Latest Offenders

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A man has been jailed for eight years after being convicted of making a woman engage in sexual activity without consent.

The court heard how Potts had forced his vulnerable victim to carry out sex acts on his associates in early 2024.

The victim bravely came forward to report what happened after disclosing her experience to a friend, who encouraged her to report it to us.

Potts was arrested in May and later charged but then denied the offence in court.

During the two-week trial, the victim courageously gave her evidence via video-link, and despite his not guilty plea, the jury found Potts guilty of the offence.

Along with his eight-year prison sentence, Potts was ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £228 and will be subject to a lifelong sexual offender notification requirement upon his release.

Speaking following sentencing, the officer in charge of the case, Detective Constable Jessica Hill, of our rape and serious sexual offences team, said:

“Potts was unrepentant throughout the proceedings.

“The victim showed real resilience in coming forward to us and I hope now she can begin to recover from what has happened.

“This sentence shows how we will continue to do all we can to support victims and pursue sexual predators, to get them behind bars where they belong.”

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A burglar who raped a woman after entering her home in the night is back behind bars after he was caught breaking into another home following his prison release.

Milton White attacked a 60-year-old woman after he broke into her Haringey home in May 1990. 

White, of Asylum Road in Peckham, was not brought to justice until 22 years later when a DNA break through led to his conviction in 2012. 

He was jailed for 12 years for rape but by this time his victim had been dead for six years. 

White has now been put back behind bars after breaching a sexual offence prevention order. 

According to court documents, on June 12 this year he was caught entering another person’s Southwark home without their consent. 

Milton, now aged 59, appeared at Croydon Crown Court on August 6. 

He was sentenced to eight months in prison for the “deliberate breach” of the order. 

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A former Edinburgh Academy teacher exploited a position of trust to physically and sexually abuse young boys, a court has ruled.

John Young was found to have targeted pupils while employed as a PE teacher at the independent school in the capital between 1966 and 1993. 

The 91-year-old was deemed medically unfit to be criminally tried or to appear in court. 

However, following an Examination of Facts at Edinburgh Sheriff Court, the Sheriff ruled that Young had repeatedly abused children, with 26 charges found to be established   

Prosecutor Fiona Kirkby, of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) said: 

“The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service consistently and successfully strives to secure justice for those affected by non-recent abuse. 

“John Young systematically abused young boys, over a period of 27 years, while holding a significant position of trust as their teacher at the Edinburgh Academy. 

“He had a duty of care to nurture and support these children but instead intentionally exploited his power to violate and humiliate them. 

“This Examination of Facts is a public airing of the facts and an acknowledgement that what happened to these children in the past was criminal. It should never have occurred.  

“It is now a matter of public record that Young committed offences including lewd and libidinous behaviour, indecent assault and cruel and unnatural treatment. 

“The court’s finding today also sends a clear message to abusers: no matter who you are, when the abuse happened or how long after the event it is reported, there will be a robust response from prosecutors.” 

Evidence was heard from 24 former pupils – and a further three witnesses - during the hearing. 

Some of the victims detailed how the teacher would use violence to punish pupils for perceived bad behaviour, including punching them or hitting them with a cricket bat, megaphone or wooden wedge.  

Many told how they continue to be traumatised and struggle to trust figures of authority because of the abuse they suffered.  

The court had previously determined that the accused was not fit to stand trial and ordered an Examination of Facts, where the Procurator Fiscal depute and the defence led evidence, which was tested before a sheriff. 

Procurator Fiscal Fiona Kirkby added:

“Sexual abuse and the use of force upon children is a crime. 

“To any victim of such offending, we urge you to report it when you feel ready and able to do so. Be assured you will be listened to and supported. We remain committed to investigating and pursuing those culpable to seek conclusions.”  

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A CALDICOT predator sent sexually explicit messages and videos to who he thought were 12 and 13 year old girls online before asking if they would meet him at a hotel for sex.

Neil Rockliffe messaged ‘Freya’ on the Just Say Hi online dating app on March 6. The account was being run by a member of a paedophile hunter group, and they told Rockliffe they were aged 13.

Despite this, they exchanged numbers and the conversation moved to WhatsApp.

During the conversation, Rockliffe referenced that what he was doing was “illegal” and that he was “too old for her”.

However he exchanged pictures with ‘Freya’, and soon turned the conversation sexual – including asking her what she was wearing and if she watched porn.

Rockliffe then began instructing ‘Freya’ how to masturbate, and asked her to send pictures of her doing so – which she refused to do.

“It seems you saw yourself as some sort of instructor or teacher,” said Judge Lucy Crowther.

Over the next few days his messages became more explicit, as he told the decoy he wanted to have sex with them. He also sent explicit pictures and videos.

In one message Rockliffe referenced her dad and asked if she wanted to sex with a man older than her father, before adding: ‘I want to be your first’.

He asked the decoy about going to a hotel with him to have sex, but said she would have to say she was his daughter if questioned by members of staff. He also asked whether the ‘girl’ would be the first in her class to have sex.

Rockliffe asked ‘Freya’ if she had any friends she wanted to join them, and she gave him the number of ‘Sophie’ – another decoy account.

The defendant started a group chat with both decoys – and ‘Sophie’ identified she was 12 years old.

Rockliffe sent messages again referring to meeting in a hotel for sex, asking the ‘girls’ for photographs, and sending explicit images.

The messages were passed on to the police, and a paedophile hunter group attended the defendant’s address.

In interview, Rockliffe said he believed ‘Freya’ was 18. He accepted sending explicit messages, pictures of his penis and a video of him masturbating, but said he was “drunk” and “had no intention to meet” as “it was just talk”.

However, he later admitted two offences each of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child, attempting to incite a child to do a sexual act, and attempting to cause a child to watch a sexual act.

Rockliffe, 55, of Birbeck Road, had no previous convictions.

“Clearly the best mitigation available to this defendant is the fact that he pleaded guilty,” said Martha Smith-Higgins, appearing for Rockliffe.

She acknowledged there was “very little” she could say to mitigate the offences, but added he was “drinking very heavily” at the time – sometimes up to 2.5 litres of vodka a day.

The defendant had been on an 18+ dating website so did not seek out children, she said, but Rockliffe accepted what he did after he found out the purported ages of the ‘girls’ was “obscene”.

Judge Crowther jailed Rockliffe for three years and one month.

A hearing will be held on August 19 to consider an application for a sexual harm prevention order.

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A Salisbury man has been sentenced to six years and four months in prison after pleading guilty to multiple sexual offences dating back as far as 1994.

Michael Colin Bell (known as Colin Bell), 72, of Pinewood Way, Bemerton Heath, was sentenced on June 8 at Salisbury Crown Court for two counts of indecent assault, two counts of sexual assault, and two counts of gross indecency.

The offences span several decades, with some dating back over 30 years.

During the sentencing hearing, powerful victim impact statements were read aloud in court. One victim described the lasting trauma:

"Trying to explain how this has affected me is the hardest thing I've ever done because there is no way to explain what this has done to me, all I can do is try and describe what is my life now.

"There is not a day I don't think about what happened to me. If I am not busy, I have flashbacks and I am back to being abused, like it is still happening to me. I still feel like he owns me and I am his trophy. I wake up at night sometimes and see the darkness in the corner of the room. I can't move and am frozen. I want to move, but can't.

"I hate the feeling of people touching me and this has massively affected my relationships. I have to sleep with a pillow between my legs as the feeling of my legs touching makes me feel sick.

"I hate the feeling of my own skin."

A second victim said:

"The abuse happened over a number of years.

"The person who did this to me was a trusted family friend — someone I was told I could count on, someone who was meant to protect me. Instead, he betrayed that trust in the most painful way.

"I spent years questioning myself. I asked if what happened was normal. I wondered if I had done something to deserve it. That kind of self-doubt and shame doesn’t disappear just because time passes — it settles in your bones. As a child, I didn’t have the words to make sense of what was happening. That confusion — that feeling of being lost inside your own life — stayed with me for years."

Another victim said:

"As a direct result of what I experienced, I have been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and severe anxiety. I now suffer from frequent panic attacks, which have affected both my personal life and my ability to work. 

"There are times when I cannot relax, even in the safety of my own home. Memories intrude unexpectedly-triggered by sounds, smells, or even certain words.

"These flashbacks make it incredibly difficult to find peace, and I live in fear of when the next one will strike."

The case was first reported in 2022.

Investigating officer Sergeant Myles Scott, who worked on the case for four years, said:

“I am really glad that Colin Bell has finally been held to account for the abhorrent actions he chose to commit against children. This case shows that if you commit offences, they will eventually catch up with you — no matter your age or how long ago they occurred.

“I want to thank the victims for their strength and courage throughout this investigation. Their support was vital, and I hope this sentence helps them begin to rebuild their lives.

“I also hope this outcome reassures other victims that they will be believed, and that justice can be pursued regardless of how much time has passed.”

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A CONVICTED Shropshire paedophile has been jailed after being found guilty of sexually assaulting a child.

Kieran Bowers, 27, was jailed for six years at Shrewsbury Crown Court last week.

The crimes of the former Ellesmere man, now of Avondale Drive, Shrewsbury, came to light when a friend of his victim confronted him on WhatsApp.

Bowers was sentenced for four counts of assaulting a girl under 13 by touching, as well as two counts of sexual communication with a child, and two counts of breaching a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO).

The offences took place between July 2022 and April 2023.

He had separately admitted four charges of breaching a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO), after being found in possession of internet devices which he had not told police about.

Three charges of making indecent photographs of children were left on file.

Judge Anthony Lowe, sitting at Shrewsbury Crown Court last Friday, August 8, jailed Bowers for five years for the matters he was found guilty of at trial.

He added another 12 months in prison for breaching the SHPO imposed following the 2017 custodial sentence.  

Bowers is subject to the SHPO indefinitely and had also been ordered to sign the sex offenders register for the rest of his life following the Truro Crown Court case. Both orders remain in place.

He was told he must also pay a £228 surcharge upon his release.

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Child rapist Andrew Sidaway has been handed an extended jail sentence of 25 years. The 59-year-old raped his young victim on numerous occasions.

But she came forward and contacted the police in 2021. Sidaway, of Maclagan Street, Stoke, denied all the allegations but was convicted of five charges of raping a child under 13 after a trial at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court in May. He was cleared of assaulting a child under 13 by penetration.

Prosecutor Jamie Scott said there was no evidence that Sidaway had abused other children. But he added the defendant exchanged messages with an undercover police officer which indicated a sexual interest in children.

The court heard Sidaway has previous convictions for downloading and viewing thousands of indecent images of children and breaching the notification requirements of the sex offenders' register.

Rashad Mohammed, mitigating, said Sidaway recognises he has 'lost the best of his last years'. He is now in prison which has been a shock for him. Mr Mohammed said: "He maintains his innocence and denies he has done any wrongdoing."

He said Sidaway's mum is aged 79 and he will not be able to provide assistance for her. Mr Mohammed asked Judge Sally Hancox to pass a determinate sentence so Sidaway has a release date to work towards.

But Judge Hancox sentenced Sidaway to a 25 year extended sentence which is made up of 21 years custody and an extended licence period of four years. Judge Hancox said: "The serious sexual offending you perpetrated on your victim has impacted her through childhood and into adulthood. What you did to her will always be part of her.

"You are now entirely alone. Worryingly the pre-sentence report contains continued denials of your sexual wrongdoing.

"I am satisfied you do provide a risk. A determinate sentence would not fully address the risk you possess. I find it necessary to pass an extended sentence to protect the public in the future."

Sidaway must serve two thirds of the custodial term (14 years) with the rest on licence. He was made the subject of an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) and placed on the sex offenders' register for life.

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A dangerous predator has been jailed after engaging in sexual communications with someone he believed was a child.

Alfred Liddle, 32, is now behind bars after being sentenced by a Judge following a complex police operation by officers from the North East Regional Organised Crime Unit (NEROCU) and Northumbria Police’s MOSOVO Safeguarding teams.

Liddle, of no fixed abode, believed he was talking to a 14-year-old girl online and persisted in sending her sexually explicit messages and images of himself.

What Liddle didn’t know was that he was actually speaking to a NEROCU police officer.

During the investigation, it was revealed Liddle already had a Sex Offender Notification and Sexual Harm Prevention Order against him and had breached both.

Officers arrested Liddle in April and he was subsequently charged with Engage in sexual communication with a child, Incite a child in sexual activity, Send photograph or film of genitals to a child, Breach of Sexual Harm Prevention Order and Breach of Sex Offender Notification Requirements.

Liddle appeared at Newcastle Crown Court on June 10 and pleaded guilty to all charges.

Today (Monday), he appeared before the same court and was sentenced to five years and three months in prison, with an extended licence period of a further two years and nine months.

Speaking after the sentencing, Detective Constable Lee Robertson, said:

“This case has resulted in a repeat sexual predator behind bars, and I want to thank all those who worked to ensure this outcome.

“Liddle thought he could keep offending without consequences but he has learned that our officers will not stop in their pursuit of abusers.

“Under Operation Sentinel, our regional approach to tacking serious and organised crime, we will continue to investigate these online offences to safeguard children and protect the public.” 

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Detectives have praised the strength of a rape survivor for helping lock up the man who abused her.

The woman was subjected to a series of terrifying ordeals at the hands of Ashley Chambers last December.

She was raped by Chambers at a Nottinghamshire address on two separate occasions during the month.

The 38-year-old then attacked the same woman again – this time threatening her with knives and a pair of scissors.

This escalated to the extent that Chambers’ victim lost consciousness when he decided to assault and then strangle her.

She eventually regained consciousness and managed to escape the address by jumping out a window, before going to seek help.

The police were then notified, with officers arriving at the address soon after and leading Chambers away in handcuffs.  

Based on the victim’s brave decision to disclose what happened to her, a series of charges were brought against Chambers.

He went on to plead guilty to two counts of rape, intentional strangulation, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, and threatening a person with an offensive weapon.

Appearing before Nottingham Crown Court on Friday (8 August), Chambers, of Ilkeston Road, Stapleford, was jailed for 12 years.

He was also made subject of an indefinite restraining order, banning him from having any contact with the victim.

Detective Constable Jessica Ratcliffe, of Nottinghamshire Police, said:

“I’d like to firstly praise the victim in this case, whose brave decision to share her experiences helped put Ashley Chambers behind bars.

“After going through such a horrific ordeal, she deserves so much credit for doing what she’s done since then.

“In stark contrast to her strength, Chambers showed himself to be a complete coward, with his despicable behaviour rightly seeing him sent to prison.

“While no amount of time will ever make up for the pain he caused, we were really pleased to see the judge impose such a significant sentence, which we hope will provide the victim with some small degree of comfort.”

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A paedophile who denied his crimes has had his punishment altered after being deemed unsuitable for programme work.

Steven Stronach, who had no legal representation on Thursday when his case called at Aberdeen Sheriff Court, stood silently in the dock as he was given new instructions on what he was required to do following his conviction earlier this year.

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A sex offender with a ‘blatant disregard’ for the law has been jailed for more than three years after breaching his court order.

Simon Smith, 35, of Crown Street West, Lowestoft, was sentenced to 40 months in prison at Ipswich Crown Court today after pleading guilty to breaching a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) and failing to comply with notification requirements on two occasions.

Smith was issued the SHPO in March 2022 for three offences of making indecent images of a child and possessing extreme pornographic images.

He was arrested in April this year after failing to attend a police station as required under the order.

In addition to breaching the SHPO, Smith also pleaded guilty to two counts of making indecent images of children, possession of amphetamines and failing to attend court as soon as practicable.

Ali Barham, public protection manager, said: “Smith has been evading capture by police since May 2025.

“It is clear from our investigations and his actions that he was extremely difficult to manage in the community as he was not complying with his requirements and committing further offences, with the risk to the public escalating. Smith is also a known drug user and this added further cause for concern.

“A search of his property in Crown Street West located a laptop and a Samsung phone not known to police.

“This is a very positive sentence which will come as welcome news to local residents and the wider community.

“A clear and blatant disregard has been demonstrated by Smith with regards to his sexual harm prevention order as this order was put in place by the judicial system to protect the public from predators like him.”

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A Derby rapist carried out a “brutal” sex attack on a woman he’d only just met in some bushes in Chaddesden.

Derby Crown Court heard how Michael James’ victim repeatedly screamed for him to stop but gave up knowing he was twice her size and “it would only make things worse”.

The 25-year-old, of Chaddesden, then lied to the police claiming what happened was consensual before making the woman relive her ordeal giving evidence at a trial.

In a statement the victim said she could not look at herself in the mirror and blamed herself at first for what happened. Handing the defendant a 13-year jail term, Recorder Richard Paige said: “This was a brutal rape and despite what happened she was brave enough to go straight to the police to report it.

“You have not shown an ounce of remorse that your actions have had on the victim. (That night) you exchanged messages on Snapchat and then Facetime then agreed to meet up.

"You did meet in Scarborough Rise and she looked for a bench so you could share a cannabis joint.

“You have not shown an ounce of remorse that your actions have had on the victim. (That night) you exchanged messages on Snapchat and then Facetime then agreed to meet up.

"You did meet in Scarborough Rise and she looked for a bench so you could share a cannabis joint.

“There wasn’t one, she says you dragged her into some bushes, you say she went voluntarily and I give you the benefit of the doubt.

"While in the bushes you shared a joint and she described herself as being ‘very stoned, sleepy and drowsy’. You wanted more and she didn’t want more and told you ‘no’ but you told her words to the effect of ‘I am doing this’.

“She shouted at you to stop and get off her, she tried to get away but you stopped her. She said she gave up trying to stop you knowing if she fought back it would get worse. She is petite, it is no exaggeration to say you are twice her size.

“She says she will never get over what you did to her that night. It is likely to stay with her for the rest of her life and it is only her bravery and the work of police officers who should be commended which has seen this happen.

She has suffered severe psychological harm, more than two-and-a-half years later she still suffers flashbacks.”

Caroline Bradley prosecuting, said the rapes happened in Chaddesden in September, 2022. She read out a victim impact statement made by the woman, who bravely attended court to see her sex attacker jailed.

She said: "She did not sleep or eat for weeks and stopped looking after herself. She said she could not look at herself in the mirror and felt dirty. She said she did not want to live and she described a horrible feeling that will not leave her alone.

“She said ‘I will always be reminded of it and this will affect me for the rest of my life. I have this voice in my head telling me I am not good enough for anybody and I will never be loved’.

“She said ‘I blame myself but I am starting to learn it is not my fault’.”

James, of Meath Avenue, denied doing anything wrong. But having heard all of the evidence, a jury unanimously found him guilty of two counts of rape, one count of attempted rape and one count of assault by penetration.

Rebecca Coleman, mitigating, said her client was born in in the USA and moved to the UK as a child but was then taken to Tunisia where he “suffered physical and sexual abuse” before coming back to England.

She said: “He still suffers flashbacks from this childhood trauma and used cocaine and cannabis as a way of blocking this out.

“In terms of the offence, you can see in the pre-sentence report he maintains his innocence but says he is ‘sorry from the bottom of my heart that I made someone feel hurt’.

"He has no previous convictions for any serious or sexual offences.”

As well as the jail sentence, the judge placed the defendant on the sex offender register for life. The 13-year term is made up of 10 years custody plus a three-year extended licence.

It means he will not be eligible to apply for parole until two-third of the way through the 10 year custodial stretch.

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A man has been jailed for seven years for non-recent sexual offences against three women.

In 2022, our Child Abuse, Trafficking and Exploitation Team launched an investigation into 67-year-old Graham Cockerill of Elwy Circle, Ash Green, Coventry.

Cockerill was reported to have sexually assaulted three women. The first victim, (then under 13), reported assaults by Cockerill taking place in the Coventry area between 2016 – 2022. Another victim made themselves known to investigators and reported offences by Cockerill throughout the 1970s, between the ages of nine and 14, in the Meriden area.

Through the course of the investigation, a further victim was identified who was aged in her 40s at the time. She sadly passed away in 1995 and had never reported the offences to police.

In June, following a trial at Warwick Crown Court, Cockerill was found guilty of:

• Three counts of sexual assault on a girl under 13 by touching
• Two counts of indecent assault on a girl under the age of 14
• One count of indecent assault of a female over 16 years of age

On Tuesday last week (5 August), he was sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment at Warwick Crown Court. He was also given a 10-year restraining order for one of the victims, a 15-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) and will also be on the Sex Offenders’ Register for life.

Det Con James Manders, formerly of our CATE team, commented:

“This case demonstrates that in certain circumstances, a victim need not necessarily even be alive for us to obtain a conviction.

“Despite 30 years having passed since her death, and having never reported the crime to the police, we worked tirelessly to gather evidence to ensure we could bring Cockerill to justice. Thankfully, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) decided to progress with this case thanks to statements from living witnesses about the victim and the offender disclosing details of the crime to them.

“I’d like to thank the CPS lawyer who decided to authorise this charge and allow a jury to make up their minds about Cockerill’s guilt.

“The victims and witnesses in this case are amongst the most extraordinary people I have had the pleasure of knowing during my policing career. They showed great strength and courage throughout the process. As always, the service we provide to victims will always be at the forefront of any investigation, whether living or deceased.”

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Hassan Mahmood, a 23-year-old convicted child sex offender, fled the UK from Manchester Airport to Pakistan via Doha, Qatar, on the second day of his trial.

A warrant for his arrest was issued after he was sentenced to five-and-a-half years in prison in his absence by Manchester Crown Court on August 7, 2025. Greater Manchester Police have released his mugshot to aid in tracking him down.

Mahmood, formerly of Gigg Lane in Bury, was convicted last month of sexual activity with a 13-year-old girl, causing her to watch sexual activity, engaging in sexual activity in her presence, and sexual communication with her. The court heard he knew her age, having started an online relationship with her in January 2022, which became sexualized by February. He sent explicit images and videos, and during one FaceTime call, he performed a sex act. They met three times in person, including an incident in an Openshaw park where he persuaded her to perform a sex act, and other occasions involving kissing and hugging in his father’s car.

Mahmood, who had no prior convictions, became “obsessed” with the girl, declaring his love for her. After her mother discovered their Snapchat messages in May 2022, police were alerted. Following his arrest, Mahmood sent the girl an abusive letter telling her to kill herself for “snitching,” intended to intimidate her, though she was not deterred. The court noted his exploitation of her willingness to communicate for his sexual gratification.

Judge John Potter, sentencing, noted Mahmood’s absence and mental health difficulties raised by the defense. He indicated potential further proceedings for Mahmood’s flight from justice, with the arrest warrant remaining active as his exact whereabouts in Pakistan are unknown.

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A "manipulative" man who subjected a woman to years of coercive control and multiple rapes has been jailed for 13 years.  

Danny Foley, who was previously convicted in April of three counts of rape, one count of non-fatal strangulation, and one count of perverting the course of justice, was described by Mr Recorder Jeremy Benson as a dangerous offender who is a serious risk to the public.

Foley, of Church Road, Bulmer also pleaded guilty to controlling and coercive behaviour over a five-year period against the victim.

The court heard harrowing details of the abuse, including how Foley returned home drunk in the early hours and violently raped the victim while her young child was asleep in the house.

On another occasion, the 35-year-old threatened to kill himself with a knife unless the victim agreed to have sex with him.

“You are a manipulative individual,” said Mr Recorder Benson. “There was additional degradation and humiliation involved."

In one incident, Foley forced the victim to write a letter downplaying his actions before she went to the police, and encouraged her to maintain contact with him while he was on remand.

The court also heard that Foley has a history of violence, including a 2020 battery offence against a previous partner, and a suspended sentence in 2022 for coercive and controlling behaviour towards another former partner.

Despite having the opportunity to engage with probation officers to assist the court with a pre-sentence report on his risk to the public, Foley refused to cooperate.

“That is an example of the way in which you attempt to manipulate things,” said the judge.

Foley was handed a 13-year custodial sentence with a four-year extended licence period, meaning he could be recalled to prison after release if he poses a further risk.

He was also made subject to a restraining order until further notice and ordered to pay a £228 victim surcharge.