Latest Offenders

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A man has been jailed for 12 months after sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl who entered his Nelson shop to buy chocolate.

Naeem Akram, 36, formerly of Chapel House Road, locked the door of Chapel House Grocers and assaulted the teenager as she made her way home from school in November 2023.

She escaped, returned home and reported the incident to police. Akram was arrested, charged and pleaded guilty to sexual assault.

He was sentenced yesterday (Wednesday, May 6) at Preston Crown Court.

In a victim personal statement, the girl said the assault had “completely changed her life” and left her scared and needing counselling.

Detective Constable Heather Kerr, of the police’s child protection team, said:

“Akram preyed on a vulnerable teenager for his own sexual gratification, and his actions have had a profound effect on his victim.

“She has shown a great deal of bravery by coming forward and reporting what happened to her and in going through the criminal justice process – that is never easy.

“We take all reports of sexual offences extremely seriously, we will listen to victims, and we will thoroughly investigate them in order to bring offenders to justice.”

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A 65-year-old paedophile who indecently assaulted a girl in the 1990s has been jailed for 11 years.

Lloyd Burgess, of Sheep Street, Devizes, appeared at Winchester Crown Court on March 17 and pleaded guilty to two counts of indecent assault committed between October 1995 and October 1998. He was sentenced at the same court on May 1.

Wiltshire Police received a report in 2021 that Burgess had sexually assaulted the girl, who was around 11 years old at the time. He was arrested, charged and later pleaded guilty.

As well as the jail term, Burgess was given an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order and must sign the Sex Offenders Register.

Det Con Nicky Cross said:

“I’d like to take this opportunity to praise the victim in this case for her bravery in reporting her ordeal to police all these years later.

"In doing so, she has enabled us to conduct an investigation into Burgess’ offending and ensure he was put before the courts.

“This case should serve as an example to anyone who may have experienced this kind of ordeal that it is crucial you report this to police, regardless of how much time has since passed.

"We will always take reports of this nature seriously and will leave no stone unturned in investigating offenders like Burgess.”

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A man who was found guilty of numerous offences of indecent assault against children has been sentenced to 21 years in prison following a hearing at Guildford Crown Court yesterday (Tuesday, 5 May).

John Maddox, 83 (DOB: 01/01/1943), of Farnham, was found guilty of 20 offences involving seven victims aged between eight and 15 at the time, including 19 counts of indecent assault and one count of attempted buggery on 18 February 2026 following a trial at Guildford Crown Court. These offences took place between 1972 and 2004.

Maddox had already pleaded guilty to six counts of indecent assault between 1982 and 1999 relating to three victims aged between nine and 12 at the time at a hearing on 7 June 2024.

An investigation was launched in 2020 after two adults came forward to report non-recent allegations of sexual abuse which occurred when they were children. 

Maddox ran a dance school called ‘Gardenia School of Dance’, and he had made contact with the victims when they were children through family relations or the dance school. A significant number of the offences occurred at Maddox’s home address and involved both male and female children.

Following further enquiries, Maddox was arrested at his home address in September 2020. His house was searched, and various items were seized.

Maddox admitted to sexually abusing a number of children during initial interview. Further victims were identified as the investigation progressed, and a second police interview was conducted in June 2022, where he made several admissions to further abuse, but also denied several other allegations.

In November 2022, Maddox was arrested a final time in relation to additional allegations which had been made against him. During his third police interview under caution, he answered “no comment” to all questions. Maddox was charged via postal requisition in January 2024.

Six of Maddox’s victims were willing to share extracts from their victim impact statements, detailing the long-term effect this abuse has had on their lives:

“He was the adult. He was the teacher. He was the one entrusted with our care and safety. Instead of protecting us, he abused the trust placed in him and used his position of authority to harm the very children he was meant to guide and protect.”

“My childhood and innocence were taken away from me in a time and place where I was meant to be safe. There's no way to completely forget the very embedded emotional and physical trauma caused by John. The sexual abuse I suffered is now a part of me, no matter whether I want it to be or not.”

“Before this, I loved dancing, but that has now been tainted. There are certain songs that I cannot listen to without being reminded of him and what happened. I have thought about joining adult dance groups again, but the idea of dancing with a male instructor now makes me feel uncomfortable and puts me off completely.”

“I have not danced since, despite wanting to, because the thought of physical contact causes significant anxiety and discomfort. I am more wary around men and lack confidence in telling them when a touch or look is inappropriate.”

“I felt unclean and had low self-worth. Building close friendships was difficult, never feeling safe to explain what I'd been through. I also started to drink heavily from 18 and it has had a severe impact on my health and mental wellbeing, but I am now getting on with my life and I have closed that whole chapter.”

“I try to live everyday with an open heart, and with trust, but what happened to me does make it extremely hard. John does not have remorse. If he did, we wouldn’t even be here. One selfish, cruel man, has altered the lives of so many, for so long.”

Detective Sergeant Brendan Roberts, who investigated the case, said:

“John Maddox was a sexual predator who preyed on children, he manipulated and took advantage of situations to sexually abuse his victims, through family connections or the dance school he ran.

I would like to praise the victims for their courage in coming forward and giving evidence to help ensure that Maddox is behind bars where he belongs.”

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A man who preyed on young children in the 1970s, 80s, and 90s has been jailed.

Kenneth Shaw admitted the crimes and was sentenced to six years in prison on Friday 1 May after appearing at Liverpool Crown Court.

Shaw, 64, of Northway, Orford, Warrington pleaded guilty to three counts of indecent assault on a girl under the age of 14, two counts of gross indecency with a boy under the age of 14, one count of gross indecency with a girl under the age of 14, and two counts of indecent assault on a boy under the age of 14.

In February 2024, one of the victims in this case made a report of non-recent sexual abuse which had been committed by Shaw when the victim was approximately 10 years old.

A further three victims also reported similar incidents which had happened to them, all when they were children. The offences were committed in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s.

Shaw was questioned in relation to the offences and later charged.

Detective Inspector Jo Morgan said:

“Shaw committed some atrocious crimes against four young victims, the impact of which stayed with them throughout their childhoods and adult lives.

“I hope the conclusion of this court case will help to bring them closure over something which they have been carrying the weight of all these years.

“Shaw must have thought he had got away with what he had done, but as this case shows, it is never too late to report offences to us, as the victims did once they felt they were ready to.

“Please rest assured, you will be listened to, and we will investigate every report thoroughly. You can report through our website or by calling 101.”

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A man who failed to tell two women he had sexual relationships with that he was a convicted sex offender has been locked up.

Dean Harrison also failed to declare the relationships, or that he had been staying in the Cleethorpes area on a regular basis, to authorties, despite having to do so as part of his sex offenders’ register requirement.

The 55-year-old was made subject to a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) in October 2023 and started breaching it the following year, Teesside Crown Court heard.

Ian West, prosecuting, said Harrison was required to give the name, address and date of birth of any female he was starting a relationship with within 24 hours.

He said the first complainant called the police to raise concerns that he had not contacted her since returning to County Durham after leaving her home in Cleethorpes.

The second woman met Harrison through TikTok before starting to message each other on WhatsApp and they became a couple quickly and remained in a sexual relationship for several months.

The court heard how the defendant had 37 convictions for 103 offences on his record including a nine-year sentence for sexual offences.

Harrison, of Croquet Gardens, Stanley, pleaded guilty to two breaches of the SHPO between October 2024 and August last year, and breaching the terms of his notification requirement order between October 2024 and February 2025.

Christopher Morrison, mitigating, said his client had spent nine months on remand following his guilty pleas being entered and there had been no contact with any children.

He added: “The granting of the restraining orders may serve to temper any long-term damage that the women may have suffered emotionally through this.”

Judge Aisha Wadoodi sentenced Harrison to two years and three months and made subject of two five-year restraining orders to protect his victims.

She said: “It was clear what the terms of the SHPO were but you completely ignored those orders, disregarded them, and started a relationship with both of these women.

“Not informing them in any way of your history or notifying your offender manager what you were up to.”

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A man has been jailed after sexually abusing a child and purchasing indecent images of children.

Ian Isherwood, of Shipton Street, Bolton, appeared at Liverpool Crown Court on Monday 27 April where he was sentenced to 15 years.

The 43-year-old had previously pleaded guilty to making indecent images of children (categories A, B and C), possession of a category C image of a child, and assisting the commission of an offence.

Isherwood had also been found guilty of sexual activity with a child under 13, inciting sexual activity with a girl under 13, inciting a girl under 13 to engage in sexual activity, and engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child under 13.

The offences occurred in the Warrington area.

Cheshire Police arrested Isherwood in March 2024 after officers received information relating to a PayPal account which had been used to purchase indecent images of children. This account was linked to Isherwood.

His devices were seized and hundreds of indecent images of children were recovered. An image of a girl was also uncovered, who was identified and safeguarded. She stated she had been sexually abused by Isherwood when she was around eight-10 years old.

Isherwood was ultimately charged with multiple offences.

On top of his custodial sentence, Isherwood must sign the Sex Offender Register indefinitely and is subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

DC Briony Shirley said:

“Isherwood is clearly a danger to children and has quite rightly been handed a significant prison sentence to reflect the severity of his crimes.

“Being in possession of indecent images of children is never a victimless crime, and on this occasion, officers identified and subsequently safeguarded a girl who Isherwood had previously abused.  

“The fact that he had then continued to look at images of children following this shows that he had absolutely no regard for anything other than satisfying his twisted and perverted sexual desires.

“I hope the victim in this case has been able to get some closure over what happened to her, knowing that Isherwood is locked up where he cannot do this to anyone else.”

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Detectives have praised a brave victim for her support in bringing a violent sexual offender to justice.

Chad Antony Martin Smedburg, aged 36 and of Ringwood, was sentenced to 10 years in prison – with an extended licence period of a further two years – for repeated violent assaults and rape involving the same female victim.

The defendant’s abuse spanned a period of several months, with his victim subjected to repeated assaults and he also had sex with her despite her making it clear she did not consent.

The victim reported the offending to police and was supported by officers and an independent sexual violence advisor (ISVA) as detectives from Dorset County CID carried out a detailed investigation and the matter went through the court process.

Following the offences, the defendant was brought under the supervision of Dorset Police’s High Harm Unit, which monitors the highest risk VAWG offenders in the county.

Smedburg subsequently entered guilty pleas to an offence of rape and three counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, as well as breaching a suspended sentence order and unrelated driving matters and possession of class A and class B drugs.

He was sentenced at Bournemouth Crown Court on Wednesday 6 May 2026.

Investigations Officer Flo Winstanley, of Dorset County CID, said:

“First and foremost I want to praise the victim for the courage she has shown initially to come forward and report this despicable abuse and then for her support throughout the investigation and court process.

“I hope the bravery she has shown encourages other victims of violent and sexual abuse to come forward in the knowledge that they will be supported and we will do all we can to bring perpetrators to justice.

“With the victim’s support and our comprehensive investigation, we were able to hold Chad Smedburg to account for his violent sexual behaviour.”

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A 65-year-old man from Gosport has been jailed for fifteen years and handed an extended license period of a further five years after being found guilty of multiple sexual offences against a child that took place between 2021 and 2024 at an address in the town.

Stephen Street of Aspengrove was found guilty at Portsmouth Crown Court following a nine-day trial of the following offences against a girl who was aged under 10 at the time:

• Seven counts of sexual assault of a girl under the age of 13.
• One count of sexual assault by penetration of a girl under the age of 13.
• One count of causing or inciting sexual activity with a girl under the age of 13.
• One count of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child.
• One count of engaging in sexual communication with a child.

At Portsmouth Crown Court on 19 January Street had also admitted:

• Six offences of making/possession of indecent images of children.
• One offence of possession of extreme pornographic images.

He was sentenced today (Wednesday 6 May) at the same court where he was also made subject of an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) and restraining order.

Investigating Officer, DC David Sloan from the specialist Eastern Area Child Abuse Investigation Team, said:

“The Judge in this case, HHJ Newton-Price KC, categorised Street as a “dangerous offender” who had "abused, damaged and corrupted" the victim and that he "exploited her” solely for his own pleasure. He went on to say that the sentence and extended license period reflected the very high risk of Street causing serious and enduring harm - physical and psychological - to other young girls.

“I want to commend the victim in this case for her courage shown throughout this process and telling us what happened during her three-year ordeal. Her bravery has brought Street to justice and resulted in a significant custodial sentence”.

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A registered sex offender has been jailed for breaching his Sexual Offences Prevention Order.

When police visited Mark Klein’s home in Blackburn in April last year, his phone was checked and found to have the Snapchat app on it.

That was in breach of one of the conditions of a Sexual Offences Prevention Order which was imposed on him in 2013 and remained in place.

While on court bail for that breach, Klein (pictured) was seen again by officers in March this year.

He refused to show them his phone, saying that he didn’t have it in his flat.

When the flat was searched, Klein’s phone was found on a bedside table and had been used shortly before the officers arrived.

This again breached his Sexual Offences Prevention Order. 

Klein, 59, formerly of St Michael’s Court, Blackburn, appeared at Preston Crown Court for sentence last week.

He had pleaded guilty to two breaches of his Sexual Offences Prevention Order.

The judge jailed him for 21 months.

PC Adam Knowles of our East Division Management of Sex Offenders and Violent Offenders unit, said:

“Mark Klein disregarded the conditions which the courts had imposed on him – orders which are designed to keep children and vulnerable people safe from him."
“The immediate custodial sentence which the judge passed shows the seriousness of the breaches.”

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A paedophile who sexually touched a young girl has been jailed.

Edwin Timewell, 58, assaulted the girl at a house in Peterborough at about 10am on 21 December 2024.

The girl alerted her parents and police were called.

Timewell admitted to officers he had touched the girl and said he didn’t know what he was doing.

On Wednesday (29 April), at Cambridge Crown Court, Timewell, of Essex Road, Stamford, Lincolnshire, was jailed for two years, having pleaded guilty to assaulting a girl under 13 by touching.

He was also ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register until January 2036 and handed sexual harm prevention and restraining orders until April 2036.

Detective Sergeant Steph Parker said:

“Timewell claimed he didn’t know what he was doing in that moment but offences like this can have huge impacts on victims and their families and that is reflected in the sentence given by the court.”

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A private hire driver from Hastings has been sentenced for multiple sexual offences following two trials.

Abdulhamid Alammar, 34, of the Baldslow area of St Leonards-on-Sea, appeared at Brighton Crown Court on 5 May, where he was sentenced to a total of three years’ imprisonment. He was also made subject to a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Alammar was convicted of sexual assault and causing a person to engage in non-penetrative sexual activity following a trial at Lewes Crown Court. The offences took place in Hastings in late 2024.

The court heard that on the evening of 29 November 2024, a woman in her 30s had booked a car home from a friend’s address. She was collected by Alammar, who instead of driving her to her requested destination, drove her to a secluded location, where he sexually assaulted her.

The offences came to light when officers were investigating a separate sexual assault reported in April 2025 by another woman in Hastings.

Once the November incident was disclosed to police, the victim was supported by specially trained officers and an investigation was launched.

Alammar was arrested and charged in relation to the November incident. At the time, he was already remanded in custody in connection with the April 2025 allegations.

He had previously been convicted following a trial in October 2025 of sexual assault in relation to the April offences and acquitted of rape and sexual assault by penetration.

Following the conclusion of both cases, he was sentenced in relation to all matters at Brighton Crown Court on 5 May.

Detective Constable Christina Bales, of the Hastings Safeguarding Investigation Unit, said:

“These were serious and predatory offences committed against women who should have felt safe. I would like to commend the victims for their courage in coming forward and supporting the investigation.

“Tackling violence against women and girls remains a priority for Sussex Police. We are committed to proactively identifying and relentlessly pursuing offenders, while working closely with partners to safeguard victims and prevent harm. Everyone has the right to feel safe, whether at home or in public, and we will continue to take robust action against those who commit these offences.

“We remain committed to ensuring victims of sexual offences receive support and that offenders are brought before the courts.”

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A 33-year-old man has been handed a life sentence after he was convicted of nine child sex offences.

Sean McDade, previously of Northampton, abused the child between May and July last year.

In a statement read out to the court during sentencing last week (April 30), the child said: “He scared me and made me think I would get in trouble if I told anyone.”

But the child did end up telling someone and McDade, who was already a registered sex offender, was arrested and subsequently charged with six counts of assault by penetration of a girl under 13, three counts of raping a girl under 13, and one count of causing/inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity.

After pleading guilty to the offences at Northampton Crown Court in January, McDade returned to the same court last week (April 30) where he was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 12 years.

Lead investigator - Detective Constable Kirstie Brooks from Northamptonshire Police’s Child Abuse Investigation Unit, said:

“I would like to commend the child in this case for their bravery, and I hope the conclusion of this case allows them to move forward onto brighter things.

“Although no sentence can ever take away what happened, I hope it brings them comfort that their abuser will now go to prison for a long time, and hopefully they can move on and finally get the life they deserve.

“Sean McDade is now where he belongs and we will continue working hard to put more people like him behind bars.”

Detective Superintendent Jen Castle said:

“This was an immensely challenging case involving an extremely manipulative and depraved offender however despite the complexity, DC Brooks approached every stage with professionalism, resilience and compassion.

“As a direct result of her work, the child in this case did not have to give evidence and I am grateful to her for the skill and sensitivity she demonstrated throughout the investigation.”

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A 40-year-old man formerly from Stanningfield has been jailed for sexual communication with a child.

Henry Hart denied two charges of engaging in sexual communication with a girl aged under 16, and one charge of inciting a girl under 16 to engage in sexual activity by penetration but was found guilty of all counts by a jury, following a six-day trial.

Hart appeared at Cambridge Crown Court on Thursday 23 April where he was sentenced to five years and 10 months’ imprisonment.

He was also made subject of an indefinite sexual harm prevention order (SHPO), handed an indefinite restraining order and ordered to sign the Sex Offenders’ Register for life.

It was heard in court that Hart was known to the victim, who was 13 years’ old at the time, and that he used the social media platform Snapchat to send her messages of a sexual nature.

The matter came to light after a friend reported concerns for the victim to their family, who then informed police.

Detective Sergeant Scott Swallow, who was the officer in charge of the case, said:

“Hart is a predatory individual who groomed a young girl for his own sexual gratification.

“He denied any wrongdoing, claiming that he believed she was aged over 16, but provided no defence as to why he believed this other than that she looked and acted older; thereby forcing the victim to relive her experiences in court.

“The impact his actions have had on her and her family has been profound. I hope that in time they are able to move forward, knowing that Hart is in prison.

“We take reports of online offending very seriously and are committed to bringing to justice those who engage in these crimes.”

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A Porth man has been jailed for the rape of a woman he met on a dating app.

Dexter Walkey, 30, was found guilty following a trial at Cardiff Crown Court.

The court heard they had been on a night out in Cardiff and returned to the victim's home address.

She then woke to discover the defendant having sex with her which she had not consented to.

Walkey sent a text the following day apologising for his behaviour. He later denied the offence of rape but was found guilty on March 20, 2026.

He was sentenced on Friday, May 1, to eight years in prison and made subject to sex offender notification requirements indefinitely, in addition to a restraining order until further notice.

Officer in the case, Detective Constable Ellie Adkins from South Wales Police, said:

"I would like to commend the victim for reporting what happened to her and for the strength she has shown throughout the investigation.

"I hope that the sentence imposed by the court goes some way in allowing the victim to move forward with her life.”

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Sion Douglas Griffiths denied the charge

A man who raped his victim whilst she slept has been jailed.

Sion Douglas Griffiths (38), of King Edwards Street, Barmouth denied the charge which related to an incident that occurred at a property in Llanrwst in August 2021.

His victim was sleeping when she woke up to Griffiths sexually assaulting her. She told him to stop but he continued despite her trying to push him away. He continued with his attack until she again told him to stop.

Griffiths was found guilty of one count of Rape at a trial at Caernarfon Crown Court in March of this year. Yesterday he was sentenced at Mold Crown Court to seven years imprisonment.

He was also made the subject of a lifetime restraining order, prohibiting him from contacting the victim, and he will be placed on the Sex Offender’s Register indefinitely.

In a powerful personal statement read to the Court, the victim described how the incident has had a significant effect on her in the intervening time, including suffering panic attacks, and feeling scared and uncomfortable around men.

Speaking after sentencing, Detective Sergeant Owen Taylor of the Protecting Vulnerable People Unit said:

“I welcome today’s sentence which sends a clear message that sexual violence in any form is not acceptable.

“I would like to praise the courage and determination of the victim who has endured a protracted process to get to today’s result. Her strength is commendable.

“If you have been the victim of a sexual offence, please be assured specialist officers will take your report seriously and conduct a suspect focussed investigation.

“Violence against women and girls is a force priority and we will relentlessly work to bring offenders to justice.”