Latest Offenders

Description

A convicted Medway sex offender who breached the terms of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) has been jailed.

Ian Collard, formerly of Station Road, Gillingham, downloaded banned apps and set up online dating profiles despite being forbidden to do so.

Court order

Collard, 34, became the subject of a SHPO after pleading guilty to attempting to cause a girl to engage in sexual activity in 2018. The court order included conditions that he must not access the internet without informing the authorities and must make any devices available for inspection by officers when asked.

The SHPO also stipulated that the offender must not use any form of social media, dating apps or dating websites; install any app capable of automatically deleting messages or making messages disappear, or contact any person without their expressed consent.

Order breached

Following a routine visit by Kent Police officers, Collard was found to be in breach of the court order. An examination of his mobile phone uncovered prohibited activity, including that he had downloaded Snapchat and was using several different aliases for various dating app profiles.

Collard was arrested on 17 May 2024 and charged the same day with seven breaches of the SHPO and three breaches of the Sex Offenders’ Notification Requirements.

Jailed

He pleaded guilty and on Friday 14 March 2025 at Maidstone Crown Court, was sentenced to three years in prison.

Description

A prolific sex offender who stole an innocent man’s identity and spent almost three decades on the run has been found guilty of numerous sexual offences against young boys.

Richard Burrows was found guilty of 54 offences on Monday 17 March 2025 at Chester Crown Court, including indecent assault of boys, buggery, attempted buggery and indecency with a child.

The 80-year-old, of HMP Altcourse, had already pleaded guilty to 43 offences, including indecent assault of boys,  making indecent images of children, possession of indecent images of children and four counts of possession of false identity documents with intent, at an earlier hearing.

Burrows has been remanded in custody and will be sentenced on Monday 7 April for a total of 97 offences.

The court heard how between 1968 and 1995 Burrows systematically abused 24 young boys across the Cheshire, West Midlands and West Mercia areas. 

The offences in Cheshire occurred between 1969 and 1971 while he was working as a Housemaster, looking after vulnerable children at Danesford Children’s Home in Congleton.

His victims in the West Midlands and West Mercia areas were also all young boys who were abused between 1968 and 1995, the majority through local Scout groups where Burrows worked as a leader.

In each case, he befriended the victims by using his position of trust over them and their personal interests, such as radio communications or boating. After gaining their trust, and in many cases the trust of their families, Burrows then went on to sexually abuse the boys.

While some of his victims attempted to speak out at the time, many simply did not feel that they would be believed.

It was not until the 1990s, following revelations in relation to offences at other children's homes and institutions, that many of the victims had the confidence to come forward.

Following the allegations in relation to the offences at Danesford Children’s Home, a large-scale investigation was launched by detectives from Cheshire Police in 1994.

Burrows was initially arrested in April 1997 and was subsequently charged in May 1997 with two counts of buggery and 11 counts of indecent assault in relation to the offences in Cheshire and some in the West Midlands. 

After his initial appearance in magistrates’ courts, he was released on bail by the court and was due to attend a further hearing at Chester Crown Court on Monday 8 December 1997. 

However, Burrows failed to attend and officers subsequently discovered that he had disappeared.

Over the past 27 years detectives from Cheshire Police have been carrying out multiple enquiries to locate him. This included several wanted appeals and four Crimewatch appeals on national television as well as following up numerous leads, none of which indicated Burrows had left the country.

The investigation also included enquiries with various agencies and institutions within the UK as well as border and international checks, however there was no trace of him either within or outside of the UK.

Burrows remained on the Cheshire Police wanted list throughout the 27-year period and his case was regularly reviewed.

Despite the officers’ best efforts, there was no trace until April 2023 when detectives from the force's Serious and Organised Crime Unit used specialist software to search for any possible images of Burrows online.

After searching through billions of images, the system came back with a match for a man using the name of Peter Smith who was living in Chalong in Phuket, Thailand.

‘Peter’ had an active interest in sailing and had previously been working at an advertising company in Phuket. He had even featured in the local news in 2019 when he retired from his job.

Following further enquiries, officers discovered that Burrows had stolen the name Peter Smith from an acquaintance who was terminally ill. This allowed him to fraudulently obtain a 'genuine' passport in 1997 and so leave the country without detection.

After confirming that ‘Peter’ was in fact Burrows, officers contacted the National Crime Agency (NCA) and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and began the process to extradite him to the UK.

Before that process was formally commenced, officers became aware of Burrows’ intention to return to the UK travelling under the alias of Peter Smith. The NCA informed Thai authorities and monitored his travel back to the UK. He was arrested as soon as he landed at Heathrow.

Following his arrest, Burrows was subsequently charged in relation to further offences in Cheshire, the West Midlands and West Mercia which had been reported since his disappearance.

A number of victims had come forward at different times to different police forces over the years as a result of media and Crimewatch appeals and because they felt the time was right for them to tell their story. Some victims also came forward on seeing that Burrows had been arrested.

Description

A man has been jailed for five years for a string of sexual offences against children dating back to the 1980s.

Edward Riley, aged 56, of Pitway, South Petherton, Somerset appeared at Worcester Crown Court today (14 March) for sentencing, following his conviction in February.

Riley was convicted of six counts of indecent assault against a girl under 14, two counts of indecent assault against a boy under 14 and two counts of inciting a boy under 14 to commit an act of gross indecency

The offences were committed between 1982 and 1986 in Kidderminster .

Riley has been placed on the sex offenders register for life.

Description

A Met investigation into a man who sexually assaulted four teenage girls in Barking has seen him jailed for 18 and a half years.

Mark Franklin, 56 (10.03.68) of Westrow Drive, Barking was sentenced at Snaresbrook Crown Court on Friday, 14 March. He has also been placed on the sex offenders’ register for life.

The investigation was launched in April 2024 when a 15-year-old girl reported that she had been sexually assaulted by someone known to her.

Through building a rapport with the victim-survivor, officers discovered that Franklin had also abused three other girls.

On 22 October 2024 at the same court, Franklin was unanimously found guilty by a jury of:

• One count of rape of a child under 16
• Two counts of sexual assault by penetration
• Three counts of sexual assault
• One count of causing a child to engage in a sexual act

Detective Constable Jodie Singer, who led the investigation, said: “Today we achieved justice for these four girls and I hope the severity of the sentence can provide some comfort to them and their families.

“Throughout the entire investigation, Franklin showed absolutely no remorse. He was so comfortable in his offending that even after he filmed the horrific assaults, he never believed he would be caught.

“The young victim-survivors have shown remarkable bravery throughout this process, their strength and willingness to work with us has been vital in securing his conviction. I want to thank them for their trust in the police and for their resilience during such a distressing time.”

Between August 2023 and January 2024, Franklin sexually assaulted the four victim-survivors who were aged 15 and 16 when they visited his home. He would plie them with drugs and alcohol, and once they were inebriated, he would sexually assault them, often filming his actions.

He described the transformation when they took the drugs as ‘incredible’ and ‘absolutely breath taking’.

The court heard how Franklin attempted to minimise the abuse and said it was ‘just a bit of fun’.

Officers also uncovered extensive messages where Franklin confessed his love for one victim-survivor, telling her he had a secret crush on her and how beautiful he thought she was.

The Met are doing more to address violence against women and girls. Listening to victim-survivors, and working together with charities and partners across the criminal justice system, we’re working to ensure that all victims-survivors have the 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.

Description

A former coach at St Andrews Rifle Club has been placed on the sex offenders register after being found guilty of touching female students.

Volunteer Patrick Jess was found guilty of a string of sexual assaults at the Fife shooting club.

Description

Daniel Albertina was caught in the act filming a teenager on his mobile phone underneath the walls of a cubicle.

A lad was left 'feeling sickened' after spotting a taxi driver filming him in the toilets at an Odeon cinema.

The police unravelled a series of heinous offences by Daniel Albertina following his capture on camera as he recorded the young lad on his mobile from under the toilet cubicle partition.

The sordid list of crimes included covertly capturing footage of a girl showering and hoarding a disgusting collection of indecent child images. In court yesterday, the paedophile hung his head in shame as his true nature as a "monster" with a "secret life" filled with wicked acts was laid bare.

Liverpool Crown Court was told on Tuesday that a 16 year old boy had gone to Odeon Switch Island last year and popped to the gents during his film. It was there he clocked a mobile phone poking out from under the wall of the next stall.

Prosecutor Paul Becker recounted how the teenager confronted Albertina, from Eastbourne Road in Aintree, in the restroom before alerting staff. The 39 year old, who had driven to the flicks in his Delta cab, was later identified through the taxi firm.

This led to the confiscation of a laptop and two mobiles from Albertina. On these devices, cops found 165 indecent snaps of kids, some of which were videos Albertina had taken of a teenage girl in the shower, reports the Liverpool Echo.

Officers also discovered a number of extreme pornographic images depicting sexual acts involving cows and mice. During questioning, he confessed to detectives that he had "committed offences of voyeurism over six weeks on about six occasions" at the same cinema and "stated that he had an attraction to young males and females".

In a statement read out in court on his behalf, the boy said: "Following the incident, I didn't leave the house for a couple of weeks on my own. I used to go the the cinema on a regular basis, but I no longer feel safe.

"I'm now worried about using public toilets. It still makes me feel sick knowing what this monster did to me. I feel like this was an invasion of privacy. I should be able to use them without something like this happening to me. This should have been a private area where I should have been able to use the toilet in privacy."

Albertina has no previous convictions. Ken Heckle, defending, told the court: "He understands that he has destroyed many lives. He is, however, a man of 39 years of previous good character.

"While he sits in your lordship's court full of guilt, shame and embarrassment, he wants assistance with regards to these matters. This defendant has been brutally honest in not only accepting the case against him but saying that his sexual issues and problems have been there for some considerable length of time, effectively a secret to all concerned - a secret life separate from his family, who he was providing for in full time employment.

"He is not full of self pity. He is an intelligent person. This was previously his dark secret. It is no longer secret. It is out in the open. He can discuss it with people rather than harbouring these terrible thoughts. He wants to get help so that he does not find himself in this position."

Albertina admitted two counts of voyeurism, four charges of possession of indecent images of children, nine offences of making indecent images and four matters of possession of extreme pornographic images. Appearing in the dock wearing a turquoise jumper, he was seen with his head in his hands at times during the hearing before he was jailed for 18 months.

The Honorary Recorder of Liverpool, Judge Andrew Menary KC, delivered a scathing rebuke during the sentencing and said: "All of this came to light as a consequence of an incident which happened at the Odeon cinema at Switch Island. What came to light was a quite disgraceful, appalling catalogue of conduct, committed by you and arising out of your obsession, which you have had for many years, in relation to sexual gratification in relation to young children.

"This was not the first time that you had done this. It is clear from what you said to the police that you had got into the habit, having used the toilet after dropping off a customer and realised that it was possible for you to go into the toilets and use your telephone to take a picture or record what was happening in the adjacent cubicle.

"This is outrageous conduct. It is not often that this court is shocked. Sadly, we have seen it all. But these are really bad images of their type."

Alongside the condemnation, Albertina received a five-year restraining order and a 10-year sexual harm prevention order. Additionally, he must sign the sex offenders' register for a decade.

Description

A sex offender has been jailed  for four years after detectives discovered a large amount of child abuse images at his home.

Philip Cliffe, aged 41, came to the attention of Nottinghamshire Police in October 2023 when his IP address - the unique reference code linking an individual account holder to the internet - was linked to images of child sexual abuse.

Detectives carried out a search at his home address and recovered several electronic devices including a laptop and a memory stick.

Forensic analysis of the devices revealed thousands of images showing the sexual abuse of children - some of them babies.

Around 1,000 of the images were graded as Category A - depicting the most serious abuse that can be perpetrated by adults against children.

Cliffe's devices were also found to contain extreme adult pornographic material.

Cliffe, of  Carlton, declined to answer officers' questions in his police interview, but later pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images of children, possessing a prohibited image of a child, and possessing extreme (adult) pornographic images.

Appearing at Nottinghamshire Crown Court on Friday he was jailed for four years.

Description

A "callous and prolific" child abuser who used his flat and cafe to groom and then rape vulnerable and underage girls has been jailed.

The attacks 56-year-old Ajaz Ahmed inflicted on his five victims were discovered as part of a Greater Manchester Police (GMP) investigation into historical sexual abuse in Rochdale.

In January 2016, detectives identified the first of his victims when a woman disclosed she had been raped by several men at a party at Ahmed's flat on Drake Street in the town when she was aged 13.

Ahmed, of no fixed address, was sentenced to 28 years in prison at Manchester's Minshull Street Crown Court.
He was convicted of 23 offences, including the rape and sexual assault of children, following a trial.

When officers first spoke to Ahmed about the rape at his flat, he admitted he owned the property but said he did not know who his tenants were at the time, GMP said.

Police spoke to another woman who said she had been in a coercive and controlling relationship with Ahmed at the age of 15, and he had raped, sexually assaulted and assaulted her on several occasions.

The force said Ahmed subjected her to a "horrific and sustained" period of control and physical and sexual abuse.

A friend of the first victim also told police Ahmed sexually assaulted her the first time she met him, just before her 16th birthday.

Fearing for her safety, she never reported it at the time, police said.

'Vulnerable'

A third woman also reported she was raped by Ahmed.

She met him at a cafe he owned and he offered her one of his flats in exchange for work at the cafe.

Police said he sexually assaulted her whilst she was in the kitchen.

Ahmed also took the vulnerable girl to nightclubs and bought her alcoholic drinks. When she returned home, he took her into the basement of the Drake Street property and raped her.

A fourth victim, aged 15, was also identified during the inquiries.

Ahmed, who she knew as AJ, offered her a room in his Drake Street flat and would let himself in unannounced. She said he regularly raped her.

She said one night Ahmed laughed as he raped her in front of several men he had invited over for a drink.

'Abhorrent'

A fifth victim told officers she met Ahmed when she was 17.

He offered her a place to stay as it was late but said she would have to give the men something in return.

She refused and he took her back to his flat, where he sexually assaulted her.

Det Con Ann Cooper Poole praised the victims' bravery for helping to put Ahmed behind bars.

She said: "It took just one brave survivor to come forward and detail her abuse and it opened up an entire case which resulted in us obtaining evidence that Ahmed was a callous and prolific sex offender.

"These girls had their childhoods and teen years tainted in the most abhorrent way, and they experienced what no one should ever experience."

Description

A prison sentence has been imposed on a man who downloaded thousands of indecent images of children.

Paul Redford, 64, from Melbourne Avenue, Ramsgate, joined a social media application in 2022 where he used the platform to download and share the images with other users.

On 1 March 2024, officers from Kent Police’s Paedophile Online Investigation Team attended Redford’s home address following information received that indecent images of children were being accessed from the property.

Upon arrival and when officers told him why they were there, he admitted he was responsible.

After his phone was downloaded, officers found 730 of the most serious category A images and videos, 642 category B and 944 category C. They also found he had distributed 40 images and videos through the social media application.

Charged

Redford was later charged with making and distributing indecent images of children and possessing extreme pornography and prohibited items. He pleaded guilty to the offences and at Canterbury Crown Court on Thursday 6 March 2025 he was jailed for two years and four months.

He was also given a 10 year Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) and is subject to strict sex offender notification requirements for 10 years.

Description

A rapist wept in court as a judge jailed him for raping a woman as she slept at a Travelodge hotel. James Cox subjected his victim to the 'horrible' attack the morning after he had binged on alcohol and cocaine.

Police attended his room to find him bloodied, having self-harmed with a shard of glass. A judge told him that he will have to "live with the shame for the rest of his life".

Liverpool Crown Court heard yesterday afternoon, Tuesday March 11, that Cox was staying at a Travelodge hotel in the city at the time of the incident and had spent the night drinking. The following morning, another guest woke up at around 7am to find the 29-year-old, of Sherwood Avenue in Rhyl, North Wales, kissing her neck and raping her, having removed her pyjama bottoms while she was sleeping.

Gareth Roberts, prosecuting, described how officers then attended his room after the incident was reported to Merseyside Police but received no answer. When the door was unlocked by a member staff, PCs found Cox with a "deep laceration" to his wrist and holding a piece of glass.

The defendant was then taken to hospital in order to receive treatment for this injury. His criminal record shows entries for drunk and disorderly behaviour, resisting arrest, a public order offence and possession of cannabis.

Callum Ross, defending, told the court: "This is a defendant who knows and understands the seriousness of what he has done. To put it bluntly, he has to live with that for the rest of his life and he will.

"He has a positive working history. He clearly has issues with drug use. The defendant has been very candid about his cocaine addiction. He tells me that he feels better already as a result of his remand and being abstinent from drugs. That is perhaps a positive of custody and will assist in his rehabilitation in due course."

Cox admitted one count of rape. Appearing via video link to HMP Liverpool wearing a grey Under Armour tracksuit top, he was seen wiping tears away as he was jailed for five years and three months.

He will be required to serve two thirds of this term behind bars before becoming eligible for release. Sentencing, Judge Neil Flewitt KC told him that the "horror of what he did no doubt had a profound and lasting effect" and added: "You had a relatively long standing addiction to cocaine, which was compounded by your use of alcohol. It may be that that explains what happened that night.

"This was a horrible offence. You have been in trouble with the police before, but not for anything on this scale. It is said that you will have to live for the rest of your life with the shame of what you have done, and I accept that.

"It may well be that drink and drugs have a large part to play in what happened. That was largely self induced. It was your choice to abuse alcohol and drugs, and so you have to take the consequences of your behaviour when you were under their influence."

Description

A former Bishop from Swansea has been jailed after pleading guilty to multiple child sex offences.

Anthony Pierce, 84, from Swansea Vale, pleaded guilty – at Swansea Crown Court on Friday, February 7, 2025 – to five counts of indecent assault on a child under the age of 16.

He has today been sentenced to four years and one month in prison. Upon release, he will be made subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order. He will be on the sex offenders register for life.

Description

Brown, 36, of Vernon Crescent, Brentwood, was arrested in October 2023. He remained silent throughout two police interviews.

He was initially charged with 15 offences, including sexual offences involving a child.

At court these were amended, and he was charged with:

• Two counts of meeting a child following sexual grooming
• Two counts of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity
• Sexual activity with a child
• Sexual assault
• Two counts of causing a child to watch a sexual act
• Intentional strangulation
• Two counts of production of a Class B drug

extended licence due to dangerousness

On 13 January 2025 at Chelmsford Crown Court he admitted sexual activity with a child and two counts of cannabis production. The other charges were left to lie on file.

At the same court on Monday 10 March he was sentenced to five years in prison for sexual activity with a child. The judge ordered an extended licence of three years, due to his dangerousness.

For two production of a Class B drug charges he was sentenced to six weeks imprisonment for each, to run concurrently with each other, and consecutively with the first sentence.

He is also subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order, with conditions not to contact girls aged under 16 years.

Description

A man has been jailed for 18 years after he raped and assaulted a woman in Alton.

Elijah Mochia, 31, of no fixed abode, raped the woman – who was aged in her 20s – multiple times during their relationship.

Winchester Crown Court heard that from an early stage the relationship was dominated by the violent and controlling behaviour of Mochia.

He made her sign written contracts in relation to her behaviour and physically assaulted her over a six-month period.  

Mochia put his hands around her throat, punched her in the ribs and bit her ear. He also threatened her with scissors.

He was arrested by officers and later charged with:

• Three counts of rape – one being a multiple incident count
• One count of assault occasioning actual bodily harm
• One count of controlling and coercive behaviour

Mochia refused to attend court and the trial went ahead in his absence. He was found guilty by a jury and was jailed for a total of 18 years, with an extended licence period of eight years, on Friday 28 February.

He will remain on the sexual offenders register for the rest of his life. 

Description

A predatory sex offender has been jailed after raping a vulnerable 12-year-old girl in Nottingham.

The girl was walking near Crown Island, Nottingham, on the night of 18 May last year when she began talking to Humza Khan – a man with a previous conviction for sexual assault.

Khan, aged 29, then led his victim to a park where he subjected her to a prolonged sexual assault.

Detectives used CCTV footage to link Khan and his bicycle to the scene.

He had also given his mobile phone number to the victim before the offence took place, and was positively identified by the victim during a controlled ID procedure,

Khan, previously of Hawton Crescent, Wollaton, gave no comment answers to detectives in his police interview, but later pleaded guilty to rape.

Appearing at Nottingham Crown Court on Friday 7 March, he was jailed for nine years and three months.

He was also made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order which will forbid him from almost all contact with children for the next 15 years.

In addition, he will also remain on the sex offenders’ register for the rest of his life.

Description

A CONVICTED rapist flouted the rules of his being on the Sex Offender Register by not disclosing his usernames for three online accounts.

Wigton man Robert Long, 29, who admitted all three offences, became a registered sex offender after he was convicted in 2017 of raping a 16-year-old girl.

The judge who jailed the defendant for eight years commented that the then 21-year-old defendant had shown no compassion for his victim, who was left “shaking, bruised and bleeding" after the vicious attack.

He first made contact with the girl via Facebook.

As a result of that conviction, Long’s online activities are closely monitored by the police because his name is on the national Sex Offender Register. This obliges him to tell the police about any online accounts he opens within three days.

At Carlisle’s Rickergate court, the defendant, of Springfields, Wigton, accepted failing to do this for three identified accounts.

He should have told his police offender manager of his account user names within three days, as required under the terms of his registration.

The accounts involved were with Twitch, Instagram, and Apple Gaming.

Lauren Heasley, defending, said the breaches of the defendant’s sex offender registration requirements were not “malicious.” She told magistrates: “Two of the account names related to older accounts.”

These were not closed when Long was jailed and not accessed.

The failure to register the third account with the police – the one for Apple Gaming – was the result of an oversight, said Miss Heasley. She added: “He is trying to rebuild his life, which is difficult given the offences on his record.

“He is a farm worker, doing gruelling hours, from 5.30am to 6.30pm, with 14 days on and two days off.” The defendant also has a settled address and lives with his mother and her partner, added the lawyer.

Deputy District Judge Simon Blakebrough adjourned sentencing until March 26, saying that there should be a pre-sentence report to assess risk, given the nature of the serious offences on Long’s record.

He told the defendant to cooperate with the Probation Service.

Throughout his police interview following the original rape offence, Long denied any wrongdoing, claiming the sex was consensual. He took the case to a trial, which concluded with the jury finding him guilty.

Long did however admit other offences in 2017, these being meeting a child following sexually grooming, engaging in sexual activities with a child and having sex with a child.

Police described him as is “a dangerous and predatory man,” who used social media to meet girls to commit sexual offences.