Latest Offenders

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A 71-year-old man has been jailed for sexual offences against teenage girls in Shetland more than 30 years ago.

Anthony McElhone was found guilty on Thursday, 13 November, 2025, of indecent assault and rape between March 1993 and December 1996 at various locations in Shetland.

He was sentenced to 10 years in prison at the High Court in Edinburgh on Friday, 12 December, 2025. He was also placed on the sex offenders’ register.

Detective Constable Nina Crehan said:

“McElhone subjected these girls to sustained sexual abuse over a number of years.

“I would like to thank them for their assistance with our investigations. My thoughts are with them, and I hope this result brings them some sense of closure.

“Sexual abuse will not be tolerated, and this case shows that time is no barrier to justice. I’d urge anyone who has experienced or is experiencing abuse to report it to us and we will investigate thoroughly.”

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A man from Felixstowe has been jailed after committing a string of sex offences.

James Hawker, 45, of Cornwall Road, was sentenced to 28 years in jail, and a further six years on extended licence, at Ipswich Crown Court on Friday 12 December after being found guilty of 11 counts of sexual assault, four counts of rape, four counts of assault by penetration and one offence of attempted rape.

Hawker, at an earlier hearing, pleaded guilty to six counts of making indecent photographs of children and one count of voyeurism.

The offences all took place between August 2008 and December 2020. The three-week trial heard he made more than 210,000 indecent images of children.

The offences first came to light in February 2021 when the first victim reported it to police. Following his initial arrest on 1 February he was arrested again on 7 October 2021 and was subsequently charged in October 2023.

Detective Sergeant Jennifer Botting, the investigating officer, said:

“This was a horrific series of crimes committed by Hawker over a 13-year period, so to see him convicted for his reprehensible deeds is extremely satisfying. This was a highly complex and lengthy investigation bearing in mind the duration the offences took place and the number of victims that Hawker abused. I would like to pay tribute to the four victims and their parents for their bravery in reporting and giving evidence at trial. This by no means was easy for them to do and they will no doubt be carrying this appalling experience with them for the rest of their lives.

“I only hope that this conviction will bring some measure of justice and reassurance – not only to the victims in this case but to others who may be suffering in silence.

“Suffolk Constabulary remains committed to fully investigating any allegation of sexual abuse and providing the highest level of support and care to any victim while a thorough investigation is carried out. I hope this result will also encourage those victims who may be currently suffering in the same way to come forward report the crime to us.”

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Tom Milton, of Clive Road in Eston, set up and switched on the camera that he had hidden in the changing room of the premises.

The 32-year-old, who worked as a school technician at the venue, then went back to the changing room with a view to remove the device only to find it had already been taken from its hiding place.

Prior to handing himself into police an investigation had begun by detectives from Cleveland Police that included up to 35 devices being recovered, seized and forensically examined.

This led to him being charged with voyeurism and creating pseudo image offences and he was remanded in custody until the day of his trial.

On Monday 3 November Milton appeared at Durham Crown Court and following an eight-day trial, a jury found him guilty of five counts of voyeurism. Milton had pleaded guilty to three counts of creating pseudo images at an earlier hearing.

Milton appeared at Teesside Crown Court on Monday 15 December to be sentenced to three years. He was also put on the Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

During the trial the court heard how on Saturday 5 July, the camera had been sighted inside an air conditioning unit and removed by a child who then handed it to an adult.

Later that night the woman attended to a police station to report and hand in the camera that had been located.

Three days later, on Tuesday 8 July, Milton disclosed to another woman, who had re-visited the venue, that he was the one who had put the camera in the changing room. He then also said the same comment to another member of staff which led him to attend Middlesbrough police station a short time later.

Upon his arrival, he was arrested and questioned by detectives while in custody. He disclosed he had placed the camera in the changing room and in the bedroom of a property without members of the public or the occupant knowing.

Meanwhile, officers had already begun seizing devices and conducting a search of Milton’s home.

What followed was detectives spending time reviewing hours of footage that uncovered Milton had been filming for a period of six years. As well as the footage, he had also made numerous pseudo images.

The case was put to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) who authorised he be charged and remanded.

Detective Constable Jonathon Collins said:

“From the beginning, Milton has consistently made outrageous claims for why he chose to place cameras in the changing room and in the bedroom of a property to secretly film members of the public, refusing to acknowledge and accept any wrongdoing.

“He has violated the privacy of many people, including young children, spying on them for what I believe is for his own gratification.

“The investigation involved reviewing countless amounts of footage and then in doing so we came across images that Milton had created from the content he had filmed.

“I am pleased a jury could see through his lies and convict him of these offences where he has been rightly sentenced, securing justice for all the victims.”

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A man has been sentenced to three and a half years in prison, after he was found guilty of a sexual assault.

In September, James Thomas, 28, of Valeside, Hertford, was found guilty of sexual assault by digital penetration by a jury at Inner London Crown Court. Thomas will be put on the sex offenders register.

The assault took place in a hotel on Harrow Road on 29 April 2023, in the early hours of the morning.

The victim left the hotel on her on own and that afternoon called Rape Crisis. She reported the assault to police on 1 May and Thomas was arrested on the same day.

Officers contacted the hotel and staff assisted in providing CCTV footage to help secure a prosecution.

Detective Constable Dan Lambert, at the City of London Police, said:

“I want to commend the victim for the extraordinary courage she has shown in coming forward and seeing this case through to the end. I hope she feels some sense of closure and justice as a result of this conviction.

“We are committed to tackling violence against women and girls, and we take all reports of rape and sexual assault seriously and encourage victims to report their experience to police, no matter the length of time that has passed.

“We will believe you, listen and support you throughout every step of the investigation and do everything we can to bring the offender to justice.”

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A man who raped a woman in Newcastle-under-Lyme has been jailed for nearly a decade.

Daniel Tyrone Hemmings, 34, of Birmingham, has been sentenced to nine-years-and-six-months behind bars at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court on Friday (5 December) after he was found guilty of the rape of a woman at an earlier hearing. He pleaded guilty to harassment without violence, sending communication threatening death or serious harm, failing to comply with notification requirements of the Sex Offender’s Register and stalking involving serious harm and distress.

He made unwanted advances on the survivor and ignored her efforts to stop him when it happened in 2021.

A few days after, the survivor bravely came forward and told us what Hemmings had done. He was arrested and brought in for questioning, where he denied the offence.

Due to the survivor’s bravery and the quality of our evidence, we secured the charges against him and took him to court. He continued to plead his innocence in relation to the rape offence, but the jury deemed him guilty.

As part of his sentencing, Hemmings was served with a restraining order. He was also ordered to pay a £228 financial penalty.

Detective Constable Diane Sproston, from our public protection unit, said:

“Hemmings tried until the last minute to deceive the jury, but because of how strong the survivor was and our evidence, he has now been punished for his crimes.

“I’d like to commend her bravery in coming forward and I hope this shows other survivors that we are determined to act robustly against sex offenders in Staffordshire.”

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A Newhaven man who posed as a teenage girl on social media to groom several young girls has been jailed.

Mikey Winchester, 25, of Gibbon Road in Newhaven, targeted three girls – two aged ten, one aged 13 – on Snapchat and Instagram in 2022 and 2023.

Sussex Police first became aware of Winchester’s offending from another police force in May, 2023. The force had received reports from two ten-year-old girls who had been approached by a Snapchat user using the name ‘avadunn2.0’.

The account known as ‘Ava’ was in fact Winchester pretending to be a 13-year-old girl.

Winchester sent both victims explicit images, before asking them to send explicit images of themselves in return. Both victims had clearly stated they were young children in the chat with Winchester.

The messages were discovered on both children’s phones and the Snapchat account was traced to Winchester’s home address in Newhaven.

Officers visited his home on 18 May, 2023, arrested him and seized a number of digital devices.

In August, 2023, another police force transferred an investigation to Sussex Police of a 13-year-old girl having been groomed on Instagram by an account named ‘dumbphoebelol’.

This was again Winchester posing as a teenage girl to send explicit images and manipulate the victim into sending him explicit images.

Both social media accounts were linked to Winchester’s devices, as well as 69 child sex abuse images and four images of extreme animal pornography.

He was subsequently charged with three counts of sexual communication with a child, inciting sexual activity with a child (with and without penetration), three counts of making indecent images of a child (Cat A, B and C), and four counts of possession of extreme pornography.

At Lewes Crown Court on Wednesday (17 December), he pleaded guilty to all charges and was jailed for four years, given an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order and ordered to sign the Sex Offenders’ Register.

Detective Constable Gary Baker said: “Mikey Winchester is a calculating, predatory offender who posed as a child to manipulate young children in the most appalling way.

“I would like to thank the victims and their families for raising the alarm as soon as Winchester’s offending was discovered, as well as our partner forces for supporting our investigation.

“Winchester’s offending is another unwelcome reminder of the dangers posed to children online. We will continue to work with our partners and other forces to identify and apprehend offenders, while educating families on steps they can take to keep their children safe online.”

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A man from Clock Face has been jailed for 12 years for child sex offences.

Christopher Evans, 63, of Clock Face Road, appeared at Liverpool Crown Court today (Friday 12 December) when he was sentenced after being found guilty of two counts of sexual assault.

He had earlier pleaded guilty to possession of indecent images and causing/inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.

The offences relate to the same victim between 2023 and 2024.

Detective Constable Robyn Reid said:

“Evans’ offences were utterly depraved and I’m sure anyone reading this will feel disgust and anger that someone could do this to a child.

“This was a shocking case and the sexual abuse of children is one of the most heinous crimes we tackle as a police force.

“As you can imagine for victims of such an appalling crime, the impact on them is significant and long-lasting. It’s only right that Evans has been given a lengthy prison sentence.

“Merseyside Police is completely committed to protecting children from sexual abuse and stopping those who seek to do them harm.

“We have a dedicated Child & Criminal Sexual Exploitation Team whose sole focus is on protecting young people and bringing perpetrators to justice.

“We urge anyone who is a victim of any form of sexual abuse to please report this to police, and specially trained officers will listen to you and treat you with sensitivity and compassion throughout the entire legal process and beyond.

“We also work with a range of partner organisations who are there to further support victims.”

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A detective has reiterated the Force’s commitment to protecting women and girls from violence after a man was jailed for the attempted kidnap of a teenage girl.

Abdulmawal Ibrahim Adam, 28, of Stanier Street, Swindon, appeared at Swindon Crown Court today (12/12) after admitting attempting to kidnap a 17-year-old girl in Swindon town centre as she was walking home from work.

He was jailed for four years and one month. He will then serve a further two years and eleven months on licence.

In a moving Victim Personal Statement, the victim said:

“I remember how I was before this happened. It was like I wasn't even aware that bad things could happen in the world, and I felt confident in myself to walk out the house every day at any time of day or night.

“I remember not being afraid to be outside or to constantly think about people's intentions around me while in public.

“I never would have believed this had happened to me and I never fully connected myself to when women say they don’t feel safe to walk at night, but I understand now.”

She continued:

“I hope you learn how to be a good person.

“Most of all I hope you get locked up because I know if you were out in the world, I wouldn’t feel safe and I’d worry you’d do this again to another young girl.

“Worry that if you do this to another girl who isn’t able to get away, like I was, then she'd have a worse fate.

“The world has too many people like you. Although you are one of many, the world gets a little safer with every person locked away.

“You’d be doing the world a favour by being locked up from all the good, genuine, innocent people of the world. Young girls, women, sisters, best friends, girlfriends, daughters, will be just that little bit safer with you away.”

The incident took place on March 6, when Adam, a Sudanese national, attempted to engage with the victim multiple times in Princes Street, even as she tried to flag down passing vehicles.

As the victim crossed the road at the traffic lights at the junction with Fleming Way, Adam ran towards her, grabbed her and dragged her back across the road.

Fortunately, members of the public riding a bus which had just arrived at the lights intervened. The suspect then ran off down Princes Street, where he tried engaging with another woman and attempted to follow her before she got away from him.

Adam then followed a female witness to the attempted kidnap, before members of the public again intervened. The incident was reported to police and Adam was arrested and charged. After repeatedly refusing to engage with the courts process, Adam eventually pleaded guilty in October and was remanded into custody.

Investigating officer DC Anna McCormack from Swindon CID said:

“I’d like to again pay tribute to the victim for the immense bravery and strength she has shown throughout this process, and to thank the members of the public who intervened to stop this incident potentially being far worse than it was.

“Adam displayed predatory behaviour towards a number of women, firstly the victim in this case, then another woman passing by, and finally towards a witness to his attempted kidnap.

“This is completely unacceptable, and it is cases like this that have led to our focus on initiatives like Project Vigilant.

“Project Vigilant is about tackling violence against women and girls and involves intelligence-led patrols of hotspot locations to identify potential sexual predators and prevent violence before it occurs.

“It is about focusing on offenders’ behaviours, and challenging ‘red flag’ behaviour so women and girls can go about their daily tasks – like walking home from work – without fear or the need to change their behaviour.

“I hope the conviction and today’s sentencing of Adam shows how seriously we take these offences and that there is no place for it in Wiltshire.”

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A 39-year-old man has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for sexual and violent offences.

Jonathan Moroney, from Aberdeenshire, was sentenced at the High Court in Glasgow today, Friday, 12 December, 2025, after being found guilty at the same court earlier this year.

The offences, which include rape and assault, took place between 2012 and 2023.

Detective Chief Inspector Steven McDonald said:

"Moroney is an abusive individual who carried out sexual and violent offences for his own gratification. 

"He will now face the consequences of his actions and I hope this sentence provides some sense of closure to those affected.

"Police Scotland will fully investigate abuse wherever it occurs - whoever the perpetrator is and no matter how long ago it happened. 

"I'd encourage anyone with concerns about sexual abuse to contact officers on 101 or one of our support services."

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The man pictured is 41-year-old Bo Yang and he is a violent rapist.

At just after 11pm on 15th April of this year he attended the victim’s address in Burnley and engaged her in conversation.

Following a disagreement about money, Yang took a knife from his right pocket, forced the victim next to a bed and used the knife to tear her clothes. Yang then took out a metal bar from the bag he was carrying and used it to savagely beat the victim. It was then that he raped and sexually assaulted her.

Not content with having committed the violent, sexual attack, Yang then removed rope and tape from his bag and tied the victim up – placing tape around her head. He then used the knife to slash her.

Yang then took items from the victim’s purse, including her bank cards and money. He used her facial recognition on the victim’s phone in an attempt to transfer money into his bank account.

The victim managed to run from the property when Yang had his back turned and sought help from neighbours who rang the police at 3.46am – bringing to an end her five-hour ordeal.

Yang was identified as a result of CCTV and forensic enquiries, including from fingerprints recovered from the tape he had placed around the victim’s face.

In what is thought to be a first is Lancashire, our officers also managed to recover data from 'We Chat' which is the Chinese version of WhatsApp. This evidence proved vital in this case.

Yang, of Winn Grove, Sheffield, was arrested and later charged with two counts of rape, sexual assault, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, robbery and possession of a bladed article.

Following a trial at Preston Crown Court, Yang was today (12th December) found guilty on all counts. He was remanded into custody and will be sentenced at the same court on 6th February.

DC Jodie Nolan, from our Burnley Rape And Serious Sexual Offence Team, said:

“Yang is an extremely violent sexual predator who exposed his victim to a sustained and horrific ordeal.

“I would like to thank the jury for their considered verdicts and the investigation team, including DC Asad Mirdad, for obtaining the vital evidence which helped secure this conviction.”

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A man has been jailed for more than 11 years for raping two teenage girls.

Taranvir Galsinh took a 14-year-old girl to a hotel where he raped her, sexually assaulted her, and paid her for having sex with him.

He sexually assaulted her in a car several times and on one occasion tried to strangle her.

Galsinh, of Sunderland, also raped a second girl who was 12 years old at the time and forced her to engage in sexual activity in his vehicle. He also paid her.

He appeared at Durham Crown Court in July where he pleaded guilty to rape of a girl aged 13 to 15, two counts of rape under 13, intentional strangulation, three counts of paying for sexual services of a girl, sexual assault of a child, causing a child to engage in sexual activity, two counts of engaging in sexual activity with a child and assault by penetration of a child.

The 45-year-old was last week jailed at Teesside Crown Court for 11 years and three months.

He was also made subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) and lifetime restraining orders against both girls.

Detective Constable Hanna Liddle, of Durham Constabulary, said:

“This was an horrific ordeal for these girls and the consequences of Galsinh’s actions will be felt for the rest of her life.

“What he did is unforgiveable. He took advantage of the girls and has shown no remorse for his actions.

“The girls have been incredibly brave throughout what has been an extremely difficult process for them to deal with.

“I hope they can begin to move on with their lives knowing he has been brought to justice.”

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A man has been found guilty of multiple offences including the rape of a teenage girl, sexual assault of another teenager and abduction.

Kassam Hussain was found guilty of nine offences by unanimous verdict at Birmingham Crown Court last Thursday (4 December).

The two-week trial heard how Hussain raped a teenage girl in September 2024.

He also groomed and sexually assaulted another teenage girl in the same month, then abducted her in May 2025.

Hussain also abducted a third teenage girl in May 2025.

The girls have since been safeguarded, and we continue to offer them support having undergone the horrific ordeal.

Hussain, of Antrobus Road, Handsworth Wood, will be sentenced in February 2026.

DC Sarah Toye, from our Central Complex Child Public Protection Unit, said:

"This has been a complex investigation into the abuse of young girls who were groomed by Hussain.

"He preyed upon them when they were at their most vulnerable, and took advantage of their own personal circumstances.

"I commend their bravery in being able to speak out and share their stories and I would ask anyone who has encountered similar experiences, or any kind of abuse, historically or recently, to speak to the police.

"We are here to create a safe space for you and we will listen.”

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A violent rapist who showed contempt for women and denied his crimes has been jailed for 15 years, with an additional two-year extension on licence due to the danger he poses to the public.

Aaron Huggins, 31, of Little Horton Lane, Bradford, was described as a "Jekyll and Hyde" figure who hid his dark side, which included strangling, kicking, and stamping on a victim while raping her multiple times in attacks involving "an element of degradation."

A jury found him guilty of rape and other offences after a trial.

In a statement read to Bradford Crown Court, the victim described suffering flashbacks, sleeping no more than four hours a night, and needing anxiety medication. She felt isolated and unsafe in her own home.

Huggins had prior convictions, including robbery and a 2020 grievous bodily harm offence for which he served three years in prison.

In mitigation, barrister Christopher Dunne said Huggins was "intrinsic and important" to his family, adding: "It’s almost like a Jekyll and Hyde picture … and I suspect that that goes for any one of us. We all have masks that we wear in public and private. There’s more than one facet to a person’s personality or character. That was never more obvious than when one reads the references in this case. He is not all bad."

Mr Dunne noted Huggins' "very ancient and negative attitude towards women," and while he was not remorseful due to denying the offences, "this is not a man who is completely lost and without hope."

Her Honour Judge Sophie McKone said Huggins' trial evidence revealed his desire to dominate and control his victim through violence, and he spoke of women "in the most derogatory and insulting terms."

Addressing Huggins via video link from HMP Leeds, she said: "This is another indication of your contempt for women. I have read a number of references from your family and friends. You obviously show to them a very different side to your personality. You’re described as Jekyll and Hyde. That is perhaps a good characterisation of you."

She added: "You do in my view present a significant risk of harm to the public. You are in my view dangerous. You have no insight into the way you have behaved."

Judge McKone explained: "In my view a determinate sentence of 15 years imprisonment would not address fully the risk that you currently represent and will do so in the future."

Huggins must register as a sex offender for life.

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A predatory and dangerous rapist who thought of his victims as ‘less than human’ has been sentenced to 13 years and six months today (Friday 12 December).

Fred Florence, 51, of Katherines Walk, Ledbury, was sentenced at Hereford Crown Court where he showed no remorse.

Florence (pictured) was already serving a seven years and six months term after being convicted in June this year for a nasty GBH assault in 2016 where his victim received life-changing injuries.

Today, he was given 13 years and six months for the rape sentence to start consecutively after his GBH sentence and will have to serve a further five years on licence once he is freed as he is such a dangerous offender.

He was also given three years for each of a two further counts of non-recent sexual assaults on two children victims to run concurrently with the rape sentence.

Florence must serve at least two thirds of both the GBH and rape sentences which total 21 years so he will not be eligible for parole before 2039, 14 years from now.

He must also sign the sex offenders’ register for life.

Detective Constable Sarah Carroll, of our Online Child Sexual Exploitation Team (OCSET), said:

“We are pleased that the judge has recognised the disgusting and evil nature of Florence’s sexual crimes which will never heal the pain of his victims but may hopefully allow them to start to move on with their lives now.

“His Honour Judge Jackson stated Florence was a predatory sex offender and self-centred bully who thought of his victims as less than human which shows his appalling attitude towards them.

“Such was the level of fear and intimidation he held over his victims; they delayed coming to police for many years, and we suspect there may be further victims who have been too scared to complain. So, we hope they will now come forward and speak to us.

“The victims have been extremely brave in coming forward to us and we would like to pay tribute to them as their evidence has led to a dangerous man being sent to prison for a long time.

“Anyone who thinks they have been a victim of Florence or who suspects they know of any other offences committed by him is urged to contact Hereford CID Supervision via 101.”

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A man who burgled a shop in Norwich and failed to comply with a sex offender notification requirement has been sentenced.

Paddy Mutch, 37, of no fixed address appeared at Great Yarmouth Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday (10 December) where he pleaded guilty to burglary and failing to comply with a notification requirement as part of the Sex Offender Register. 

The burglary happened on 13 November 2025 at around 5.10am when Mutch smashed a window at a shop on Philadelphia Lane, Norwich, and stole alcohol and cigarettes from behind the till before fleeing. CCTV footage and blood left on broken glass at the scene linked him to the offence.

Officers arrested Mutch on 3 December on suspicion of burglary and took him to Aylsham Police Investigation Centre for questioning.

As a registered sex offender, he is required to notify police of changes to his circumstances as part of the requirements listed under the Sexual Offences Act 2003, which he failed to do.

He was later charged for both offences.

Mutch was sentenced to 52 weeks in prison and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £154.