Latest Offenders

Description

An online child activity group lured a serial sex offender into sending illicit images to who he thought was a 12-year-old girl but was in fact a decoy.

Having been convicted six years ago of sexual offences, Patrick Wallis was again tricked into thinking he was communicating with teenagers.

The group Predator Exposure set up a decoy in 2018. Another group, Guardian Angels also had a successful sting which led to a further conviction of the sex offender.

Wallis, now 30, was handed a seven-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order, intended to restrict his internet access for his sickening online activity.

But at Grimsby Crown Court, he again admitted attempting to engage in sexual communication with a girl aged 12 years. He also admitted attempting to incite a girl aged 12 into sexual activity.

Wallis, now of Osborne Street, off Ferensway, Hull, admitted sexual activity with a child under 13 years and breach of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order. He had formerly lived in Grimsby and Immingham. Miss Holmes said a total of seven offences were admitted.

At Grimsby Crown Court, prosecutor, Claire Holmes told how a third online vigilante group set up a decoy between February and April 2021. The group streamed their attendance at Wallis' address live on Facebook during which he was confronted with the allegations.

He was arrested by Humberside Police on April 6, 2021, who had received details of his online conversations.

Miss Holmes said: "They were strikingly similar offences as before in which he was speaking to a decoy. He told police he thought she was 18."

The prosecutor said he asked her if she would perform sex acts. He sent images of his privates. He also wanted to arrange a meeting in Newcastle.

For Wallis, John Dunning said his client had learning difficulties and mental health problems.

He told the court the offences were over three years old and there was no evidence of further offending. The defendant leaned with his head in his hands on the front of the dock in court.

Judge Gurdial Singh said the Wallis had twice breached a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and "had not learned his lesson." The judge said: "He is contacting young girls with a view to having sexual contact with them."

He said the paedophile hunters had made it clear that she was "a 12-year-old girl". He said Wallis had also deleted his internet history which is a breach of the Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Judge Singh jailed Wallis for a total of five-and-a-half years. He extended the Sexual Harm Prevention Order indefinitely.

Description

Oliver Smith, 21, has been sentenced today (Friday 24 January) to 12 years imprisonment after pleading guilty to multiple offences, including kidnapping and rape in Bordon.

Smith, of South Hurst, Whitehill, who identifies as transgender and uses they/them pronouns, entered the pleas when they appeared at Portsmouth Crown Court on Monday 4 November. They admitted:

• Rape.
• Attempted rape.
• False imprisonment.
• Committing an offence with intent to commit a sexual offence.
• Threatening another with a blade.
• False imprisonment.
• Causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent.
• Breach of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Smith appeared again at the same court today, where they were jailed for 12 years with a further six year and six month extension to their license period.

This conviction and sentence comes following an investigation which encompassed a number of different teams and resources across the force, working alongside our specialist Operation Amberstone team, who are highly trained to investigate reports of rape and sexual assault.

The investigation was launched after we received a report on Friday 27 September that a teenage girl had been raped by a man unknown to her in the Deadwater Valley area, after he approached her in a wooded area on her way to school and threatened her with a bladed box cutter.

A search of the area was conducted immediately and following a number of subsequent enquiries, Smith was arrested on Saturday 28 September. They were found having fled by train to Mallaig, a remote area at the end of the train line in Scotland, and was brought back to Hampshire by colleagues from Police Scotland.

Upon sentencing, the judge said that Smith’s behaviour was “planned and premediated […] calculated and predatory” and that they were “sure [Smith] planned what to do that day.”

The judge also added that they wanted to “pay tribute to [the victim’s] extraordinary courage” and that the “profound trauma cannot be understated.” They noted that “she was very vulnerable” and “should have expected to walk to school in safety”.

Investigating officer for this case, PSI Doug Gould from Operation Amberstone said, “Today’s sentence sends a clear message that Oliver Smith’s shocking predatory behaviour will not be tolerated.

“Smith’s actions have had a serious impact not only on the victim, who has shown tremendous courage throughout proceedings, but also on the community in Bordon as well.

“I’d like to commend the victim for her bravery and her support and hope that this sentence will provide some closure. I also hope this case encourages others to speak out and seek support if they have been the victim of sexual assault.”

Detective Inspector Claire Shawley said, “We will not tolerate violence against women and girls in our community and I am especially pleased that we were able to apprehend Smith so swiftly, as they pose a very serious threat to the public and deserves to be behind bars.

“It is our promise to anyone who comes forward to report any crime of a sexual nature that you will be listened to, believed and have the allegations taken extremely seriously. We have teams of specially trained officers who are dedicated not only to investigating these types of crimes, but to also ensuring that victims are put first and fully supported throughout the process.”  

Description

Depraved paedophile raped a girl before using explicit images she had previously sent him to pressure her into meeting him again - where he raped her twice more.

Sick Kevin Cox had been handed a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) in May 2019 after he was convicted of voyeurism and possessing indecent images. But when ViSOR (Violent Sexual Offender Registrar) officers checked his devices on January 25, 2023, as part of routine management of a high-risk sex offender, they discovered a catalogue of horrific evidence.

A total of 39 indecent images of children were found - most of which were Category A, reserved for the most explicit and most harmful images. Officers also found the 29-year-old had been sending sexually explicit pictures and messages to a 14-year-old girl online.

When they dug even deeper, they also revealed a conversation Cox, of Mowbray Street, Sheffield, had been having with a girl, during which she mentioned he had raped her several times between December 2017 and December 2018 when she was 15 years old.

South Yorkshire Police says when they spoke to the girl, she told them Cox had added her on social media and he raped her when they met up in person. A force spokesman said: "Cox then used explicit photos which he had coerced her into sending him to pressure her into meeting him again, and he raped her on two further occasions."

When interviewed by police in March 2023 and April 2024, about the messages he had sent to the 14-year-old girl, he gave no comment. When they interviewed him about the rape allegations on April 26, 2023, he claimed he had had consensual sex and believed the girl had been 16.

He initially pleaded not guilty to the sexual conversations he had with the 14-year-old, but on September 26, 2024 admitted to the counts of engaging in sexual communication with a child. The next day he also changed his plea to guilty for the counts of making indecent photographs/ pseudo-photographs of a child.

But he denied the five counts of rape and cruelly forced his victim to endure a three-day trial trial at Sheffield Crown Court before a jury saw through his lies and found him guilty on all counts on November 21, 2024.

He was jailed for 14 years and given a lifetime SHPO for his vile crimes, as well as a lifetime restraining order against the girl he raped.

DC Amy Shore, of the Protecting Vulnerable People Team, said: “Cox is a depraved sex offender who caused untold pain for his victims, and I am thankful that he will spend more than a decade behind bars for his string of crimes.

“His lifetime SHPO ensures that officers can continue to monitor his online behaviour when he is released, and the restraining order provides further protection for the victim to whom he caused so much harm.

“I would like to pay tribute to the strength and bravery of Cox’s victims in providing evidence of his abuse, and I hope that this lengthy sentence provides them with a sense of closure.

“Although no sentence could ever undo the pain that Cox has inflicted, I hope these two women are able to move on with their lives”.

Description

A man has been sentenced to 10 years after he admitted raping a woman in Stafford.

Abiola Raji, 32, of Stafford, was sentenced at Stafford Crown Court yesterday (Thursday 23 January) after he pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to raping a woman.

At about 8pm on Sunday 21 April last year, a woman was walking near to the Vine Hotel on Salters Street when she was approached by Raji and attacked.

We carried out urgent enquiries to track him down and support the survivor as soon as it was reported later the same night.

We issued an appeal for information and looked over CCTV from the scene, leading to Raji’s arrest on 1 May the same year.

Officers worked hard to gather all the evidence available to take Raji to court, where he eventually pleaded guilty to the offence.

He was sentenced to six years and eight months imprisonment, with an extended license period of thee years and four months. He was also put on the Sex Offenders Register for life.

Description

A Torquay man has been jailed for 19 years plus three years to be served on extended licence after being convicted by a jury of a catalogue of non-recent sexual offences committed against a young girl.

Christopher De Burton, 67, of Thurlow Road, Torquay, was sentenced at Exeter Crown Court on Friday 24 January after being convicted at trial of indecency with a child, three rapes of a child under 13, eight sexual assaults of a child under 13 and twice causing a child to watch a sexual act.

De Burton is an existing sex offender after previously being convicted of offences against two other victims.

During the trial, the court heard how De Burton raped and abused the girl on a number of occasions from a young age, at a variety of locations across Devon. De Burton also showed the girl and her friend pornography.

The abuse finally stopped when the victim was 12.

De Burton denied all the allegations against him, saying they were made up, but a jury dismissed his version of events.

Officers in the case, Detective Sergeant John Friskey said: “Christopher De Burton is a dangerous sexual offender who has now been convicted of the rape and sexual abuse of another young girl.

“I would like to thank the victims in this case for their immense strength and courage and helping to ensure that De Burton is now serving another sentence behind bars.

“We will continue to thoroughly investigate all sexual offences reported to us, regardless of when the abuse took place.”

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APPEAL court judges have doubled a North Yorkshire sex offender's prison time and ordered him to hand himself in to police.

Benjamin Dilnot was jailed for two years and five months for sexually assaulting  a woman in November last year. York Crown Court heard that because he had spent just under 500 days on remand, he would be released shortly.

The woman told the court she had had nightmares for years, would bear the scars of his actions for the rest of her life and has been seeing a counsellor.

The Attorney General sent his case to the Court of Appeal on the grounds that the sentence was too short for the sexual assault which, York Crown Court heard, had been a prolonged and violent incident.

Three judges sitting in the Court of Appeal agreed and increased the sentence to four years and nine months. As Dilnot was a free man at the time of the hearing, they ordered him to hand himself in to a police station so that he could be sent back to jail.

It is the second time Dilnot has been jailed for offences against women. Before he was sentenced in November, he had served a two-year prison term for offences against a second woman.

After carrying out the offences against the first woman, he was acquitted of alleged offences against two more women at two trials.

He is currently subject to three restraining orders which ban him from contacting the first woman and the two women he was acquitted of committing offences against, and going near any of their homes among other conditions. He will be on the sex offenders’ register for 10 years.

Dilnot, now 23, of Willow Bank, Brayton, pleaded guilty to offences including sexually assaulting the first woman, causing her actual bodily harm and witness intimidation against her, all committed when he was 18.

Andrew Petterson, prosecuting, said after the sexual assault, Dilnot had tried to get the first woman to withdraw her statement against him by phoning her repeatedly despite being under bail conditions not to contact her. He claimed he would kill himself, that she had ruined his life and that he would never get a job.

Defence barrister Laura Addy said there had been a period when the first woman had been protected under an earlier restraining order when he had not contacted her.  

Description

A REPEAT sex offender from Workington is back behind bars after police were tipped off about his perverted online activities.

At Carlisle Crown Court, 27-year-old Jonathan Fell was given a 32-month jail term for his latest offending, which involved him viewing naked and sexualised images of children.

Police say they acted after receiving concerning reports about his use of social media in December of last year.

After his arrest, police examined Fell’s mobile phone – and found sufficient evidence to bring a number of charges, including an allegation that he had breached his existing sexual harm prevention order.

At court, the defendant, of Firth View Walk, Workington, admitted the following offences:

• Two counts of downloading indecent child images between November 30 last year and December 3. Three of the images were Category C and one was Category B.
• Possessing indecent child images – one that was assessed as Category B and one as Category A.
• And four breaches of his sexual harm prevention order - by accessing a file sharing website and by accessing two social media sites, which is banned under the terms of his order.

All of the offences were committed in the Cockermouth area at a time when he was living in Mawsons Court in the town. Police arrested Fell on December 3 last year, but he refused to answer questions.

After he was jailed, and put on the Sex Offender Register for a decade, Cumbria Police’s Detective Constable Mark Cox said: “The breach of a court-imposed Sexual Harm Prevention Order is taken extremely seriously by the police and the courts.

 “One of Cumbria Constabulary’s main priorities is the protection of the public from the risk of serious sexual offenders.

“As soon as officers were made aware of the potential breaches, they acted and were able to quickly secure evidence against Fell, which has resulted in him being sentenced to significant further time in prison.”

The defendant has lived in Cockermouth, Workington and Carlisle. 

Description

A sex offender from Newcastle has been jailed after a series of assaults on a victim in the 1990s.

Steve Hinchan's victim has been living with the impact of his crimes, but after she bravely reported the abuse to police, an investigation was launched in 2021, by the Northumbria Police Safeguarding Department.

Hinchan, 56, attended a police station to be interviewed, denying the allegations put towards him. Later in the year, he was charged with five counts of indecent assault, as the offences took place before the Sexual Offences Act was introduced in 2003.

He continued to deny the allegations during a trial at Newcastle Crown Court, and in November, a jury found him guilty of all offences. Last Friday, Hinchan, of Grosvenor Court, Newcastle, was handed a seven-and-a-half-year prison sentence, and he will also remain on the sex offenders register for the rest of his life.

Speaking after the sentencing, the victim said: "The term ‘historical’ does not accurately describe the abuse I endured, and I do not identify with the label ‘survivor.’ Both terms suggest that the abuse is confined to my past, but for me, the fear and anxiety remain an everyday reality.

"I feel perpetually trapped in states of fight, flight, and freeze, unable to fully escape the shadow of what happened. Since the day the abuse began, I have felt as though I’ve been infected with an incurable disease, as I lived in shame and secrecy, unable to share the full extent of the abuse with anyone.

"His words, that no-one would believe me, imprisoned me in a pit of silence for almost 30 years. I have now had to accept that no amount of therapy, medication or time will erase what he did to me.

"What was taken from me has altered the course of my life irreversibly. No sentence can undo this damage, but I hope this process will provide some finality, allowing me to begin a new chapter."

The officer leading the investigation, Detective Sergeant Barbara Callaghan, added: "I hope this case shows other people out there who may be hesitant to come forward that it’s never too late to seek justice.

"The victim battled with the consequences of Hinchan’s horrific crimes for most of her life, but bravely disclosed what happened to police, allowing us to take action. Her voice has now been heard loud and clear, and because of her that a dangerous man is in prison.

"No-one should have to go through anything like this, and I'd urge anyone who has been a victim of any form of sexual offending to reach out, whether it happened yesterday, or decades ago. There is no time limit on support, we’re here for you."

Description

Ian Cockbill, aged 59, of Wichenford, Worcester appeared at Worcester Crown Court on Tuesday (22 January) after pleading guilty to publishing an obscene article and making an indecent photograph or pseudo/photograph of a child.

Cockbill has been placed on the sex offenders register, and has been handed a sexual harm prevention order, both for 10 years.

Cockbill was arrested in December 2023, following a investigation by West Mercia Police’s Online Child Sexual Exploitation Team (OCSET). A category B indecent image of a child was found on his phone, along with evidence of a conversation in which he discussed his intention to commit a sexual act on a five-year-old child. The offences took place in April and June 2023.

Detective Constable Giuseppe Saladino from OCSET said “This was a sickening case, where Cockbill demonstrated a desire to sexually abuse and harm a very young child.

“Offenders like Cockbill have no place in our communities and we will continue to root out those intent on causing harm, and bring them to justice before the courts”

Description

A Great Yarmouth man has today (Friday 24 January) been jailed for 18 years for raping a young child.

Daniel Russell, 38, of Tolhouse Street, was sentenced at Norwich Crown Court after a jury found him guilty following a trial at the same court in November 2024.

He was sentenced to 18 years in prison and a further 6 years on licence for two counts of raping a child under the age of 13, causing a child to watch a sexual act and making indecent images of children. He was also placed on the Sex Offenders Register for life and is subject to an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order.  During sentencing Judge David Pugh described Russell as a dangerous offender who posed a continuing risk to children. 

Russell first came to the attention of police in January 2021 when he was arrested on suspicion of possessing indecent images. These indecent images were not of the victim in this case - but while that investigation was ongoing, officers became aware of the abuse of the young child and Russell was subsequently charged with rape.

During the trial the court heard how the offences took place between 2016 and 2021 on train journeys when Russell would take the child into the toilets and show her pornography before assaulting her.

In a personal statement read in court, the victim's mother told of the emotional impact the assaults have had on her daughter.

She said: "She is more withdrawn and nervous around new people. She has had to have counselling and is likely to need more in the future as she grows up and has more of an understanding what she has gone through. 

"When she heard the verdict, she slept through the night for the first time in years. But we'll still be dealing with this for many years and the real long-term impact is not yet known". 

The victim’s mother also wished to thank the police and other agencies involved in the case for the support provided.

Speaking after today's sentencing Detective Sergeant Mark Carrier from Norfolk Constabulary's Child Abuse Investigation Unit said: “The victim has shown immense bravery in seeking and securing justice.

"While I know the outcome of this case won’t rid her of the memories of Russell's assaults, I truly hope today's sentence will provide additional strength for her to rebuild her life.

“I also hope this outcome will reassure other victims that they can feel confident about coming forward and that they will be listened to when reporting similar incidents to police.”

Detective Constable Garry Hoadley from Norfolk Constabulary's Safeguarding Children Online Team, who led the investigation into the indecent images on Russell’s device reiterated;  “This type of offending is never victimless and can be an indication of wider abuse, as in this case.

“Each image represents a child who has been exploited and harmed in ways that will impact them for a lifetime.

"Today’s sentencing sends a clear message that those who seek to exploit and harm children, even indirectly, through the possession of indecent images will be held accountable.”

Description

David Anthony Cotton, 60, of Middle Park Way, Leigh Park, was convicted on Monday 11 November 2024 of 28 sexual offences, involving ten different victims, spanning the late 1970s to 2021.

Following a three-year investigation, Cotton was charged with:

• Seven counts of indecent assault on a male (Boy aged between 8-15)
• Two counts of indecency with a child (Boy aged between 8-10)
• Four counts of indecency with a child (Girl under the age of 14)
• Two counts of causing or inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity
• Inciting a child to engage in sexual activity 
• Sexual activity with a child
• Eleven counts of sexual assault (Male under the age of 18)

Cotton, who was also known as ‘Big Dave’ to many who interacted with him, pleaded not guilty to all offences, but a jury at Portsmouth Crown Court found him guilty on all counts following a five-week trial.

He was remanded into custody by the judge, who stated that Cotton is a prolific offender and a danger to society.

He appeared again yesterday (Wednesday 22 January) at the same court, where he was jailed for 18 years and given a further five year extension to his license period due to the Judge deeming him to be a dangerous offender. He has also been ordered to sign the sex offenders register for life and will be subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Description

A rapist has been jailed for 12 years after being found guilty of offences committed more than a decade ago.

Christopher Sams, 34, targeted his young victim for six years.

The victim reported the abuse in 2021, which saw officers in Northumbria Police’s Safeguarding Department launch an investigation.

During the investigation, Sams, of Kenton Road, North Shields, was arrested and denied all offences.

Christopher Sams (Image: NORTHUMBRIA POLICE) He was later charged with eight counts of rape and one count of sexual assault.

A week-long trial took place at Newcastle Crown Court in November, where Sams was found guilty by a jury on all counts.

He appeared at the same court on Friday (January 17) where he was sentenced to 12 years behind bars.

He’s also been made subject to a sexual harm prevention order and has been placed on the sex offender’s register.

Leading on the investigation for Northumbria Police was Detective Constable Lucy Joyce.

Speaking after Sams sentencing, she said: “The courage and bravery shown by the survivor in this case is incredible, and I hope the lengthy prison sentence ahead of Sams allows them to find some degree of closure.

Description

A sex offender who hid storage devices from police officers, breaching a court order, has been jailed.

Bryan Gregory, from Minster on Sheppey, pleaded guilty at Canterbury Crown Court in 2014 to making and possessing indecent images of children.

As a result, he was given an indefinite Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO).

This placed strict conditions on his behaviour, including how he uses digital storage devices and mobile phones, as well as how he accesses the internet.

The 76-year-old was ordered to make devices available for inspection on request.

As part of the management of those on the sex offenders’ register, Gregory was subject to regular visits by police to ensure his compliance with the court order.

During a visit last January, officers became suspicious that he had used a mobile phone inappropriately and the phone was seized. Further enquiries led to Gregory being arrested.

Additional digital storage devices were recovered following a search of his address and on Saturday, September 14 he was charged.

Gregory pleaded guilty to making indecent images of children and breaching a SOPO.

He was sentenced on Tuesday (January 21) at Canterbury Crown Court to four years in prison and will spend a further four years on licence upon release.

Detective Sergeant Vicky Whitmill said: “Gregory’s disturbing behaviour – together with the complete contempt he demonstrated in breaching the terms of his court order, which was in place to protect vulnerable children – means it is right that he is behind bars.

“Proactive and regular checks are carried out on sex offenders to ensure they are complying with the requirements to which they are subject.

“Where breaches are found to have occurred, offenders will be arrested and brought before the court to take accountability for their actions.”

Description

A registered sex offender who was serving a suspended sentence has been jailed after pleading guilty to online child sex offences.

David Kay, 62, of Seaforth Avenue, Atherton, appeared at Bolton Crown Court on Tuesday, January 21, where he was sentenced to four years in prison.

Kay was issued with a sexual harm prevention order back in August 2024, following a conviction for attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child and attempting to engage in sexual activity in the presence of a child under 16 as part of an investigation led by Greater Manchester Police. 

The conditions of the order prohibited Kay from having any contact with a child under 16 years old or engaging in any chat online, concerning the sexual abuse of a child. 

Just a month after his conviction, Kay was arrested after detectives from Regional Organised Crime Units in the North West and South Wales gathered evidence that showed he had breached his order by interacting with someone who he believed was a 12-year-old child, sending explicit images and videos of himself.

Detective Constable Adam Cronshaw from the NWROCU said: "As a registered sex offender, Kay was required to adhere to a number of conditions to deter him from reoffending. 

"Kay was fully aware he was talking to someone he believed was just 12 years old, and yet he sent her incredibly graphic images and videos of himself. 

"We work with police forces across the region, and beyond, to ensure that dangerous individuals such as Kay are identified and brought to justice. Kay failed to demonstrate he could be trusted whilst at large in the community and must now reflect on his failure whilst behind bars.’ 

Description

A paedophile who distributed indecent images of children and possessed extreme animal pornography has been jailed.

Adrian Harkin, 34, was imprisoned for two years and eight months at Nottingham Crown Court on Tuesday (January 21) after admitting eight offences.

Harkin, formerly of Bath Street, Nottingham, was placed on the sex offenders register indefinitely and made subject of a five-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order as part of his sentence.

He was arrested in May 2023 after a woman contacted police to say Harkin had sent her indecent images of children via a dating app.

The court heard the images were unsolicited and that Harkin told the woman he had a sexual interest in children and animals.

Harkin was located and arrested and a number of devices seized. The case was then allocated to a specialist officer on Nottinghamshire Police’s Internet Child Exploitation Team, where the seized devices were reviewed and the extent of Harkin’s offending identified.

Numerous chats were located on Harkin’s phone where he distributed indecent images of children and discussed the graphic sexual abuse of children.

His phone contained over nine hours of indecent videos showing girls as young as four being horrifically abused.

Over 20 different chats were identified where Harkin was distributing images and discussing the abuse of children. He also wrote he was looking for animals to abuse.

Harkin pleaded guilty to a string of offences including:

• Making indecent images of children, namely 66 category A images and 143 category A videos
• Making indecent images of children, namely 52 category B images and 3 category B videos
• Making indecent images of children, namely 103 category C images
• Possessing prohibited images of children (53 images)
• Possessing extreme pornographic images portraying a sexual act with an animal, namely 109 images which were grossly offensive, disgusting or otherwise of an obscene character
• Distributing indecent images of children, namely 33 category A videos of children
• Distributing indecent images of children, namely 5 category B images of children
• Distributing indecent images of children, namely 13 category C images of children

Following his sentencing, Detective Constable Tom Nuttall, who led the investigation, said:

“Harkin has deep-rooted sexual perversions and I am pleased he is behind bars.

“The material he possessed and shared can only be described as depraved – depicting the most serious sexual offences committed by adults against children and animals.

“People who download and view this kind of material may not believe they are doing any harm, but in reality they are helping to fuel a depraved cycle of abuse that causes immense physical and emotional harm.

“That’s why we dedicate so many resources to ensuring the people who are consuming this material are caught and safeguarding measures swiftly implemented.”