Latest Offenders

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A dad unwittingly took a prolific paedophile on holiday with his family. The parent was left "physically shaking" after finding out the man he had invited along was in fact a "devious" serial sex offender.

Andrew Priday, 61, had secretly obtained a passport and used it to go on a trip to Europe with the family in question, who knew nothing of his past.

He had lied about his real identity to the woman he was marrying and her family. The details emerged during a hearing a Swansea Crown Court, with his crimes described as "determined and devious".

Priday, who has already served two lengthy prison terms for child sex offences, was sentenced to 32 months behind bars for his latest offence.

The Mirror reports Leuan Rees, prosecuting, said that in 2005 Priday was given an extended 11-year sentence at Swansea Crown Court and made the subject of a Sexual Offences Prevention Order.

He was also put on the sex offenders register for life for a string of child sex offences, with part of the conditions for the order being he had to inform the police of any passports he has.

He was also told to tell police of any holiday plans at least a week before they leave. The court heard that in January 2021, Priday applied for and obtained a passport.

But during subsequent annual registration declarations he lied to police and said he did not have one. The court heard that in June this year a family with a child who knew him - but were unaware of his previous convictions - booked a holiday to Bulgaria.

As an afterthought they invited Priday to join them for the final week of their break. Priday flew from Cardiff Airport on June 17 and spent seven days at the family's holiday apartment.

Priday was also found to have a phone in his possession, a device he had not informed police about. The father of the holidaying family later told police he felt "sick" and was "physically shaking" when he learned of Priday's past convictions.

Priday had previously pleaded guilty to three counts of breaching a Sexual Offences Prevention Order and three counts of failing to abide by the requirements of the sex offenders registration scheme when he appeared in the dock for sentencing.

He has 12 previous convictions for 71 offences between 1997 and 2005, including 12 convictions for sexual offences. In 1995 he was sentenced to seven years in prison at Cardiff Crown Court for indecent assault of a child and gross indecency with a child.

In 2005 he was given an 11-year extended sentence as a dangerous offender for indecent assault of a child, sexual activity with a child, making indecent images, and possessing indecent images.

He also has convictions from Kent in 2002 for breaching the terms of the sex offenders register, for gaining pecuniary advantage by false pretences - failing to declare his past convictions when applying for a job.

He also made false statements about his offending history to his then wife-to-be when applying for a marriage licence. Andrew Evans, speaking for Priday, said there was no suggestion of inappropriate behaviour during the holiday.

But he accepted his client had 'faltered' on his requirements. Judge Geraint Walters said Priday seemed to have "given up on any pretence" of complying with the requirements of the sex offenders register and Sexual Offences Prevention Order.

He said the reality was his breaches were "determined and devious". With a one-third discount for his guilty pleas Priday was sentenced to two years and eight months in prison.

He will serve up to half of that period in custody before being released on licence to serve the remainder of his sentence in the community.

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A man who attempted to murder a child who had intervened to stop him raping and sexually assaulting another child has today (26/7) been sentenced after he was convicted of a number of offences including attempted murder and rape.

Anthony Stocks, aged 54, formerly of Icieni Close, Goring-on-Thames, was found guilty by unanimous jury verdict of four counts of sexual assault of a child under 13 and one count each of causing or inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity, rape and attempted murder in a trial at Oxford Crown Court, which concluded on 6 June 2024.

Returning to the same court for sentencing, Stocks was sentenced to life in prison, serving a minimum of 19 and half years.

A joint investigation between Thames Valley Police and Sussex Police found that Stocks had calculated a plan to kill a young boy who had tried to stop him from his offending against a young girl.

Stocks had previously taken the boy to a quarry in Oxfordshire with a plan to push him off the edge, but he changed his mind.

However, on 24 September 2022, Stocks took the child to a set of cliffs at Ovingdean, near Brighton, where he carried out his plan, pushing the boy from the cliff edge.

He sustained extensive serious injuries, but miraculously, survived.

Initially, the boy’s fall was thought to be accidental, but following the launch of an investigation, a much darker reason for the fall became apparent.

Stocks was arrested on 23 November 2023 on suspicion of attempted murder, rape, and other sexual offences and was charged on the same day.

Over a period of three years between 2019 and 2022, Stocks was staying at an address in east Oxfordshire.

During his time there, he subjected a girl to rape and multiple sexual assaults.

The boy, who became aware of Stocks’ offending, attempted to intervene to stop Stocks continuing his abuse, and it was then that Stocks hatched his sordid plan to kill the boy.

The girl had told the boy about the offending and the boy put himself in the way of Stocks to try and stop the incidents from occurring.

Stocks made concerted efforts to stop this, and took the boy to a quarry nearby in east Oxfordshire with a thought of pushing him from the cliff edge.

Although he did not do this at that time, later in the same year, Stocks took the boy to see Chelsea Football Club before heading to Brighton and the cliff side at Ovingdean, where he carried out his plan.

He had told his female victim he was planning to push him from the cliff.

The boy was pushed from the cliff, falling 100 feet to the ground, where he sustained multiple severe injuries. He still suffers from ongoing issues as a result of the fall, but has otherwise made a miraculous recovery.

Deputy Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Sergeant Rachel Jackson of Thames Valley Police’s Child Abuse Investigation Unit, said: “I am pleased that today, Stocks has been handed a very significant sentence for his horrific and evil offences against two young children.

 “Stocks is an extremely dangerous individual, who had no thought about anybody but himself, to protect himself from prosecution by removing the boy from the equation.

“He has never shown any remorse throughout the course of this investigation.

“I would like to praise both victims for their unbelievable courage and resolve that helped us to bring Stocks to justice.

“They showed immense maturity and clarity, both in their interviews with police and at court, about what had happened to them.

“It’s because of this truly inspirational courage that Stocks has now been brought to justice and will now be in prison for long time, where he deserves to be.

“In my years investigating child abuse, this is one of the worst cases I have dealt with, and the impact that this has had on both victims, as well as all of the officers and staff who investigated this, is not to be underestimated.

“Both victims have continued to show courage and resolve, and are moving on with their lives magnificently, with support networks in place for them both.

“Both victims have continued to show courage and resolve, and are moving on with their lives magnificently, with support networks in place for them both.

Detective Inspector Matt Stevens, of Sussex Police, said: “Anthony Stocks’ calculated offending betrayed the trust of two young people.

“Both victims must now live with the impact of Stocks’ crimes for the rest of their lives, but it is testament to both of them how they have supported our investigation and are moving on with their lives.

“They have shown remarkable courage, bravery and determination to support this investigation through to its conclusion. I would like to thank them both for helping us bring Stocks to justice.

“The events of 24 September, 2022, was also extremely alarming for residents of Ovingdean and the wider community.

“It was a miracle it did not end in more tragic circumstances, and I would also like to thank all of those who came forward with information and messages of support.

“Finally, I commend my colleagues and detectives in both Thames Valley Police and Sussex Police for their outstanding work on this joint and very complex investigation.

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A woman who was in a position of trust has been jailed for a string of sexual abuse against boy who was under 16 years of age.

Acasia Welburn, who is now aged 26, of New Road in Telford has been jailed for two-and-a-half years today.

She pleaded guilty to three charges of sexual activity with a child by a person in a position of trust. Welburn appeared at York Crown Court for sentencing.

Welburn’s reign of abuse took place while she was working at a school in North Yorkshire where she worked in a trusted care position.

Welburn started sexual contact with a teenage boy who was autistic. She initially made contact with the boy on social media which involved the sharing of sexual messages and images. A shocking string of abuse followed on from this when she met the victim on a regular basis for sexual intercourse in her car and flat.  

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Benjamin Hassell, 70, was found guilty of indecent assault during a trial after previously pleading guilty to seven charges of making indecent images of a child. The trial heard how in 1987, when the victim was just six years old, Hassell sexually assaulted her at an address in Southampton.

The victim came forward to speak to police to report what had happened to her in 2020, and an investigation was launched. Officers seized a number of electronic devices from Hassell, including a laptop, a digital storage device and an SD card. An examination of these devices revealed more than 2,000 indecent images of children.

Hassell, of Clarendon Road, Southampton, had previously pleaded not guilty to the indecent assault charge, however was found guilty of the offence by a jury. He was jailed for seven years and 10 months.

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Today, Friday 26 July, a man has been sentenced to 19 years in prison after being found guilty of historical child sexual abuse in Liverpool.

Raymond Andrews, 57 years, was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court after a jury found him guilty of two counts of rape and six counts of engaging in penetrative sexual activity with a girl aged 13 to 15.

His heinous offences was committed in Liverpool between 2014 and 2016.

Andrews, who is from Liverpool but has been living in Oldham, was also issued a restraining order, Sexual Harm Prevention Order and will be required to sign the Sex Offender Register for life.

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A paedophile who sexually abused four children has been jailed for 16 years. All of his victims were under the age of 13-years-old.

Gary Hayes, 61, of Taff's Well, was found guilty of indecent and sexual assault of his victims. The offences took place over a period of 14 years from 2002.

Hayes, of Garth Street, was sentenced to 16 years imprisonment, at Cardiff Crown Court on Friday, July 19. He was subjected to sex offender notification requirements for life, an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order and indefinite restraining orders.

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A man who admitted trying to have sexual conversations with children online has been given an extended sentence of more than eight years.

Stephen Poulter, aged 43, was using a chat site to have sexualised conversations with profiles he believed belonged to two 14-year-old girls.

In reality he was talking with a member of an online child abuse activist group, who went on to report him to Northamptonshire Police on February 18 this year.

Officers immediately attended and arrested Poulter, previously of Lindsay Avenue, Northampton, who was already under a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) imposed in 2021 following a previous conviction.

An investigation by the Force’s Online Child Abuse Investigation Unit (OCAIU) revealed how despite being told each ‘child’ was just 14, Poulter had sent them indecent images and videos of himself.

He went on to be swiftly charged with two counts of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child and one of attempting to cause a child to look at an image of sexual activity.

Poulter had refused to give the police access to his mobile phone despite this being a requirement of his previous sentence, resulting in him also being charged with breach of the SHPO.

He was also charged with possession of the Class B drug cannabis, which was found in his home upon his arrest.

Having entered guilty pleas to all charges at Northampton Crown Court in March, on July 10 he returned there to be sentenced.

Poulter was given an extended sentence – used for criminals convicted of specific offences who are deemed to be dangerous – made up of 40 months’ imprisonment and a five-year extension period on licence.

He was also ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £228, with orders made for the forfeiture and destruction of his electronic devices and the seized cannabis.

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A "deviant" pervert who had already been jailed for wanting to target young children for sexual abuse has been branded a "dangerous" offender after he reverted to the same "disgusting" behaviour.

Former Royal Navy serviceman David Parker, a convicted sex offender at the time, started chatting online to someone that he wrongly thought was the eager and willing mother of a 10-year-old girl but who was really an undercover police officer.

He brazenly and shamelessly told the fake mother that he wanted to have sex with her young daughter and that he would bring a cuddly penguin toy with him to keep the girl "entertained" while he abused her.

He had also been tricked the previous time by undercover police into thinking that he was talking to a like-minded sexual predator but he naively fell for the same trap again, Hull Crown Court heard.

Parker, 67, of Cherry Tree Lane, Beverley, admitted nine offences, including arranging or facilitating the commission of a child sexual offence, distributing indecent images of children and breaching a sexual harm prevention order.

Rachel Scott, prosecuting, said that, on February 21 this year, Parker became involved in online conversations with an undercover police officer, who was pretending to be a woman with a 10-year-old daughter.

Parker agreed to trade indecent images of children and he sent the undercover officer sexual images of children. He said that he would love to have pictures taken with the supposed daughter and that he would love to meet the girl and to have sex with her.

He sent a video of a male having sex with a child. Parker said that he would "play penguins" with the girl to keep her "entertained" and he sent an image of a penguin sex toy and discussed using them.

He said that he would love an eight-year-old girl. "Your girl is an ideal age," he told the fake mother. "He confirmed that he was serious about having sex with a child and it wasn't just a fantasy," said Miss Scott.

Parker suggested putting a gag on the girl's mouth. "He discussed meeting with the officer and her daughter," said Miss Scott.

"He discussed meeting the officer at a caravan, which he would pay for. It was agreed that the defendant would travel to the girl's home and stay over."

Parker eventually stopped the messages. He was identified and he was arrested at his home. He told police: "Not again" when he was arrested. He handed over a phone, which was registered with the authorities, but during a search, another phone was found hidden under a sofa cushion.

"That device had not been registered with his sex offender manager," said Miss Scott. Its deleted history included indecent images of children and extreme pornography.

During police interview, Parker admitted chatting online with adults about children but he claimed that he was "not stupid enough to meet them". He denied having a sexual addiction to children but he admitted that, in a fantasy world, he did.

Parker had convictions for 24 previous offences, including being jailed for 15 months in 2008 for possessing and distributing indecent images of children.

In May 2019, Parker, then living in Glebe Road, Brigg, was jailed for four years at Grimsby Crown Court for two offences of arranging or facilitating the commission of a child sexual offence and four offences of making indecent images of children. He had been given an indefinite sexual harm prevention order.

During those offences, Parker was trapped in another secret police operation in which he wrongly thought that he was speaking to the stepfather of two children when he arranged to meet up at a motorway service station.

Parker was in breach of that order.

"This is a very serious breach," said Miss Scott.

Amber Hobson, mitigating, said that Parker did stop the most recent online sexual messages. "He acknowledges that his actions have been nothing short of disgusting," said Miss Hobson.

"He acknowledges that his behaviour is absolutely reprehensible. He is ashamed of what he had done.

"He never formed the intent to meet the person who he was conversing with and that's the reason that the messages stopped as he had determined that the conversation had reached a point that it needed to stop. He says that this was merely a fantasy.

"He was able to demonstrate good insight into the harm and ongoing harm caused by the distribution of that material. He had no intention of meeting the child." Parker had served more than 20 years in the Royal Navy.

Recorder Abdul Iqbal KC said of the fake 10-year-old girl: "Mercifully, this was a fictitious individual but you weren't to know that. You engaged in and started a conversation asking what age children she was interested in sexually.

"You agreed to trade in indecent images of children. You sent various indecent images of children. You have a deviant and unlawful sexual interest in children. You said that you would bring a cuddly penguin and also sex toys with that theme.

"You gave graphic detail about how you would engage in that sexual activity with that child. You believed that you were speaking to the mother of a 10-year-old child.

"You had every intention otherwise to progress the offence if it was possible to do so. There is a significant risk of serious sexual harm from you in the future."

Parker, who was already in custody on remand, was jailed for six years and nine months after he was described as a dangerous offender. He will be on extended licence of three years after his release from prison. He will have to register as a sex offender indefinitely.

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A Ring doorbell pervert who twice tormented a Perth woman with his one-man “porn movies” has been spared jail.

Neil Beattie was caught engaging in a solo sex act on his victim’s front door video recorder.

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A repeat child groomer could be sent to prison after he was caught sending sexual messages to a decoy.

Former cabaret singer Darren Whyte, 34, told the ‘child’ – actually an adult – he would pay £15 for indecent images.

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A sexual predator from Finchley who filmed his offences has been found guilty a court following a Met investigation.

Ross Davidson, 36 (24.02.88) of Station Road, Finchley was found guilty on Thursday, 25 July of several sexual offences at Wood Green Crown Court.

A Met investigation began in 2019 when Davidson was arrested at his home and his personal devices were seized. After careful examination, officers discovered that Davidson had kept seven videos of himself raping and sexually assaulting his victims.

Following charge details of Davidson’s initial arrest being made public, officers identified four victim-survivors in total, who came forward to report rape, sexual assaults, voyeurism and controlling and coercive behaviour.

Detective Inspector Wendy Bassett, who led the investigation, said:

“This investigation has developed over many years with several victim-survivors coming forward at different stages.

"Our team have worked incredibly hard to evidence each incident, support the victims and bring Davidson to justice. We take every report of a sexual offence seriously and will do our utmost to investigate no matter when the incident occurred.

“Davidson is a prolific predatory offender with no regard or care for the impact he has had on the victims. I am pleased with this result and hope it goes some way in providing closure to the victims.”

One victim-survivor reported to police that in 2013 Davidson sexually assaulted and raped her after an evening together. Davidson raped her, ignoring her cries for him to stop, all of which he recorded on his phone.

The second and third victim-survivors were identified after recorded footage was discovered by police following Davidson’s initial arrest. The separate recordings showed both victims being sexually assaulted in their sleep.

The fourth victim-survivor came forward most recently in January 2023, recognising Davidson’s name in the news. Working with the victim to record her statement, officers were able to evidence she had been recorded in one of the videos on his phone without her consent.

Davidson has been convicted rape; two counts of sexual assault and voyeurism. He was remanded into custody ahead of sentencing on Friday, 6 September at Wood Green Crown Court.

The Met is doing more to address violence against women and girls and listening to victim-survivors to ensure that people have confidence to report these most awful crimes.

At the heart of our new approach in investigating rape, the Met have a greater focus on the suspect’s life, with a shift away from the ‘credibility’ of the victim-survivor. This means that the victim goes through a less invasive process when reporting an incident such as rape, which officers know is already an incredibly difficult time for them.

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Christopher Smith, 75, of Glasgow Road, Southsea, was locked up at Portsmouth Crown Court after being found guilty following a trial. 

The sick pervert was convicted of three counts of raping a male aged 16 or over, seven charges of sexual assault of a male aged 16 or above, and two counts of causing a boy to engage in sexual activity. He carried out the horrific crimes between August 2021 and April 2022.

The sex offender has to register with police indefinitely upon his release.

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A north London hotel worker raped a hotel guest and sexually assaulted other women by touching their feet as they slept.

Ahmed Fahmy, 45, abused his position as a member of staff at the Anchor Hotel on Golders Green’s West Heath Drive to carry out his sick offences, targeting two members of the same group in January this year.

On Thursday, Fahmy was convicted of one count of rape and three sexual assaults, one of which had taken place while he was working at the Sunborn Yacht Hotel in Newham in March 2022.

Police on Friday warned that there could be more victims, and urged them to come forward if so.

Hendon Magistrates Court heard how a group of four women were staying at the Anchor Hotel when they became separated on a night out with three of them returning.

When they got there, they realised they did not have the room key, and Fahmy demanded one of the women withdraw £80 from a cash machine so that she could stay in another room.

She got into bed fully dressed apart from her shoes and awoke to find Fahmy licking her foot.

She told him no and to go away, but she was then woken a second time to find him doing a similar thing. The woman kicked him and again told him to go away.

Later that morning, the fourth member of the group arrived back at the hotel and told Fahmy she had lost her key. He manoeuvred her into his bedroom where he raped her.

The offending came to light when the women moved to a different hotel immediately after. One of the women again was separated from her friends in Regent’s Park and became distressed.

A park staff member called the police but she could not tell them where her new hotel was, with officers suggesting they go back to the Anchor Hotel where they hoped to find contact details for her friends.

She then started crying and told the officers that she could not return to the hotel as the manager had raped her.

During the course of the investigation, detectives linked Fahmy to two other non-recent sexual assaults, which largely centred on him touching women’s feet, including a sex attack on a woman while on a date in 2008 in Wembley’s Alliance Close.

Met Detective Constable James Gomm, who led the investigation, said: “Fahmy displayed a clear pattern of offending where he abused his position as a hotel worker to get close to his victims and carry out his crimes.”

DC Gomm praised those who had shared what happened with police, saying: “Your bravery has helped put a sexual offender behind bars and protect other women.

“There may be other victims of Fahmy and, if so, I would urge them to get in contact with police immediately – you will be listened to and provided with support.”

Fahmy will be sentenced at the same court on September 20.

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An aspiring social media influencer has been jailed after admitting to a series of sex offences against two teenage girls.

Reaquain Palmer came to police attention at the end of July last year when one of his victims confided in staff at her school about a sexual relationship.

The schoolgirl had known of Palmer from his viral Tik Tok account and was later introduced to him in person.

Palmer, then aged 23, invited her back to his flat and had sex with her on three different occasions.

When he was arrested a short time later, he denied ever having sexual contact with her but also made it clear he believed her to be at least 16 years old.

He also denied calling another schoolgirl and attempting to engage her in a sexual act over the phone.

Incriminating mobile phone messages, however, revealed he was well aware of the first girl’s true age but had still maintained his pursuit of her.

As the investigation continued Palmer then made a clear threat to one of his victims in a misguided bid to undermine the case against him.

He later pleaded guilty to three counts of engaging in sexual activity with a girl aged 13 to 15. He also admitted to engaging in sexual communications with a child and intimidating a witness.

Appearing at Nottingham Crown Court on Friday 25 July, Palmer, now aged 24, of Carlton Road, Nottingham, was jailed for three years and eight months.

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

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An Edinburgh man has been released from custody despite pleading guilty to sending sexual messages and images of his genitals to a 14-year-old schoolgirl.

Robert Agnew contacted a social media account who he believed belonged to the child before sending vile sexual comments and a picture of his penis on the WhatsApp messaging service.

Agnew was caught out after it emerged the person he was in contact with was a member of a paedophile hunter group who subsequently confronted him at his home in the Ratho area of the capital.

The online sting was live streamed on the groups Facebook page and 37-year-old Agnew was arrested and charged after the police were called in to deal with the situation.

Agnew appeared at the citys sheriff court following his arrest in March this year and was remanded in custody. He was back in the dock for sentencing on Tuesday after previously pleading guilty to a charge of indecent communication during a court hearing last month.

Prosecutor Cheryl Porter told the court Agnew contacted a Facebook account in the name of 14-year-old Stacey Sugden from Manchester but was in fact operated by a member of the hunter group Fleetwood Enforcers UK.

Ms Porter said Agnew told the girl he was employed by Fedex as a warehouse worker and he had begun telling her she was very pretty and asked her to move the chat to WhatsApp.

The indecent communication continued over the following five days and Agnew sent messages including asking to meet up with the girl and making comments about her genitalia.

The court was told he also asked what kind of underwear she had on and had sent images of his erect penis asking Do you like the photos?. He also sent messages stating come and join me in my bed.

Members of the paedophile hunter group filmed the confrontation with Agnew when they attended his home at around 11pm on April 5 this year and the police were later contacted.

Solicitor Gillian Simpson, defending, said her client had not applied for bail following his arrest and although he admitted sending the messages he had no intention of meeting up with the girl.

Sheriff Charles Walls said Agnew had pleaded guilty to a very serious matter and though the contact was wholly inappropriate he had committed a non-contact offence.

The sheriff said: Although meeting up with a 14-year-old girl was discussed ultimately it is suggested this was just fantasy and there was no real intention to carry through with this.

Sheriff Walls released Agnew from custody and was placed him under the supervision of the social work department for three years as a direct alternative to custody.

Agnew was also sentenced to carry out 260 hours of unpaid work in the community and had his name added to the Sex Offenders Register for the next three years.

Agnew pleaded guilty to sending sexual communications to a 14-year-old girl, who was in fact an adult, at his home at Ratho, Edinburgh, between March 23 and 29 this year.