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Sentenced at Bolton Crown Court following a campaign of rape and controlling and coercive behaviour against three different women between 2018 and 2025.

Amar Manzoor (28/10/1983) of Bolton has been sentenced to 22 years in prison after a jury found him guilty on 12 counts, including:

• Rape x3
• Controlling and coercive behaviour x2
• Assault x3
• Non-fatal strangulation x1
• Perverting the course of justice x2
• Stalking x1 

Manzoor also got lifetime restraining order for all three victims and also life time on sex offenders register.

The first survivor met Manzoor in July 2018 and over a prolonged period, she was subjected to sustained abuse, including rape, assaults and controlling coercive behaviour.

The second survivor met Manzoor in September 2023, where he carried out a course of behaviour amounting to stalking, causing serious alarm and distress to the victim.

A third woman was later involved with Manzoor and subjected to a range of abusive behaviours during the time she knew Manzoor, including rape, assaults, and CCB.

Whilst in custody following an arrest for non-fatal strangulation in November 2025, Manzoor made repeated attempts to contact the third victim from prison.

He tried to persuade her to withdraw her statement and also attempted to force her to create false contact details in an effort to avoid detection.

The survivor bravely disclosed this to police, and we were able to secure further charges against him for perverting the course of justice.

One survivor shared following sentencing:

''I have had to change so much in order to protect myself. So much so, that I don't even recognise myself anymore.... I didn't live with you, I tried to survive, and now I am merely existing.''

Another added:

''I know I am a much stronger person now... but I’m not completely healed, and I don't believe I ever really will be''.

DC Rachel McMahon from our Criminal Investigation Department said:

"This has been a complex investigation with a number of victims involved. I'm immensely proud of all three women and I would like to commend their continued bravery throughout this investigation and the court proceedings.

"Manzoor manipulated each of these women, took advantage of them and subjected them each to numerous forms of domestic and sexual abuse.

"I appreciate it hasn’t been easy for any of them, but their assistance has been invaluable, and despite moments of uncertainty, their patience and courage led to a strong outcome and Manzoor behind bars.

"Protecting our communities is a key priority, and I hope this sentencing highlights the lengths our officers will work to ensure justice is served for those who engage such behaviour. 

"Domestic abuse can take many forms and I urge anyone who may be seeing the signs to please come forward and report. You will always be taken seriously"

Record details

A man accused of raping a child multiple times and perverting the court of justice has been found guilty by jurors.

Leon Burton, previously of St Mary’s Crescent in Stow, had denied three charges of rape and one of perverting the course of justice at a five-day trial at Lincoln Crown Court last week.

But the 37-year-old was judged to have committed the offences by jurors on Friday, 16 October.

Burton had already pleaded guilty to one charge of sexual activity with a child and a separate charge of perverting the course of justice.

The charges relate to a single victim and took place in the Stow area, starting in 2025 and into 2026.

Burton is set to be sentenced later this year on 11 December.

The court heard how police divers and dogs were deployed to locate two mobile phones that officers suspected Burton had disposed of.

These phones were never located but one is believed to have been thrown in the water in Stow and the other Burton admitted to destroying himself.

Burton was arrested and subsequently remanded until he appeared before court officials on Monday, 12 October for trial.

DC James Lindsay, who was in charge of the investigation, said:

“Burton abused a child in the most despicable way and did his best to evade justice.

“But thanks to the bravery of the victim at the heart of this case and the tenacity of the teams involved, Burton was arrested and brought before jurors who saw through his lies.

“The safety and wellbeing of children is at the heart of everything we do, and we’ll leave no stone unturned in our investigations to ensure they get the support they need.

“I’d like to thank the victim who has made a real difference and helped expose a predator who will soon be jailed, ensuring no one else will suffer at his hands.

“And I’d also praise the work of everyone involved in this investigation – their determination and professionalism helped get us here.”

Record details

A man from Widnes has been jailed after he admitted engaging in online sexual communications with children.

Ryan Caine appeared at Chester Crown Court on Friday 16 October where he was sentenced to five years and four months in prison.

The 23-year-old of Deacon Road, Widnes, had earlier pleaded guilty to six counts of causing a girl to engage in sexual activity, five counts of engaging in sexual communication with a child, five counts of causing a child to look at an image of sexual activity, one count of possessing indecent images of children, and three counts of making indecent images of children.

In addition to his prison sentence, Caine was also made subject to a 30-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order and a 10-year restraining order.

The court heard that Caine’s offending first came to light after he contacted a 12-year-old girl through Roblox and later communicated with her via WhatsApp. During the messages he engaged sexualised communications with the child and sent her multiple explicit images and videos. He also encouraged her to engage in sexual activity.

Caine was subsequently arrested on 16 April 2025 following a warrant at his home in Widnes where officers recovered two mobile phones.

During an analysis of the devices, officers discovered messages between Caine and five other children, who were all aged between 13 and 16.

Again, within the messages Caine shared indecent images of himself and encouraged them to engage in sexual activity.

Officers also found 86 indecent images of children on his devices, ranging from Category A to Category C.

In his interview, Caine refused to answer any questions put to him by officers.

Despite his silence, he was later charged with the offences.

Detective Constable Luke Chadwick said:

“I welcome the sentence handed to Caine, who was left with no choice but to plead guilty to all of the charges as a result of the messages and indecent images that we discovered on his devices.

“He was well aware that his victims were underage, and as a 23-year-old man he knew what he was doing was wrong, but despite this he continued with his deceitful actions.

“Through the use of social media, he specifically targeted young girls, plying them with sexualised messages and indecent images in order to fulfil his own sexual desires.

“Thankfully, as a result of the evidence we gathered, he has now been held accountable for his actions and is facing a significant time behind bars where he can reflect upon his actions.

“I hope this case acts as a reminder for all parents and guardians to warn their children of the dangers of communicating with people via social media, to check that they are using it safely and to keep an eye out for any warning signs of sexual exploitation.”

Record details

A registered sex offender who raped two teenage girls has been jailed for 17 years.

Kieran Chadwick-Tattersall targeted the victims, who are from Maidstone, between June and September 2024 when they were both 15 years old.

He started talking to both girls separately over social media before he used his car to regularly take each victim to secluded locations where he would rape them and force them to engage in sexual activity.

He used cash and gifts to groom each victim, and also threatened one girl, telling her he would contact her parents if she stopped meeting him.

Arrest

Chadwick-Tattersall was arrested in Nottingham in November 2024 in connection to a separate incident, and as part of that investigation officers analysed his mobile phone where his Kent offences were uncovered and he was later arrested.

He was subsequently charged with numerous offences including rape, false imprisonment, sexual activity with a child and sexual communications with a child.

The 34 year old, of Standen Grove, Sittingbourne, admitted the charges and was sentenced at Maidstone Crown Court on Monday 19 October 2026.

He was handed a 17 year prison sentence and upon release will serve 4 years on licence. He was also handed an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Investigating officer Detective Constable Joseph Parrish said:

‘Chadwick-Tattersall has shown time and time again how much of a danger he poses to young children and he has shown total disregard for the law and went onto target two vulnerable teenage girls where he subjected them to a horrific timeline of abuse.

‘The victims’ courage and bravery has helped to ensure he is locked up and cannot harm any other children. I want them to know they are not to blame, and I hope that this result can help them move forward and put this chapter of their life behind them.

‘If anyone else is affected by this case and is contemplating reporting similar offences, I want them to know we have specially trained officers who are there to help you. We take all reports seriously and will ensure justice is done for all victims’.

Record details

A 51-year-old man has been jailed after being found guilty of multiple child sex offences against two victims.

John Fordham, of no fixed abode but from Bury St Edmunds, appeared at Ipswich Crown Court on Friday, 16 October, where he was handed an extended licence totalling 26 years, made up of 19 years’ imprisonment and seven years on licence.

Extended sentences are handed to those who are convicted of serious violent or sexual offences, where an additional period of post-release supervision is required to protect the public.

Fordham had denied the charges against him but was found guilty by a jury following an eight-day trial of the following:

• Four counts of sexual assault of a child under 13 years
• Three counts of rape
• Three counts of causing or inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity
• Two counts of sexual activity with a child

The offences involved two victims – two girls.

The court heard that Fordham repeatedly sought opportunities to isolate his victims to sexually assault them and that the abuse was carried out separately to each other.

In addition to his sentence, Fordham was made subject of an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention order and lifetime restraining orders in respect of his victims. He will also be placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register.

PC Karen Hammond, who was the officer in charge of the case, said:

“John Fordham has taken no responsibility for his actions or shown any remorse. He is a dangerous sexual predator who manipulated and abused his victims, causing profound and lasting harm.

“The victims had their childhood stripped from them and while no sentence can undo the trauma they have endured, I hope this sentencing result provides them with a sense of justice and helps them to move forward with their lives.

“I would like to pay tribute to the immense bravery shown by the victims throughout the investigation and court proceedings. It is because of their courage that Fordham has been brought to justice and will now spend a significant amount of time behind bars.

“I would urge anyone who has experienced sexual abuse to please report it. We will always listen to you and take appropriate action, no matter how long ago the offence took place.”

Record details

A man has been jailed for 12 years after sexually assaulting two girls over several months.

Matthew North, 67-years-old of Pilgrim Avenue in Immingham was found guilty by a jury of four counts of assaulting a girl under 13 by touching and inciting a female under 13 to engage in sexual activity. He appeared at Grimsby Crown Court today (Tuesday, 20 October 2026) and has been sentenced to 12 years behind bars with a further 4 years on licence and handed a sexual harm prevention order.

Our Force Control Room received a call on Wednesday, 8 April 2026 by a woman who states her daughter and her friend had been sexually assaulted by a man called ‘John’ over four months whilst trying to earn pocket money through carrying out jobs in the community such as cleaning and car washing.

The name ‘John’ was later found by detectives to be an alias and was identified as Matthew North.

This started in September 2025 and on multiple occasions he had asked the girls to give him oral sex and touch their body whilst doing so. The girls disclosed they feared North and he would refer to them both as his girlfriend’s whilst trying to put his hand up their tops and trousers. He would then proceed to threaten to come to the girl’s house and that he knows their address and where they go to school. He would tell them he would ‘make their life hell’.

On one occasion in April 2026, North made one of the girls come into his home and refused to let her leave until she eventually managed to run out the house.

North was arrested at his home address on Thursday, 9 April 2026. When interviewed by detectives he denied all allegations, insisting it was the other way round and the girls came on to him.

Leading the investigation Detective Constable Amy O’Dwyer said:

“Matthew North took advantage of two young girls wanting to earn some pocket money by sexually assaulting them.

“He made them fear for their life so that they wouldn’t tell anyone.

“I would like to commend the bravery of both victims and their courage whilst North denied all allegations and made them endure the duration of court proceedings.

“Whilst it does not take away the trauma they’ve suffered, I hope the result seen in court will play some part in helping them move forward with their lives.

“It can be daunting to take the first step in reporting offences of this nature, but through these reports, we are able to gather evidence to build a strong case and ultimately help eradicate this abhorrent behaviour from our communities.”

Record details

A detective has paid tribute to a survivor of non-recent child sexual abuse after a 33-year-old man was sentenced today, Monday 19th October.

The child was under 13 years old when Liam Martin first carried out offences against them and following extensive enquiries, he was charged with:

• Rape of a child under 13
• Three counts of raping a child aged between 13 and 15 years.
• Engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child under 13, where the offender was aged over 18 years
• Causing/inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity
• Voyeurism

During the complex and long running enquiries, the survivor was offered specialist support as well as safeguarding, and they were also kept updated with key developments.

Today Martin attended Teesside Crown Court where he received a sentence of 20 years, plus one year on licence.

Speaking after sentencing, officer in the case DC Melanie Phelps said:

“It took a great deal of bravery for this survivor to come forward and report what they’d gone through as a child.

“Martin carried out repeated sexual assaults and rapes over a long period of time, leaving the vulnerable child traumatised and afraid for many years.

“He denied any wrong doing, however thanks to the survivor supporting our complex investigation we were able to present compelling evidence at court and the jury found Liam Martin guilty.

“I hope the sentence he received will bring a degree of closure and enable this young person to continue to rebuild their life, knowing he is behind bars for a long time.

“Martin is a dangerous individual who is now on the sex offenders’ register and even after his eventual release from prison, he’ll be closely monitored by specialist officers.

“Finally, I want to reassure anyone else who has been victim of sexual offences - whether recent or non-recent - that if you’re ready to report we are here for you; we will listen to you, we will believe you and we will support you.”

Record details

A man described by police as a “serial perpetrator” of violence has been jailed.

Owen Rowe came under investigation in early 2024 after a woman reported being raped and assaulted by Rowe.

The now 23-year-old had used emotional blackmail against his accuser, saying he would take his own life if she reported his behaviour.

The woman also reported Rowe was controlling, possessive and jealous.

During initial police interviews he admitted a “minor” assault on the woman but he continued to deny raping her and he even accused her of controlling behaviour.

Following a lengthy and extremely complex investigation in which a number of our officers dealt with separate allegations from different victims, Rowe was convicted of coercive and controlling behaviour (CCB) and rape of the original complainant, as well as with sexual assault and common assault on another woman, and with an attempted serious assault on a man.

And on Monday (19th October) Rowe was sentenced to 12 years in prison, with an additional three years on licence.

At the hearing Rowe was referred to as a “dangerous offender”.

The officer who investigated the report of rape and CCB, DC Kirby from the force’s Protecting Vulnerable People unit (PVP), said:

“This was an extremely complex investigation which seemed to grow and grow as additional information, allegations and counter allegations came into us.

“Throughout the investigation and trial, Rowe continued to deny what he’d done, minimising his actions and behaviour. Throughout enquiries, though, we remained steadfast and determined to establish the truth while keeping our victims updated and appropriately safeguarded throughout.

“I believe our perseverance has paid off and I’m relieved to hear Rowe has received a considerable sentence.

“I hope this outcome brings comfort to both women and the male victim who suffered at Rowe’s hands; I’d like to thank them all for supporting our enquiries over such a long time and I wish them well for the future.

“Finally, all our communities should be warned that Cleveland Police will not tolerate violence of any kind – sexual, physical or emotional - and we will always do everything we can to protect victims and bring perpetrators before the courts."

Record details

A West Yorkshire Police officer has been found guilty of the rape of a woman. 

PC Jo Lavender, aged 45, who was working in Leeds District at the point of his suspension, was found guilty following a trial at York Crown Court of one count of rape. He is due to be sentenced on 3 November. 

The victim came forward in December 2024 to report the offence which occurred in 2002, prior to PC Lavender joining West Yorkshire Police in 2005. 

Detective Chief Superintendent Tanya Wilkins, Head of West Yorkshire Police’s Professional Standards Directorate, said:

“The victim has lived with the trauma of what PC Lavender did to her for two decades before coming forward to report this offence in 2024. 

“I would like to express my admiration for the bravery she has shown. I do not underestimate the courage it takes to report something like this, and even more so knowing that by that time the man responsible was a police officer. 

“If anyone has been a victim of rape or any other sexual offence, I would urge them to please report it. Please know that we will listen and we will act, it doesn’t matter who the perpetrator is or where they may work. 

“Following this court case, we will now continue with misconduct proceedings to ensure PC Lavender is barred from working in any role in policing in the future.”

Record details

A man has been sentenced after officers discovered images on his mobile phone following a routine address check.

Shaun McCandless, 62-years-old of The Close in Stallingborough has been sentenced to 12 months behind bars following an appearance at Grimsby Crown Court on Friday, 16 October 2026.

On the evening of Monday, 21 September 2026, officers from our Police Sex Offender Monitoring Team attended the home address of McCandless who was on a sexual offence prevention order. As part of the routine risk assessment check which the team regularly carry out, the mobile phone of McCandless was inspected.

The inspection revealed to officers that his search history and images had been deleted off his device. He was swiftly arrested for the breach of his sexual offence prevention order and remanded into prison.

When interviewed, McCandless admitted to having non-indecent images of young girls on his phone to which he later deleted.

Officer Jim Carlisle from our Mosovo team said:

“Once offenders who have committed sexual offences are released from prison, our work does not stop there.

“I hope this proves that our team will carry out regular checks and those that continue to offend will be held accountable and sent back to prison.

“Thankfully no one came to harm, his phone has been destroyed, and McCandless is back behind bars”

Record details

A woman who recorded videos of her sexually assaulting a young child has been locked up.

Lorna Hargreaves repeatedly filmed herself abusing the girl before sharing the footage with another person.

The predator also took other indecent images of the same child, as well as a further indecent photo of another girl.

These images and videos were all then shared with a man with a similar sexual interest in children.

Hargreaves' paedophilic offending all took place throughout 2025.

This would all be evidenced when police raided her home on 3 December and seized devices containing the videos and images.

Further indecent images of children were also found, along with extreme pornographic images of animals.  

Evidence was also discovered that pointed to Hargreaves being responsible for various voyeurism offences too.

These all took place between 2022 and 2025, with multiple people filmed in various intimate situations without their knowledge.

The 33-year-old again shared these videos with another person online, having recorded them for her own sexual gratification.

Hargreaves was charged with four counts of sexually assaulting a child and three counts of distributing indecent images of a child.

She was also charged with taking and making indecent images of children, voyeurism and possessing extreme pornographic images.

Faced with the mounting evidence against her, Hargreaves, formerly of Sutton-in-Ashfield, admitted to each charge.

She then returned to Nottingham Crown Court on Thursday (15 October), where she was jailed for four years and eight months.

Hargreaves was made the subject of a 12 year Sexual Harm Prevention Order and will have to sign the sex offenders' register for life.

A restraining order preventing Hargreaves from contacting any of her victims was also imposed. This will remain for life.

Detective Constable Kayley Freeman, of Nottinghamshire Police's Internet Child Exploitation Team, said:

"Lorna Hargreaves is a highly manipulative sexual predator who deserves this prison sentence.

"Her decision to repeatedly sexually assault a young child while filming the abuse was revolting and unforgivable.

"If that wasn't bad enough, she then shared this footage online with another like minded person with a sexual interest in children.

"Further indecent images of children were also linked to Hargreaves, along with a series of other voyeuristic videos she'd recorded.

"Her list of offending was absolutely disgusting, so I hope the victims can recover whilst she carries out her prison sentence."

Record details

A 23-year-old drug dealer has been jailed after he was found guilty of raping a 17-year-old girl.

On the evening of February 23, Jack Lemaistre arranged to meet the girl after they had first connected on Snapchat a few days earlier.

He drove her to his caravan in Goldfinch Street where he encouraged the girl to smoke cannabis. This made her violently sick and despite asking Lemaistre repeatedly to drive her home, he refused.

He then told her to watch a film with him, and she fell asleep. But when she woke up, Lemaistre was sexually assaulting her.

The assault continued for 20 minutes in which Lemaistre raped the girl despite her continuing to tell him to stop.

She eventually managed to return home and bravely reported the incident to Northamptonshire Police.

Lemaistre was arrested and when police searched his property, they found a large quantity of cocaine and ketamine.

He was subsequently charged with rape, assault by penetration and two counts of possession with intent to supply Class A drugs.

Lemaistre pleaded guilty to the drugs offences but took the sexual assault and rape charges to trial at Northampton Crown Court. However, following just two hours of deliberation, the jury returned unanimous guilty verdicts on both counts with the trial ending on August 20.   

Lemaistre, of Goldfinch Street, Thrapston, was sentenced last week (October 9) to 16 years in prison. 

At the sentencing hearing, Her Honour Judge Lucking said:

“There is no time scale for recovery for the harm you have done. From sitting through your evidence, it is clear you have no respect for the autonomy of the complainant’s body.”

Detective Constable Orla Foster from Northamptonshire Police’s SOLAR Team said:

“This was a horrific and predatory attack on a young woman who repeatedly made it clear she did not consent to any sexual activity. Instead of helping her when she was vulnerable and unwell, Lemaistre chose to exploit her for his own gratification.

“I would like to commend the bravery and courage shown by the victim throughout this investigation and court process. Her determination to come forward and give evidence has ensured a dangerous offender has been held accountable for his actions.

“I hope this sentence demonstrates that we will relentlessly pursue those who commit sexual offences and do everything we can to secure justice for victims.”

Record details

Carmarthen man jailed for child abuse images and breaching sex offender order

Mattie Tomassen, 34, of Furnace Bank, Carmarthen, has been sentenced to 26 months in prison for possessing indecent images of children and breaching a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO).

He was previously jailed for eight months in June 2025 for possession of indecent images and made subject to an SHPO requiring him to register internet-enabled devices with police and allow access on request. Acting on intelligence, officers arrested him on 19 March at his Carmarthen accommodation on suspicion of further image offences. His Motorola phone was seized; he gave the PIN but refused the separate code for a secure folder, claiming it may have been pre-installed. Argos confirmed the phone was new and not reconditioned. Police could not access the folder but found messages in which Tomassen told a contact: “This looks like one in my secure folder.” He was released under investigation.

On 9 July he was rearrested after e-Safe monitoring software on another phone he owned alerted police that he had accessed X (formerly Twitter) multiple times and viewed child abuse material. He answered “no comment” in interview but gave the phone PIN. Forensic examination found 12 images of young boys being sexually abused, including two Category A images showing rape. The images were deleted or in the cache but had previously been accessible.

Tomassen pleaded guilty to breaching the SHPO and to possession of Category A, B and C indecent images. He has two previous convictions for six offences, including the June 2025 indecent images matter that led to the original SHPO, and a December conviction for threatening to destroy property after telling a community psychiatric nurse he planned to smash cars at police headquarters and preferred prison to the streets.

Defence counsel cited a pre-sentence report on Tomassen’s drug and alcohol misuse and social isolation at the time of the offences, and asked for a community sentence to allow probation work. Judge Huw Rees noted Tomassen’s wilful refusal to reveal the secure folder code. He told him the children in the images were real youngsters being sexually abused to satisfy the “unhealthy, degenerate, and lustful demands” of people like him, which fuel demand for such material. The number of images was not large, but the judge stressed the reality of the abuse.

With a one-third discount for the guilty pleas, Tomassen received 14 months for the images and 12 months consecutive for the SHPO breach. He will serve up to half in custody before release on licence. A new 10-year SHPO was imposed, and he will remain on the sex offenders register for the same period.

Record details

The support of a brave victim who was brutally attacked and sexually assaulted has led to the defendant being put behind bars.

Jake Wilkinson, aged 31 and of Poole, was found guilty of attempted rape, intentional strangulation, trespass with intent to commit a sexual offence, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and two counts of sexual assault by penetration following a trial at Winchester Crown Court.

The incident occurred during the early hours of Sunday 1 December 2024 at an address in Bournemouth.

Wilkinson was at the victim’s home address – who is known to him – when they had an argument, causing him to leave the property.

The defendant asked to come back in, but was refused. He repeatedly kicked and punched the door to such an extent that he created a hole for him to crawl back into the address.

Wilkinson attempted to rape the woman and sexually assaulted her. He also strangled her until she was no longer able to breathe.

The victim sustained scratches to her neck and arms, a swollen lip, cuts to her legs and an injury to her back.

The defendant was arrested and charged in connection with the incident.

Wilkinson – a British national who self-defines as white British – was sentenced at the same court on Friday 16 October 2026 to 12 years in prison with an extended licence period of a further three years.

Detective Constable Holly Puckett, of Dorset Police, said:

“This was a horrific attack that must have been terrifying for the victim. The offender acted in an appalling manner, which his sentence can never reflect.

“I’d like to thank the victim in this case who has shown incredible strength and resilience in supporting the investigation and disclosing what happened to her to allow her attacker to be held accountable for his actions.

“We are committed to supporting victims of sexual offences and will do all we can to ensure perpetrators are brought to justice.”

Record details

A former solider has been handed an 18-year prison sentence after he was found guilty of 15 sexually offences involving children.

Gareth Evans-Balmforth, of Skegness, was given the sentence at Shrewsbury Crown Court yesterday (Thursday 15 October).

In August 2026 the 52-year-old was found guilty of four counts of gross indecency with a child under 14, four counts of inciting a child under 14 to commit an act of gross indecency, attempted sexual assault, sexual assault of a child, sexual assault, causing a child to watch a sexual act, and three counts of indecent exposure.

The court heard that Evans-Balmforth started his offending while he was a serving army officer and based in Shropshire and Yorkshire. He was then posted abroad, where he continued offended while living on army barracks.

Evans-Balmforth’s offending was reported to West Mercia Police in 2022, and an investigation discovered there were several victims from over more than two decades.

Detective Constable Rhian Jackson, the investigating officer, said:

“I welcome yesterday’s sentence of 18 years’ imprisonment for Evans-Balmforth for these appalling offences.

“I would like to pay tribute to the victims, whose courage and resilience throughout this investigation and court process has been remarkable. By coming forward, they have helped ensure he has been held accountable for his actions.

“Evans-Balmforth abused positions of trust and exploited environments where children should have felt safe and protected. The impact of his offending on the victims cannot be underestimated.

“I hope this sentence provides them with a sense of justice and helps them as they continue to move forward with their lives.”

Evans-Balmforth was also given a lifetime Sexual Harm Prevention Order by the judge during the sentencing hearing.