, and breaching of a sexual harm prevention order.

The court heard all of 41-year-old Hughes’ nine previous offences were relating to child sexual offences.

David Singh, appearing for Hughes, acknowledged the mitigation available is this case was “limited”.

“There’s a recognition that he does have a real problem that has to be addressed,” he said.

“Mr Hughes deeply regrets his behaviour. He is ashamed.”

Judge Geraint Walters sentenced Hughes to a total of two years imprisonment.

The defendant must register as a sex offender for 10 years, and was made the subject of a new sexual harm prevention order for the same period.

Description

A sexual predator has been jailed for multiple sexual offences in Leeds.    

Last week, Ashley Roberts of Colliery Close, Allerton Bywater was jailed for 26 and a half years at Leeds Crown Court after being found guilty of 14 offences against a woman, who was a child when she first met him.   

The 32-year-old was found guilty in a trial in July of seven offences of rape, two counts of sexual assault, kidnap, grievous bodily harm, intentional strangulation, and two counts of threats to kill.  

Roberts was also found guilty of a further offence of child neglect, following enquiries made during the investigation regarding another victim.  

Appearing before the court for sentencing on Thursday 24th July, Roberts was sentenced to a total of 26 and a half years with an extended licence period of five years.  

He was also issued with a restraining order and will be ordered to sign the sex offenders register indefinitely.

In the victim’s own words, she said:  

“I close my eyes and I am back there, in that place, fighting, doing anything to stay alive.  

“You may have kidnapped, raped and beat me but eventually I won’t need to look over my shoulder or be scared because you didn’t break me…”    

Detective Constable Argie Dratzidis of Leeds District Safeguarding Team, who led the investigation said:  

“I firstly want to recognise the sheer bravery of our victim for her courage to come forward to police to report the harrowing abuse she was subjected to but also for navigating the complex and lengthy criminal justice process.  

“Roberts is a violent and predatory sexual offender who refused to take accountability for his actions. The sentence handed to Roberts, should be a reminder that sexual abuse and violence will not be tolerated. We will continue to do all we can to fight for justice.”  

Detective Inspector Nicola Morton-Wiltshire added:  “I would also like to acknowledge the complexity and challenges of this case. The sentencing given to Roberts is a result of the absolute dedication DC Dratzidis and colleagues devoted to their investigation and to getting the justice the victims deserved in order to put a dangerous offender behind bars.

“If you have been raped or sexually assaulted, please know it is never your fault. You will be listened to, supported and it will be dealt with sensitively and with the utmost seriousness.”

Description

A dangerous sexual predator has been jailed for raping two women.

Matthew Hall, aged 39, from Newton Abbot, was described as a 'monster' by one of his traumatised victims and a 'worst nightmare' by the other.

He pleaded guilty to two charges of rape and a further five charges of sexual assault and one of assault by penetration.

He initially claimed to suffer with sexomnia - also known as sex sleep - but later admitted his guilt.

Exeter Crown Court was told he poses a danger to women. The judge sentenced him to 14 years with an extra two years added on extended licence due to the risk he poses.

The court heard harrowing victim personal statements from both women.

One said that before the incident she had been a happy, bubbly and independent woman. She now feels broken and mentally tortured by what happened. She suffers ongoing anxiety and panic attacks, flashbacks and nightmares.

Hall waited until the day after his planned trial had been due to start before admitting rape.

The victim said the wait for justice had only added to her agony but she had found the strength to fight for the truth.

The second woman said the rape had left her in a constant state of fear and still haunts her. She feels the confident person she was is a distant memory.

The defendant is a man of previous good character. The court was told Hall had a 'perfect blue-eyed boy image' which hid his true sinister nature.

A pre-sentence report described him as 'manipulative and predatory' and someone who took advantage of women when they were at their most vulnerable.

He poses a high risk of causing serious harm to women.

Judge Anna Richardson said 'in spite of extremely strong evidence' Hall waited before pleading guilty.

She accepted he is remorseful, to an extent. She added: "No person is one dimensional, and those references make clear that you can be kind, supportive, helpful, diligent, and are loved by your family and friends who are incredibly sad."

But she said a determinate sentence would not fully address the risk he represents to the public in the future. The parole board will decide when the right time is to release him after which he will be on licence for the full 16 years.

He was put on the sex offenders register for life.

Afterwards, investigating officer, Detective Constable Tia Smallridge said: “This has been a long and protracted investigation spanning over four years. The defendant, Mr Hall, targeted and took advantage of the victims, and violated them in a place where they should have felt safe from harm.

“Even throughout the court proceedings, various efforts to thwart the case has been successfully overcome and resulted in Hall pleading guilty.

“Hall is a dangerous sexual predator whose own sexual desire and preoccupation was his only thought. He showed no regard for the victims and the impact of his actions on their lives, not only at the material time of the offending, but also the lasting impact his actions will have in their futures.

“I praise the courage and commitment of both victims during the course of the investigation and court proceedings. Without their bravery and trust in the police and justice system to seek justice on their behalf, we would not be able to welcome the sentence passed by Her Honour Judge Anna Richardson today."

Description

A 60-year-old man from Tewkesbury has been sentenced to eight years in prison for raping a woman multiple times.

Vernon Steele, who is from the Northway area, had previously denied four counts of rape, but following a trial at Gloucester Crown Court, a jury unanimously found him guilty of all charges.

It took the jury just 34 minutes to reach their verdicts on Monday 16 June.

The court heard how in June 2023, Steele had befriended the woman, who had significant learning difficulties. 

Steele began to visit the woman regularly and told her neighbours that he was helping her with household chores and keeping her company.

The following month Steele showed her a video of him masturbating and pornography on his phone. The woman did not like this and told Steele to stop.

A few days later Steele raped the woman in her bedroom.

Steele then raped the woman in her home on three more occasions over the next ten days.

His crimes were reported to the police after a neighbour found the woman distressed and crying in her flat. She disclosed that Steele had raped her on four occasions and that she had said no each time.

Officers attended and spoke with the woman and Steele was arrested on suspicion of rape.

When Steele was interviewed by officers, he denied having engaged in any sexual activity with the woman and he was released on police bail to allow for further enquiries to take place.

Steele was re-interviewed by officers in December 2023 following an investigation by Gloucestershire Constabulary's Criminal Investigation Department. He was shown forensic evidence which supported the woman's report that he had raped her.

Following this disclosure, Steele changed his account of events and said that he had consensual sexual intercourse with the woman on one occasion. 

Following a police investigation, the Crown Prosecution Service authorised charges for four counts of rape. After he appeared at court, the court released him on bail.

Steele failed to appear at Gloucester Crown Court on 22 November 2024 and a judge issued a warrant for his arrest.

Gloucestershire Police then published a wanted appeal on their social media channels and he was located in the Newent area following sightings from members of the public.

Steele was re-arrested on 20 December 2024 and remanded in custody to await trial.

As well as being sentenced to eight years in jail, Steele will be placed on the Sex Offenders' Register for life.

Sentencing Steele, Judge Rupert Lowe said:

"You conceived that this vulnerable woman might be an outlet for your sexual frustrations. You showed her sexual video material on your phone but she didn't want to see it. 

"You were not to be deterred by her lack of enthusiasm for this and you got her into her own bedroom and removed her lower clothing and had sexual intercourse without her consent which is an offence of rape."

Investigating officer Detective Constable Jon Furse said:

"Steele raped the woman multiple times. He knew she was extremely vulnerable, and she had repeatedly told him no, but he ignored her and raped her. He subjected her to horrific crimes that will impact her for the rest of her life.

"Even though he denied the multiple charges of rape, the wealth of evidence we presented to the court meant his lies were uncovered with the jury returning a guilty verdict for all four counts in just 34 minutes.

"I would like to commend the victim in this case for her bravery and I would encourage anyone who has been raped to report it to us. Our specially-trained officers will listen and you will be believed and supported every step of the way." 

Description

A rapist who police said was a "danger to women" has been jailed for more than 13 years.

Jonathan Ellis, 30, of no fixed address, was found guilty of rape, sexual assault, coercive and controlling behaviour, making threats to kill and criminal damage after a trial at Leeds Crown Court.

Police said his crimes took place over an eight-year period between 2016 and 2024.

Ellis, from Dewsbury, was jailed at the same court on Monday for 13 and a half years, with three more years on licence due to the risk the judge said he posed.

Speaking after the sentence West Yorkshire Police's PC Isaac Taylor said Ellis had carried out some "shocking offences against his victim".

He said: "Given that offending included serious sexual assault, coercive control and stalking, it is no exaggeration to say he subjected his victim to a whole spectrum of abuse, and we do believe he poses a real danger to women.

"His victim has shown significant courage in coming forwards and reporting Ellis, and then in supporting the prosecution."

Description

A church pastor who sexually assaulted a female churchgoer under the pretence of "removing demons" from her body has been jailed for 10 years.

Walter Masocha, 61, groped the married woman at his home in Stirling, claiming he was a "gift from god".

The former University of Stirling lecturer also attempted to rape another woman during a campaign of abuse from 2006 to 2012.

Walter Masocha was found guilty at the High Court in Livingston on Wednesday, 2 July, 2025, of a number of sexual offences, including attempted rape, committed against two women between January 2006 and July 2012. He was sentenced at the same court on Monday, 28 July.

Detective Sergeant David Brown said:

"Masocha's abhorrent actions have caused lasting harm, and he will now be held to account for them in prison.

"We hope this sentencing provides the women affected with some sense of closure and helps them in moving forward with their lives.

"I would encourage anyone who has experienced sexual abuse to report it. Every report is taken seriously and will be fully investigated, and support will be provided by our specially trained officers and partner agencies."

Description

Following an investigation by Thames Valley Police, a man has jailed for six years for sexual activity with a girl.

Elvis Nosakhare, aged 41, of, Sheelin Grove, Bletchley, was sentenced to six years in jail at Aylesbury Crown Court today (29/7).

Nosakhare will remain on the Sex Offenders Register for life and the court also issued a restraining order against him.

After a trial earlier this year, Nosakhare was found guilty of two counts of engaging in penetrative sexual activity with a girl and three counts of engaging in non-penetrative sexual activity with a girl.

Nosakhare met the mother of the victim via online dating and then abused her daughter in a disgusting betrayal of trust.

The offences happened in the Thames Valley.

Investigating officer, Detective Constable Bryn Smith, of the Child Abuse Unit, said:

“I want to commend the victim for her bravery throughout both the investigation and court proceedings. I hope that Elvis Nosakhare’s conviction and sentence gives her some sense of justice.

“Thames Valley Police has dedicated teams who investigate sexual offences, support victims and bring offenders to justice.

“I would encourage anyone with information about sexual offences and victims of sexual offences to contact the police.

“You will be listened to and supported by experienced officers and staff.

“You can contact the force in many ways, by calling 101, via our website, or by visiting a police station.”

Description

A rapist who changed his story multiple times in a bid to escape justice has been jailed for seven-and-a-half years.  

Jordan Hewitt, 33, of Thorverton, was sentenced at Exeter Crown Court on Friday 25 July after previously being found guilty by a jury of rape.

During the trial, the court heard how in May 2022 the victim in the case went out with friends in Tiverton.

At the end of the night, she received a Facebook message from Hewitt offering her a place to stay.

The victim met Hewitt, and they went together to the defendant’s brother’s house as she didn’t want to wake her mum.

The victim went to sleep fully clothed and was awoken by Hewitt raping her. She immediately shoved Hewitt off and called her mum for a lift home, disclosing to her straight away what had happened.

Later that day the victim sent Hewitt a Facebook message asking ‘why did you do that to me?’ Hewitt completely dismissed the question and replied asking her if she got back okay and saying she could call him if she wanted. She then blocked him on Facebook.

Around three weeks later Hewitt bumped into one of the victim’s friends and thinking quickly, the friend secretly recorded Hewitt giving his initial account of the incident to her.

In the recording Hewitt admitted penetrating the victim and then stopping when she shoved him off.

During this account Hewitt seemingly tried excusing his actions saying, ‘she clearly met me for a bit of fun’. Hewitt was then captured saying that the victim will be forced to leave town and beaten up should the matter go to court.

In interview, Hewitt claimed that it was the victim that initiated sexual activity. Hewitt initially denied making any threats around assaulting the victim.

Part of secret recording containing the threat was then presented to him, causing the defendant to panic. He then changed his story to admitting to making the threat but not meaning it.

The remainder of the secret recording was then played to Hewitt, in which he gave his account of the incident. This again caused him to panic and again change his account, now saying that the victim didn’t tell him to stop, but there was ‘a bit of a weird moment where she looked like she backed out’.

On the case going to court Hewitt yet again changed his account saying in his defence statement that he was too drunk to have sex.

Then in cross examination revised his account again saying that he didn't have sex due to the awkward angle between him and the victim, who was facing away from him.

Officer in the case Detective Constable Andrew Stacey from Exeter CID said:

“We welcome the sentence handed down by the court, which would not have been possible without the courage and continued support of the victim throughout the investigation.

“I would also like to thank all the witnesses who came forward and gave evidence, particularly one individual whose quick thinking to covertly record one of Hewitt’s accounts played a crucial role in exposing his ongoing deception.

“Hewitt is a manipulative man who showed a complete lack of regard for the individual he harmed. His persistent dishonesty and repeated changes to his story ultimately led to his downfall.

“I hope this outcome provides the victim with a sense of closure as she continues to move forward with her life.”

Description

Hamed Kianipanah, 36, of Brook Road, Brent, London, has today (Monday 28 July 2025) been sent to prison for nine years, plus an additional three years on licence, for raping a woman at an address in Richmondshire in 2022.

Kianipanah was found guilty on 5 June 2025 of having unconsented sex with the victim.

The jury heard evidence that Kianipanah had groomed and controlled the woman around the time of the rape.

However, she found the courage to make a report to North Yorkshire Police in 2023.

This sparked a two-year investigation led by Temporary Detective Sergeant Quita Readman from Hambleton and Richmondshire CID.

T/DS Readman said:

“When she felt ready to do so, she bravely approached the police and disclosed what had happened to her. She also got access to a range of professional support and care that is readily available to all survivors of rape and sexual assaults.

“With her support, we carried out a thorough investigation capturing the whole story of the grooming stages Kianipanah engaged in before and after the rape, maintaining a level of control over the survivor.

“The jury heard the compelling evidence, and they returned a unanimous guilty verdict against the defendant.”

T/DS Readman added:

“I have nothing but praise for the bravery of the survivor in this case. It also shows it is never too late to make a report to the police and seek support from the Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) and organisations such as IDAS.

“We are here to help you - please don’t hesitate to get in touch.”

As well as the custodial sentence, Kianipanah has also been placed on the Register of Sex Offenders and been made subject of a restraining order.

Description

Osamah Al-Haddad, a 26-year-old Yemeni migrant, was found with disturbing child abuse material and bestiality videos on his phone after arriving at Heathrow Airport from Cairo in January 2024.

The explicit videos were discovered during a routine search as part of his asylum screening. Among them was a Category A video involving bestiality, which the judge later described as “grotesque” and “depraved.” Al-Haddad had entered the UK on a student visa and later sought asylum, claiming he faced persecution from the Houthis for refusing to join their military efforts.

Despite admitting to three counts of making indecent photos of children and one count of making a pseudo-image, Al-Haddad insisted he had no sexual interest in children and claimed the videos were sent to him via WhatsApp. However, the court questioned his credibility, noting the files had been saved on his device since 2021 and were not deleted. Judge Fiona Barrie emphasized the serious nature of the crimes and the real harm to the children depicted in the videos.

Al-Haddad was handed a 30-week suspended sentence, meaning he will not serve prison time unless he reoffends within a year. He was also placed under a ten-year sexual harm prevention order and must complete 150 hours of unpaid community work. The case has raised questions about the UK’s asylum policies, particularly in light of recent government proposals to bar foreign sex offenders from asylum protections—a policy that only applies to those sentenced to more than a year.

Despite the conviction, Al-Haddad's asylum application remains active. He currently resides in Plymouth, Devon, where he works at a restaurant and earns around £781 per month, most of which he reportedly sends to his wife and child in Yemen. His defense highlighted his desire to reunite with his family in the UK and continue supporting them financially.

After the sentencing, Al-Haddad was seen outside Isleworth Crown Court appearing indifferent, giving a thumbs up to a passerby filming him and denying knowledge of the images' source. The incident has sparked public outrage, as critics argue that individuals convicted of such offences should face harsher penalties, including deportation, especially when they are seeking refuge in the country.

Description

The man pictured below is Andrew Thomson. He is a 53-year-old paedophile and a monster.

You won’t see him on the streets of East Lancashire for a very long time. That’s because on Friday (25th July) he was jailed for 24 years after carrying out serious sexual offences against a six-year-old boy and an eight-year-old boy.

After we arrested Thomson for those crimes, we were contacted by two further victims who the defendant had befriended and then sexually assaulted some years earlier.

Thomson groomed his first two victims, attempted to rape them and carried out multiple sexual assaults against them. He also forced them to watch him perform lewd acts on himself in their presence.

Thomson told his victims not to tell anyone about what he was doing to them ‘or it will be bad luck in life’.

Those offences mainly occurred in Accrington.

DC Hannah Blundell, who works in our Force Major Investigation Team and investigated those offences, said:

“Thomson is a manipulative sexual deviant who carried out unspeakable sexual crimes against two vulnerable boys. This is some of the worst sexual offending I have seen in my career and I welcome the significant sentence Thomson has received, which reflects the very real danger he poses to all male children.

“I want to praise the victims for their bravery in coming forward, though they may not fully understand what happened to them or why.”

When news of Thomson’s arrest for those offences came to light, two further victims came forward.

Thomson befriended both those victims when he was in his late teens/early 20s and they were still at school.

Thomson pulled the third victim’s shorts down when he was sat on a tree stump and sexually assaulted. The victim, who was around nine of 10 at the time, was so traumatised by what happened, he moved away from the area.

The fourth victim was between eight and 10-years-old when Thomson invited him into his house in Accrington where he sexually assaulted him in his bedroom.

DC Jason Taylor, who is from our East Child Protection Team and investigated the offences against the third and fourth victim, said:

“Thomson has left a trail of destruction in his wake as a result of his abhorrent sexual conduct. This offending has spanned decades and has had a profound impact on all of his victims and their loved ones.

“I hope the outcome of this case encourages other victims to come forward, confident they will be believed, listened to and that we will do everything in our power to put their abuser before the courts.”

Thomson, of Bawdlands, Clitheroe, pleaded guilty to attempted rape of a child under 13, causing/inciting a boy under 13 to engage in sexual activity, and engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child.

Sitting at Burnley Crown Court, Judge Sara Dodd also made Thomson subject of an indefinite sexual harm prevention order and placed him on the Sex offenders Register for life.

Description

The man pictured is 32-year-old Joshua Adcroft and he is a deceitful and depraved sex offender.

He also uses the name Joshua Everitt and used to be a football stadium announcer.

His current employment opportunities are now extremely limited. That is because he was jailed for 14 years at Preston Crown Court on Friday (25th July) following our investigation into his abhorrent crimes.

Our investigations found that Adcroft had groomed an 11-year-old girl before going on to sexually assault her. He made threats against her if she told anyone what he had done.

In an impact statement to the court, she said:

“I felt empty inside when Josh first touched me. I felt overwhelmed and helpless. I now feel frustrated. I’m annoyed that I was too scared to tell anyone and feel that I let him do it.

“Previously Josh’s threats stopped me from telling people and reporting to the police as I was worried that he would carry them out. I isolated myself due to this. I was unable to tell anyone. He took away my ability to speak. However, after a period of time, I had the mindset of that not being my problem, and I was so relieved when I told my family.

“Josh has shown me a lot of love, treats and money since knowing him, but this would stop at times, and I found it confusing. Looking back, it was like a cycle which I’d now describe as ‘love bombing’. Josh messed with my head. At the time I wondered why my friends and family didn’t do this to me. It was continuous love from them, but I was always second guessing and wondering when they would stop loving me, like Josh did.”

Adcroft was a registered sex offender at the time of his latest offending but had kept his contact with the child a secret from the authorities.

The offending came to light in April 2024 and Adcroft was arrested by our British Transport Police colleagues following his return from a work trip.

Adcroft’s house in Accrington was searched following his arrest and two laptops and an iPad were found hidden inside an upstairs wardrobe. These devices had not been registered with the authorities – something he was required to do by a court order.

The electronic devices were searched and on two of them, our officers found indecent images of an eight-year-old girl from Essex. We also found a chat log, where Adcroft encouraged activity and instructed the girl’s mother on what images he wanted. These offences took place on 8th April and 9th April 2024. A criminal investigation has been launched into the conduct of the victim’s mother.

A further 53 indecent images of children were found on Adcroft ‘s hidden devices.

Adcroft, formerly of Lower Antley Street, Accrington, but now of no fixed address, was charged with three counts of sexual assault of a child under 13, soliciting indecent images of children; and 11 breaches of his Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

He pleaded guilty to all the offences. As well as being given the custodial sentence, Adcroft was given an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order and ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register for life.

DC Laura Fahey, of the East Child Protection Team, said:

“Adcroft is a manipulative individual who takes an unhealthy interest in young girls for his own perverted sexual interests.

“In contrast, the victim highlighted above has shown incredible courage in coming forward and speaking out about what Adcroft had done to her, despite his threats. His behaviour has clearly had a profound impact on her, as highlighted by her statement to the court.

“I welcome the sentence handed down to Adcroft. He is an extremely dangerous sexual offender who is now off the streets and away from children.”

Description

A Chorley man has been jailed for having sexualised online chat with a girl he believed to be 14 years old.

Anthony McFarlane, 34, (pictured) had inappropriate conversations via social media platform KIK and arranged to meet the girl at a hotel in Chorley.

However, the girl who McFarlane was talking to was in fact an adult acting as a decoy for a group who help to identify sexual predators.

McFarlane was detained by members of the group at the hotel on 11th April this year and arrested by our officers.

More than 200 messages had been exchanged between McFarlane and the decoy.

The messages showed that McFarlane clearly believed he was communicating with a teenager, and the messages were of a sexual nature.

One of the messages from McFarlane read: “Because think about it I’m meeting an under aged girl that’s staying at mine. That’s the nervous and scary part U get me. If we get caught I go to prison.”

McFarlane, formerly of Moor Road, Chorley, appeared at Preston Crown Court last Thursday (24th July) after pleading guilty to attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child and attempting to cause/incite a girl age between 13 and 15 to engage in sexual activity.

He was jailed for three years, placed on the sex offenders’ register for life, and issued with a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Det Con Mark Edwards of our Internet Child Exploitation team said:

“McFarlane believed he was messaging a 14-year-old girl and was communicating with her for two months.

“The messages were of a sexual nature, and it was clearly his intention to meet the girl and engage her in sexual activity.

“Thankfully it was a decoy he was messaging, and no one came to any harm.

“This was abhorrent behaviour from McFarlane, and I welcome the prison sentence imposed on him.”