Latest Offenders

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NI’s former chief fire officer steps down from church position after admitting sex offences

Northern Ireland’s former chief fire officer has stepped down from his church position after pleading guilty to two sex offences.
Gary Thompson, who led the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) from 2016 until he was suspended as a precaution in December 2018, initially denied a total of nine allegations of indecent assault on a female, said to have occurred on dates between July 1, 2006 and November 1 of the same year.

The 56-year-old, with an address at Rogan Wood in Newtownabbey, Co Antrim, first appeared before Ballymena Magistrates Court at the end of 2019.

A solicitor for Thompson, who retired from NIFRS in January of that year, told the court at that time that his client “strenuously denies” the charges.

However, when the ex-fire chief appeared in the dock of Antrim Crown Court on Tuesday he changed his plea on two of the counts to guilty.

He was also ordered to sign the sex offenders’ register.

The now-convicted sex offender was released on continuing bail and the case was adjourned until September 12 to allow pre-sentencing reports to be compiled.

Thompson denied the remaining seven identical charges which remain on the books.

He will be given notice of the duration of the requirements to comply with the measures set out in the Sexual Offences Act 2003 when he returns to court.

Thompson had served as secretary of Exchange Church Belfast up until four days ago.

On Thursday, official documents on Companies House showed he was “active” in the role. However, the records were updated to show Thompson resigned on June 18 — the same day he changed his plea — after the Albertbridge Road church was contacted by the Belfast Telegraph. They did not respond with a comment.

Thompson was also previously suspended from his position on the board of the charity Extern whose work includes assisting convicted criminals.

According to the charity’s Companies House filings he resigned his membership in December 2020.

The NIFRS annual report for 2018/19 revealed Thompson’s salary ranged from £120,000 to £125,000 along with a pension worth £37,000.

The public body previously refused to say whether its outgoing chief fire officer was able to avail of an early remuneration package on standing down four-and-a-half years ago, despite being suspended from duty.

When pressed, a spokesperson previously insisted there would be “no further comment”.

Yesterday, NIFRS was unable to provide clarity on the implications of the conviction, if any, on its former employee’s pension entitlement.

Thompson was appointed to the top role in November 2016 after 22 years with the service and was described at that time as a “committed and dedicated firefighter” with a wealth of operational and strategic experience.

He described his lengthy career as an “honour” as he expressed pride about being able to work alongside “exceptional” colleagues.

“I am incredibly proud of the organisation and the work that all staff do, both support and operational, in protecting the whole community from fire and other emergencies,” he said upon being appointed to the top job.

“I consider it the greatest privilege to be at the helm as we embark on the next stage of our journey.”

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A pervert exposed himself to schoolgirls on three occasions after he drove up next to them in his car while performing a sex act. He had previously been given a community order for the same offence.

Aled Roberts, 33, exposed himself to schoolgirls in Swansea over three days in February and March this year. On each occasion, the victims noticed a grey Renault car driving up alongside them as they walked home from school.

A sentencing hearing at Cardiff Crown Court on Friday heard the defendant wound down his window and said: "Hey girls". He was wearing a grey jumper and his trousers were pulled down. His penis was exposed and he was performing a sex act. He then closed the window and drove off.

On two further occasions, Roberts was caught doing the same thing, staring directly at the victims. Prosecutor Alycia Carpanini said he was identified after his car registration plate was caught on CCTV and police were able to track the defendant.

He was arrested on March 17 and responded to caution by saying: "Are you serious?". The defendant was interviewed and gave no comment answers, but he later pleaded guilty to three counts of exposure. The court heard Roberts, of Wellfield Square, Neath, has one previous conviction for exposure, for which he received a community order.

In mitigation, Hannah Friedman said her client has ADHD which makes him "stupidly impulsive" and he doesn't think things through or consider the consequences. Before his initial conviction, the defendant worked in mental health support but later worked at a bakery and a takeaway. The barrister said Roberts "hates himself" and thinks about what he has done a lot.

Sentencing, Record Greg Bull KC said the defendant has "no understanding" of the damage he had caused the young girls he exposed himself to, and without treatment he would become a "danger to young children". He sentenced Roberts to a total of 12 months imprisonment and made him subject to sex offender notification requirements for 10 yeare.

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Police hunting sex offender Stephen Haydn James, convicted of touching two underage girls in Tenby last year have made an arrest.

The fifty-two-year-old will return to prison for failing to comply with the terms of his release licence.

On Thursday (June 20) evening Dyfed-Powys Police launched a public appeal to find James, known for sleeping rough along coastal areas, after he failed to comply with his sex offender notification requirements.

James, of no fixed address, is known to spend a significant amount of time in the Tenby area.

A spokesperson for Dyfed-Powys Police said: “Following a public appeal for Stephen Haydn James, an arrest was made this morning.

“James will return to prison for failing to comply with the terms of his release licence.

“We would like to thank everyone who shared information with us, as the public appeal led directly to him being located.”

James, pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual assault when he appeared at Swansea Crown Court last November; after being charged with touching a six-year-old and an 11-year-old in a sexual manner in two separate shops in Tenby town centre on September 16.

CCTV from the shops was recovered and examined, and the following day James (who gave his address in court as of Station Road, Tenby) was identified and arrested.

James was sentenced to 13 months in prison; and would serve up to half that period in custody before being released on licence to serve the remainder in the community.

He was put on the sex offender register for the next 10 years, and was made subject to a sexual harm prevention order for the same length of time.

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A 43-year-old man from Suffolk has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for sexual offences against children.

Paul English, of no fixed abode but from the Lowestoft area, was convicted of 11 offences today at Ipswich Crown Court.

These includes eight charges of sexual assault of a child under 13 and three charges of sexual activity with a child under 16.

English's crimes spanned several years and involved two victims, with the earliest offence dating back to 2012.

He was arrested on January 27, 2022.

Detective Constable Kim Shrubshall said: “The strength and bravery of both victims to work with us during this two-and-a-half year investigation is nothing short of admirable.

“I know no sentence will ever take away the trauma the victims suffered and the distressing experience to endure a trial and listen to evidence, but I hope today’s sentencing can serve as the first step towards the closure they deserve.”

Following an eight-day trail, English was sentenced to 15 years in prison and he was also handed a sexual harm prevention order.

DC Shrubshall added: “I would urge victims of any serious violent or sexual offence to come forward to the police.

“We are absolutely committed to protecting children from sexual abuse and bring those who seek to do them harm to justice.

“We take all such reports extremely seriously and if you can find courage to come forward and speak with us, we have specially trained officers who will treat you will sensitivity and compassion.”

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A DRUNK who pleaded with her neighbour to sleep with her in the street and grabbed him by the hips as he collected his food shopping delivery has been jailed.

Alison Haughton, 54, was making a commotion in the street when the victim of the sexual assault came out of his address to see her attempting to climb into the vehicle that was delivering his food.

Michael O’Kane, prosecuting for the hearing, said the offence took place on May 6 outside an address in Orford.

He told Warrington Magistrates Court on Wednesday how the neighbour had been alerted to the incident on the street when he was inside his home, hearing the sounds of ‘shouting and swearing’ and glass being ‘smashed against the wall’.

“Him and his partner had been inside the address, and he went out to get his food from the driver and noticed the defendant was trying to enter the vehicle by opening the door,” Mr O’Kane said.

The neighbour shouted ‘what are you doing’ at the defendant who looked at him and suddenly ‘shrieked’ with excitement as if she was happy to see him.

Haughton went over to the man and grabbed him by the hips before saying ‘give me a kiss’.

He replied saying ‘Alison stop’, but her sexual references continued, and it was heard that she grabbed his t-shirt and tried to pull him back towards her.

She said: “If you want me to let go you need to give me a kiss.”

In a bid to create some distance between himself and Haughton, the victim retreated to his address, the court heard.

However, the defendant followed and began pushing against his door trying to enter the property.

He questioned her behaviour, asking ‘what are you doing’, to which Haughton replied, ‘I just love you, but you won’t sh*g me’.

Mr O’Kane added that the defendant continued to ‘suggest that they have sex’ before leaving to sit on a wall where she began to cry.

The dialogue continued between the pair, with the offender stating that she ‘just wanted to walk in a straight line, like a line of cocaine’.

In a police interview following the sexual assault, the victim told officers he thought Haughton was suffering with her mental health at the time of the incident.

“He said the sexual comments were completely unwanted. He said there was another incident where she had made sexual comments towards him,” the prosecutor explained.

Haughton was also being sentenced for three further charges of assaulting an emergency worker and criminal damage.

These offences took place on January 2 this year, when the defendant was on bail and staying over at the Patten Arms Hotel on Parker Street in Warrington town centre.

Police officers had been called to the address after staff had made a 999 call, stating that Haughton had been ‘abusive’ and had caused damage to a fire alarm on the premises.

Mr O’Kane told the court that officer PC Hand had attended the hotel and went into the defendant’s room, noticing two bottles of Jack Daniels whiskey on the side as he walked in.

Haughton was slurring her words, the officer recalled, and he told her she had to leave the premises.

She refused to leave, saying to the officer, ‘I am 53, you are a kid’ before telling him he could ‘have the lot’ referring to her two bottles of whiskey, which she proceeded to pour down the sink.

“She slapped the officer on the left arm. She leant into the double bed and kicked the officer in the chest,” the prosecutor added.

The defendant fell to the floor but continued to hit and kick out at the officer.

He picked her up and placed her onto the bed, where she then propositioned him, asking ‘do you want to have sex?’.

She continued to be abusive to PC Hand and PC Davy, the officer that accompanied him, calling them d*ck heads and pr*cks.

PC Davy then tried to detain Haughton, leading to her attempting to bite him.

She was eventually arrested and taken to the police station.

The damage she caused to the fire alarm amounted to the sum of £153.60.

Haughton denied all charges but was convicted following a trial.

Her defence, Simon Dunn, explained to the magistrate’s bench that prior to 2023, his client had a clear record of no offending, but following a ‘difficult divorce’ began to have a problem with alcohol abuse which led to the beginning of her offending.

Offences over the last year have included criminal damage, threatening behaviour and the assault of an emergency worker.

Haughton appeared before the courts on a CVP link from HMP Styal, where she had been remanded for five weeks prior. She had to be muted due to comments made during the hearing.

Concluding the hearing, chair of the bench, Sandra Jane Verity, sentenced the defendant to a total of 38 weeks in prison for the offences of common assault, assault by beating and sexual assault.

She will have to pay a victim surcharge of £187 and was ordered to report to a police station upon her release to sign onto the sex offender register for 12 months.

A seven-year restraining order was put in place restricting her from making contact with the victim.

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Police found a huge haul of 1,853 sickening images of children after searching a sex offender's mobile phone because of serious worries that disturbing pictures had been shared online.

The police also found 87 pictures of extreme bestiality involving animals and children on the phone. It was discovered that messages and images had been shared among a group of seedy internet perverts, Hull Crown Court heard.

Lilith Kovers, 27, of Axdane, Orchard Park estate, Hull, admitted three offences of making indecent images of children and other offences of distributing one indecent image of a child, possessing a prohibited image of a child and possessing 87 extreme images, involving bestiality.

Benjamin Donnell, prosecuting, said that Kovers came to the attention of police on November 9, 2022 when it was discovered that two indecent images of children had been uploaded to the internet. Police inquiries linked a telephone number and an IP address to Kovers.

Police went to the home of Kovers on December 12 of that year. Kovers told police: "I did use to do this but I have not looked at this for a very long time."

A mobile phone and laptop were found and analysis revealed 373 images and 21 videos in the most serious Category A, 417 images in Category B and 785 in Category C as well as 243 prohibited images and 14 videos and 87 pictures of extreme bestiality.

Kovers distributed one prohibited image of a child on April 28, 2022. "There was evidence of conversations between this defendant and other individuals and the sharing of indecent pornographic material," said Mr Donnell. "The defendant engaged in sexually explicit messages with a 15-year-old."

During police interview, Kovers said that there had been a group sharing indecent images of children involving viewing and sending them but denied any sexual interest in children. Just requesting the images gave a "high" because it was wrong to do so. Kovers had no previous convictions.

Michael Masson, mitigating, said that Kovers, who is Lithuanian, had shown sincere remorse for the behaviour that led to the offences and had left behind that part of the past, with the aim of "keeping on the straight and narrow here out".

Kovers claimed no longer to be interested in indecent images of children. Admissions had been made during interview and guilty pleas had been entered.

Kovers was given a 16-month suspended prison sentence and 30 days' rehabilitation. A five-year sexual harm prevention order was made.

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A "highly dangerous paedophile" preyed on vulnerable young girls and subjected them to years of sickening sexual abuse, a court has heard.

Shaun Canavan assaulted his primary school-age victims on multiple occasions in a variety of locations including in a public swimming pool.

Cardiff Crown Court heard the 55-year-old's offending has had a devastating impact on his now victims, affecting all aspects of their lives. A judge told Canavan he had prioritised his own sexual urges over "any sense of humanity or decency". The defendant was handed an extended sentence as a dangerous offender which he will serve after the current extended sentence he is serving for the sexual abuse of another young girl.

Sarah Isles, prosecuting, said the offending before the court involved two young girls and was carried out over a period of five years. Canavan sexually assaulted his victims multiple times and in a variety of locations in Caerphilly County including in a public swimming pool, in the car park of a workingmen's club, in a shed, in his vehicle and at a building site during the construction of a housing estate.

In statements read to the court the victims described the devastating impact their childhood abuse has had on their lives. One said the defendant took away her innocence and her happiness and filled her life with "fear, shame and disgust". She said she has been left wondering what kind of woman she would be today if she had not encountered Canavan as a child and not been used by him for his own "monstrous sexual gratification". The second victim described how the abuse perpetrated by the defendant had "impacted every aspect of my life" and caused severe post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and depression, and led to alcohol and drug misuse and suicide attempts.

Shaun Canavan, formerly of Llandaff Road, Cardiff, had previously pleaded guilty to 34 counts of indecent assault of a child when he appeared in the dock for sentencing. Two of the counts are what is known as "specimen counts" and represent some 24 separate assaults carried out on one of the victims over the course of a year. The defendant has 40 previous convictions for 121 offences including matters of violence and sexual offending against a child. In 2016 the former nightclub bouncer and digger driver was given an extended 20-year sentence as a dangerous offender after being convicted at trial of sexually abusing a girl under 13. On that occasion he was also made the subject of an indefinite sexual harm prevention order designed to control his access to children, and was put on the sex offenders register for life. The offences currently before the court pre-date the offences for which the defendant was sentenced to 2016 but were only reported to police after his conviction.

Joshua Scouller, for Canavan, said the defendant's main mitigation was his entered guilty pleas at the very earliest opportunity. He said his client had reflected on his behaviour and was remorseful.

Judge Paul Hobson told Canavan the psychological impact of his offending has been "nothing short of devastating" for his victims and had impacted every aspect of their lives, and he described the defendant as "a serial sexual abuser of children". He said it was clear Canavan had been harbouring and acting upon "warped thinking" about young girls for many years, and he told him: "In my judgement you are, you remain, a highly dangerous paedophile."

The judge said in coming to his sentence he had to be mindful of the maximum sentences which applied to the offences at the time of their commission, to the fact the defendant was already serving a lengthy prison sentence for similar offending, and to the principle of totality. Canavan was made the subject of a 10-year extended sentence as a dangerous offender comprising seven years in custody followed by a three-year licence period. The new sentence will run consecutively with the 20-year extended sentence Canavan is currently serving, a sentence comprised of 15 years in custody followed by a five year licence period.

Defendants on extended sentences can apply for release after serving two-thirds of the custodial element of their sentence but it is for the Parole Board to determine if they are safe to be release and if so, on what conditions. The combined effect of the new and existing sentences means Canavan is effectively serving a 30-year extended sentence comprising 22 years in custody followed by eight years on licence. The defendant will be able to apply for release in late 2030 or early 2031 but may be required to serve the full term meaning he could be kept inside until 2038.

After passing sentence judge Hobson said the bravery of the victims in coming forward and reporting the abuse should be mentioned, and he said he was aware of the great cost to their wellbeing in doing so. He said he hoped the sentencing exercise would at least provide a sense of a chapter in their lives closing and a new chapter opening.

The judge said he was also duty bound to make a number of observations about the conduct of the case and its progress through the court system. He said the delay in the case coming to court was "inexcusable" and said the presentation of the prosecution case had been "shambolic". He said the case had been committed to crown court for sentencing after the defendant pleaded guilty at magistrates court and he said he was concerned at the "false economy" in terms of the resources the Crown Prosecution Service had put into preparing the committal.

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An illegal immigrant who subjected a teenage girl to two episodes of sexual abuse and rape during the course of one night is now likely to be deported after serving time for his crimes, a Sheffield judge has said.

As she jailed Dilbirin Cheikhe for eight-and-a-half years, Recorder Taryn Turner told the 22-year-old that he must serve two-thirds of his sentence behind bars, and is likely to be deported upon his release.

Sheffield Crown Court heard how Cheikhe, of Musgrave Road, Shirecliffe, Sheffield, attacked the girl shortly after meeting her for the first time, ignoring her pleas for him to stop.

Louise Reevell, prosecuting, told a hearing held on June 21, 2024 that the girl, who was under the age of 18 at the time of the offences, sobbed loudly during the first attack, and Cheikhe’s response was to ‘put his hand over her mouth to keep her quiet’.  

In a statement read to the court, the girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said she had been deprived of some of her precious ‘teenage years’ because they had been ‘taken up’ by what Cheikhe had done to her. 

In addition to her feeling it necessary to leave education as a consequence of the abuse, the girl said she had felt ‘unable to leave the house,’ with her bedroom being the only place she felt ‘safe’.

She also described as suffering from anxiety, along with derealisation and depersonalisation, which is defined by the NHS as having ‘the feeling of being outside yourself and observing your actions, feelings or thoughts from a distance’.

The girl described derealisation and depersonalisation as the ‘worst feeling in the world’ because it prevents you from living your life. 

Following the unanimous guilty verdicts which led to Cheikhe’s conviction, the complainant said she was now looking forward to ‘moving on’ with her life. 

Cheikhe was convicted of two counts of rape and four accounts of sexual assault in March 2024, at the conclusion of a trial at the same court. 

Defending, Kevin Jones told the court: “He, at the time, was an inexperienced young man, both in life and relationships.”

Mr Jones said despite denying the offences and ‘being convicted after trial’ he ‘does appear to have shown some remorse for the way in which he behaved’. 

Mr Jones said he did not agree with the suggestion in the pre-sentence report which suggested that Cheikhe posed a high risk of committing further sexual offences. 

Given Cheikhe’s lack of previous convictions, such a conclusion can only have been reached through his conviction for these offences, claimed Mr Jones, suggesting the same could therefore be said for anyone in Cheikhe’s position. 

Sending Cheikhe to prison, Recorder Turner said she judged there to be a ‘degree of planning’ to the sexual abuse he subjected the girl to. 

“What happened that night will remain with her for a long time,” Recorder Turner said. 

She told the court that Cheikhe arrived in this country as an illegal immigrant in February 2020, and was learning English at the time of the offences. 

She said she was satisfied, however, that he knew enough English to understand the meaning of ‘no’ and ‘yes’. 

Recorder Turner told Cheikhe that he will be required to sign on to the sex offenders’ register for life, and granted a restraining order, which will remain in place until further order of the court and prohibits him from contacting the girl. 

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A former children's charity worker and imam has been jailed for grooming a boy online.

Umar Dawood, from Redditch in Worcestershire, taught children in the area and also volunteered at the children's charity, West Mercia Police said.

The 36-year-old pleaded guilty to three charges at an earlier hearing and was sentenced to three years in prison at Worcester Crown Court.

He was also given a sexual harm prevention order and ordered to register as a sex offender.

Dawood, of Evesham Road, was jailed on June 10 after admitting to causing a boy under 13 to engage in sexual activity.

He was also given a nine-month concurrent sentence for attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child as an adult, and a one-month concurrent sentence for possessing extreme pornography.

Det Sgt Pete Wheeler, of West Mercia Police’s child sexual exploitation team, said: “Dawood previously held a position of trust and was a local imam teaching children within the local community. He also volunteered with a local children’s charity.

“The outcome of this investigation goes some way to ensuring that he is not able to work with children in the future, and we hope will provide some reassurance that this offending has attracted a custodial sentence.”

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A suspected drug-driver failed to register a new vehicle with police, putting him in breach of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Steven Shevlin was stopped by officers from the Specialist Enforcement Unit (SEU) carrying out proactive patrols near Arundel.

The unit aims to deny criminals the use of the road network.

It followed a request from the Violent Sex Offender Register Team (ViSOR) who police offenders subject to the Sexual Harm Prevention Orders and work with Sussex Police teams to ensure these orders are enforced.

Shevlin had a fraudulent registration mark on his vehicle, and was also found in possession of cannabis and offensive weapons in the form of a baton and a knuckle duster.

The 34-year-old appeared before Lewes Crown Court on May 16 for sentence.

It followed an investigation by officers from Crawley CID to ensure the conviction in court.

Shevlin, formerly of Stoney Lane, Shoreham, admitted breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order which was imposed in 2020, requiring him to provide information to police in order to protect the public from the risk of sexual harm.

But he failed to declare the new vehicle he was driving.

He also admitted possession of cannabis, fraudulent use of a vehicle registration mark, failing to provide a specimen of blood for analysis when suspected of drug-driving, possession of offensive weapons, and driving without valid insurance.

Shevlin was sentenced to a total of 50 weeks in prison for the offences and was given a further three-year driving disqualification.

Drug-driving is one of the fatal five factors that lead to people being killed or seriously injured on our roads.

The court was told how the SEU carried out patrols in Arundel on November 23 last year.

Shevlin was stopped while driving a Ford Transit van, he provided a positive roadside DrugWipe test for cannabis, but refused to provide a sample of blood when he was taken to custody.

SEU Inspector Ollie Pullen said: “Through regular proactive patrols we disrupt criminals using our road network, while also catching intoxicated or disqualified drivers to help keep people safe on our roads.

“In this case, we found Shevlin in a vehicle which he was required to register with the police, but had failed to do so.

“I’m pleased that our officers caught an offender who has tried to evade police and evade his responsibilities under the Sexual Harm Prevention Order to inform the police.

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A man from Ipswich has been sentenced to 21 years imprisonment after being found guilty of a series of sexual offences.

David Miller, aged 44 and of Hervey Street in Ipswich, was sentenced at Ipswich Crown Court today, Thursday 20 June, following a nine-day trial after he pleaded not guilty to all offences. A jury found him guilty unanimously on all counts on Friday 14 May.

Miller had denied 16 offences – these were two of rape, two of indecent assault, four of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, seven of sexual activity with a child, and one of sexual activity with a child but was convicted by the jury. All offences relate to three children and took place between December 2002 and December 2019.

Miller was first arrested in October 2020 and following detailed and thorough investigations he was charged in October 2022.

He targeted vulnerable adult women with a view to abuse their children, all of whom were boys.

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Surajit Ghosh, aged 27, appeared at Portsmouth Crown Court for sentencing today (Thursday 20 June).

Police had received a report on the evening of Saturday, May 272023 of an unknown man touching an 8-year-old girl’s bottom in Tesco on Crasswell Street, before running off down another aisle. The man was then chased through the supermarket by a family member of the girl, before the man ran out of the store. Police attended and conducted an area search, before making enquiries with witnesses at the supermarket and reviewing CCTV.

Ghosh was quickly identified to be the man responsible, and officers turned up at his home address in Drummond Road that night to arrest him. He was found inside hiding behind a sofa, before he became aggressive – threatening to stab officers and resisting arrest. He also dug his fingernails into a police officer’s hand, drawing blood.

Following enquiries, Ghosh was charged with sexual assault of a girl under 13 by touching and assault of an emergency worker, both of which he pleaded guilty to at Portsmouth Crown Court on October 2 2023. On 15 April this year, he also pleaded guilty to a separate charge of perverting the course of justice. Ghosh had contacted the mother of the girl he sexually assaulted and asked her to drop the charges against him - he did this despite having already pleaded guilty to the sexual assault.

Appearing at Portsmouth Crown Court today, he was jailed for 18 months. He was also ordered to sign on to the Sex Offenders Register for 10 years, handed a 10 year Sexual Harm Prevention Order, and a 10 year Restraining Order.

DC Heather Milsom said: “This was a shocking series of offences which left a very young girl upset and her family horrified, and saw police officers subjected to violence and extreme threats. To add further insult, Ghosh used Facebook to contact the girl’s mother in an attempt to get proceedings against him dropped, despite having already admitted his awful crimes in court. I want to commend the girl for her bravery in speaking to police about what was undoubtedly a very worrying incident for her, and also want to thank her family. I hope the wider public can feel reassured that Ghosh was quickly identified by police and arrested for his actions, and is now behind bars.”

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A child sex offender has been jailed for eight years after he was found guilty of his crimes in court.

Andrew Lucas, aged 56, of Shareshill, south Staffordshire, abused the survivor a number of years ago before the survivor bravely came forward and told people what happened.

We brought Lucas in for questioning, where he denied all of the reports.

Specialist officers worked to support the survivor as much as possible whilst evidence to support the case was gathered, leading to a number of charges being secured against Lucas.

In an earlier hearing at Stafford Crown Court, a jury found Lucas guilty of ten non-recent child sexual offences, including:

• Six counts of indecent assault of a boy
• Four counts of gross indecency with a boy

At Birmingham Crown Court on Friday (14 June), Lucas was sentenced to eight years behind bars.

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A CONVICTED sex offender who was ‘unwilling to comply with court orders’ has been jailed for failing to disclose details of an unregistered bank account to police.

Neil Bamber, of Emmanuel Court in Barrow, was ordered by a court to alert police to any financial changes in his life within three days, Preston Crown Court was told.

The 67-year-old pensioner was made the subject of a 20-month suspended sentence order in February 2021 for attempting to engage in sexual communications with a child and attempting to engage in sexual activity with a child.

The court heard Bamber had also been placed on a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) for 10 years, as well as being required to comply with the notification requirements of the sex offenders register as part of the sentence.

Prosecutor Keira Shaw said the defendant had only ever declared a Natwest bank account to police.

She said officers received information that the defendant had been using another bank card registered to a HSBC account.

As a result, Ms Shaw said officers attended the defendant’s address on April 11 this year to conduct a routine home compliance check.

She told the court the defendant was offered the opportunity to disclose the account before signing a document detailing that he understood the terms of his SHPO.

However, Bamber was then subsequently arrested for failing to notify police of a change in his circumstances, the court was told.

The court heard he told officers he did not want to disclose the information as he believed he would lose all of his pension and savings. He conceded that the account had been open for 40 years.

Ms Shaw said Bamber was sentenced to another 16-week suspended sentence order in June last year for ‘waving at a child’ whilst outside a school, which put him in breach of the original order.

Bamber was sentenced on June 12 after conceding he had failed to comply with the notification requirements of the sex offenders register.

In mitigation, his barrister Tom Farr said: “He recognises this was a stupid decision not to declare his bank account. He was concerned for the security of his savings. He was paranoid about what might happen to his financial security and pension.

“He is the full time carer for his wife who suffers with dementia and Alzheimer’s. He receives payment from the government for this. There is no other care in place for his wife.

“It would be unjust to activate his suspended sentence in my respectful submission. He is at low risk of reconviction and does not commit persistent offences. I ask you to draw back from immediate custody today.”

However, Recorder Ayesha Siddiqi disagreed with the defence submissions and as a result jailed Bamber for 42 weeks.

Before passing sentence, Recorder Siddiqi said: “It was concerning behaviour.

“There was a long period of non-compliance here. You had been asked on four occasions to complete a form to disclose your bank details. You were then given the opportunity on the day you were arrested.

“There is no reason why declaring your account would have resulted in the loss of your savings.

“You were incapable or unwilling to comply with the requirements of the law.

“You have a history of poor compliance with court orders. Appropriate punishment can only be achieved by an immediate custodial sentence.”

Speaking after the sentencing, Detective Constable Dan Chadwick of Cumbria Constabulary said: “Neil Bamber has been non-compliant since his initial conviction for attempting to incite a child into sexual activity.

"This discovery of an undeclared bank account shows his continued level of non-compliance.

“I am pleased with the result, and I hope it sends the message out to the public that Cumbria Police proactively manage sex offenders.”

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Met officers acted swiftly on information provided by the National Crime Agency to safeguard children and arrest a Hackney man who has been jailed at the Old Bailey.

Information was passed to the Met by the National Crime Agency (NCA), which led to the arrest of Adam Shine, 25 (7.5.99) at his home in Digby Road, Hackney on 6 February.

PC Lindsey Luscombe, of the Met’s Online Child Sex Abuse Investigation Team, policing Hackney and Tower Hamlets, said: “The information provided by the NCA linked Shine to indecent images of children.

“While reviewing his phone, officers quickly identified that Shine had used the Omegle website for three separate video calls with two 11-year-old girls and an 8-year-old girl in April 2023. On each call, Shine masturbated on camera and encouraged the girls to expose or touch themselves sexually.

“Met officers used clues in the videos, which had been recorded and retained by Shine, to locate and safeguard an 11-year-old child in the UK.

“In addition to his custodial sentence, Shine also received an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order. Along with the requirement for him to sign the Sex Offenders' Register indefinitely, this will help to protect other children after he has served his prison sentence.”

Despite extensive efforts, the two other children, believed to be in the United States, have not been identified, in part because of the limited information provided by Omegle which shut down in November 2023. Information has been passed to American authorities.

Anyone with information about similar offending, whether it happened recently or not, is encouraged to report to police by calling 101 or online. To remain anonymous, please contact the independent charity Crimestoppers.

Shine, who worked at an adult store in central London, pleaded guilty on 3 March at the Old Bailey to engaging in sexual communications with the three children as well as causing them to engage in sexual activity, He also pleaded guilty to engaging in sexual activity in the (online) presence of the children. He did not meet any of the victims in person.

He was sentenced at the same court on Friday, 14 June, to four and a half years’ imprisonment.