Latest Offenders

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A Glasgow sex offender kept his past secret as he accepted a job to work in schools.

John Paul Hogg had been jailed in 2011 and later banned indefinitely from any role involving children. But, a decade later, the 46 year-old went on to take up the offer by an educational IT firm for a post that included "unsupervised" work in schools.

Hogg did not reveal his previous conviction - and it was only when background checks were made that it emerged at the last minute.

Hogg has now narrowly avoided a jail term as he appeared in the dock at Glasgow Sheriff Court. He pleaded guilty to a charge under the Protection of Vulnerable Groups Act.

The date of the offence was March 1, 2022.

Hogg, of the city's Sandyhills, was ordered to carry out unpaid work as a concerned sheriff told him: "You should have been well aware of these restrictions."

Hogg had been locked up for 12 months in 2011 for a sex offence. He was later barred from "regulated work" with children indefinitely. Fiscal Lauren Donnelly said it was also explained to him that it was an offence to seek or do a job which involved this.

In 2021, he was temporarily employed as a service desk engineer with a company called RM Education. They work with the educational sector including providing technology and software. His line manager told him there was a full time post for that job with schools.

Miss Donnelly said: "He advised he thought he would be suitable for the role and asked if Hogg would consider applying." It was explained to Hogg that the role could involve "on-site" work which was "unsupervised".

This then meant Hogg would have to apply to join the Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) scheme given the type of job it was. Hogg said he was interested and accepted the offer. He was also given a PVG application to complete.

In March 2022, Disclosure Scotland - who makes checks on individuals being recruited for certain jobs - later reviewed this and it was only then discovered Hogg was "barred from regulated work with children".

Hogg was told the PVG application had been rejected.

The fiscal: "He was asked by (his line manager) if he was aware why this would have happened. He explained he was barred from regulated work with children.

"Hogg was asked why he did not make them aware of this. He stated: 'People always say they will do a check, but they do not'."

Hogg was initially suspended before being fired by RM Education. Disclosure Scotland went on to contact police.

He was charged in November 2022 and claimed: "In my job, we had no contact with children." Hogg's lawyer told the court the latest offence came from a "genuine misunderstanding" on his part.

Ciara Bradley, defending, said Hogg had been put on the sex offenders register for 10 years and this had ended in December 2021.

Miss Bradley: "He thought he was no longer required to disclose this offence to future employers.

"The company took on contracts with other agencies and entered into a contract with a school. That is when he was required to submit an application. He did so as he thought the requirements had ended."

Hogg was now said to have "turned his life around" and had another job in technology.

Sheriff Collete Gallagher said the offence "crossed the custody threshold", but she instead told Hogg to carry out 108 hours of unpaid work as part of an 18-month community payback order.

She stated: "Legalities are put in place to protect vulnerable people including children.

"Ignorance is no excuse for this matter. The fact you had a number of opportunities to disclose your previous conviction is a concern as is your attitude.

"I consider that this lack of insight presents a risk to the community."

Hogg was told again he should have no contact with children without permission from a supervising officer. He also has to declare "any romantic relationships" and get permission before he changes address.

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A man has been jailed for six years after sexually assaulting two women in Southport.

Peter Hudson, 52, of Cranfield Drive, in Cheshire, was found guilty of five counts of sexual assault and was sentenced on Friday 1 November at Liverpool Crown Court.

The two victims, who both have vulnerabilities, were each sexually assaulted by Hudson in Southport.

The first incident occurred in August 2021 and the second in February 2022. Hudson was arrested in February 2022 and later charged following a complex investigation.

As well as a prison sentence, Hudson has also signed on the Sex Offender’s Register for life.

As a result of the sexual assault, both women suffered PTSD, panic attacks, insomnia and depression. 

His first victim, who is aged in her 20s, said: “My mental health deteriorated as a consequence of the sexual assault I was subjected to. It has affected my life in many ways. For months after the incident I suffered with awful nightmares in which I would relive what he did to me time and time again and eventually this developed into PTSD.

“I don’t trust any man now. Any man that has cause to speak to me in person, it puts me in a fear. Even after all this time I can’t relax and can’t stop thinking about what I’ve been subjected to.”

His second victim, aged in her 30s, said: “My mental health has really deteriorated since the assault and in more recent time I have been diagnosed with PTSD. I am very frightened going out anywhere.

“When I get in bed I start to worry, panic, have flashbacks of the assault. I have vivid nightmares and relive what happened. I have terrible insomnia and don’t get much quality sleep at all. I cry during the night and feel frightened.

“My day-to-day life has been affected because I just feel so depressed and anxious. I feel very isolated because I do not trust people and have become withdrawn.”

Detective Constable Nicholas Gray, who led the investigation, said: “Hudson displayed predatory behaviour and targeted his two victims, who had vulnerabilities, to carry out despicable sexual assaults.

“He also denied the allegations and therefore forced the two women to relive the ordeal in a trial. Thankfully he was found guilty and will now spend a significant amount of time in prison for his actions.

“I want to commend the bravery of the two women in reporting what happened and helping us to put this man behind bars. While no sentence will repair the trauma which was inflicted on his victims, I hope this sentencing will not only provide them with justice, but also encourage other victims to come forward and have the confidence in us as a police force to take reports seriously and ultimately ensure offenders are put before the courts.”

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A sex offender has been sentenced to life imprisonment after being convicted of rape and other sexual offences in Kirklees.  
 
Adam Martin (26) from Cleckheaton was jailed at Leeds Crown Court today (Friday November 1st) for two offences of rape, sexual assault and other offending in what has been described as a sustained and shocking attack on a lone victim.   

The 26-year-old pleaded guilty at a previous hearing to the offences which took place in a Cleckheaton cemetery during the early evening of December 7, 2023.

Aside from the two rape offences, he was convicted for attempted rape, three other sexual offences, Section 47 assault, threats to kill and two offences of intentional strangulation.

Martin will have to serve a minimum term of 13 years and nine months as part of his sentence.
 
The court heard he had spotted and then followed his victim walking home from the bus station. 

Martin followed and then dragged the victim into Whitcliffe Cemetery where a serious sexual attack then took place.
 
The victim returned home after the incident and was able to report what had happened.
 
Officers arrested Martin within hours of the offence, and later charged him for a first appearance before magistrates on December 11.  
 
The case was investigated by the Homicide and Major Enquiry Team (HMET). 
 
DI Jodie Hayes of the Homicide and Major Enquiry Team, said: “Adam Martin committed a shocking attack against a lone victim, and we welcome his sentencing at court today.  
“He identified and followed his victim before committing a sustained and vicious attack.  There is no doubt whatsoever that he is a highly dangerous sexual offender who has acted in the most predatory way.  
“It is welcome that his guilty plea may have spared the victim the ordeal of a trial but, in truth, the weight of evidence against him was so substantial he had little choice but to enter this plea.”  
 
She added: “Reports of sexual offences are treated incredibly seriously by West Yorkshire Police and victims are encouraged to come forward and report incidents.  
 
“West Yorkshire Police are a victim focussed organisation, and the welfare of victims is paramount to us.  All reports are fully investigated by experienced detectives who can also signpost victims to services which can provide the help and support they may well need.”  

Description

A prolific sex offender who secretly recorded a 10-year-old girl in her own home has been put behind bars.

Alexander Kerr secretly filmed and took pictures of the girl as well as three other females. Police said the 62-year-old 'knew what he doing was wrong, yet he carried on anyway'.

After an investigation was launched by officers, almost 2,800 indecent images of children were found on Kerr's devices - including some of the most serious category. He initially claimed he downloaded the illegal images and clips 'by accident' when 'searching for aviation videos', Cheshire Police said.

But was found to have downloaded them for his own 'his own sexual gratification'. The probe into Kerr was first launched in 2022 when officers received intelligence on indecent images being downloaded from his previous home on Hewell Grange in Runcorn.

Police raided the address on August 31 that year and Kerr was arrested. Officers found 2,779 indecent images of children on a number of his devices.

These included 528 category A images, 429 category B, 1,822 category C, 44 extreme pornographic videos involving animals, and 64 prohibited images of children downloaded between 2002 and 2023. Police also uncovered the secret recordings and pictures of the four females who lived in the area.

Kerr, of Rushmore Drive, Widnes, was subsequently charged. He pleaded guilty to nine counts of making indecent images of children (category A, B, and C), two counts of possessing indecent images of a children, one count of possessing extreme pornography, two counts of taking indecent images of children, two counts of voyeurism and one count of possessing a prohibited image of a child.

"Kerr is a prolific and dangerous sex offender"

On Wednesday (October 30), he was jailed for two years and eight months at Liverpool Crown Court. Following his sentencing, Detective Constable Michael McGuinness said: "Kerr knew that what he was doing was wrong, yet he carried on anyway.

"During his interview, he told officers that he accidentally downloaded indecent images of children onto his devices while searching for aviation videos. But when he realised the significant amount of evidence gathered against him, he had no choice but to confess and plead guilty.

"This wasn’t just a one-off incident - over a sustained period of time he downloaded more than 2,000 indecent images of vulnerable victims for his own sexual gratification – behind every image is a child suffering. Not only that, but he secretly recorded four women and girls, invading their privacy within their own homes.

"Kerr is a prolific and dangerous sex offender, and I am glad to see him behind bars. We are committed to pursuing and bringing to justice those who engage in online child sexual activity and those who play a part in the sexual abuse of children.

"I hope that the sentence handed down to Kerr reinforces the message that nobody is above the law and deters others from committing similar offences."

Kerr was also ordered to sign the sex offenders' register for life. He was handed a sexual harm prevention order.

Description

Police have praised the courage and strength of a woman who was assaulted by a stranger in her own home as the ‘violent and dangerous’ offender is jailed for 20 years.

The victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, suffered significant physical injuries during the attack, and is now trying to live with the ongoing emotional and psychological impact of the incident.

Dyfed-Powys Police officers have also paid testament to a family member who arrived home during the attack and sustained injuries when they bravely intervened.

Swansea Crown Court heard that officers were called to an address in Goodwick at just before 10.30pm on May 24, 2024. The caller, a relative of the victim, described her as being covered in blood, and said the suspect was trying to escape from the house.

Officers attended immediately and found the victim inside the house with visible injuries to her face.

Detective Chief Inspector Matthew Briggs said: “She was clearly badly injured, and was incredibly distressed, but at that point we weren’t aware of the extent of the ordeal she had been put through.

“Our focus was on prioritising her care with the help of paramedics, and getting officers out on the street to find the suspect.

“Shortly after officers arrived at scene, a man by the name of Benjamin Guiver was arrested not far from the house.”

The victim revealed in interview that she didn’t think she would survive the assault, but that two family members returned home and disturbed the attacker.

She explained that she had fallen asleep while watching TV, and woke to find a man in her living room. He said his name was Benjamin and that he had come ‘to rescue her’. When the victim asked who he was, he replied ‘don’t ask any questions or I’ll kill you’.

The victim managed to escape the address and run out onto the drive, shouting for help. She was followed by the suspect, who assaulted her outside and threatened to kill her before continuing the sustained attack inside the address.

The victim lost several teeth and sustained significant bruising to her body.

It was later established by police that the 34-year-old, of Fishguard, had attempted to enter another house in close proximity to the victim’s home a short while earlier.

Following substantial enquiries by the police, Benjamin Guiver was charged with the following six offences on May 26: Sexual Assault by penetration; Section 18 GBH with intent; Intentional strangulation; Trespass with intent to commit a sexual offence; Threats to kill; Assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

Due to the weight of evidence against him, he pleaded guilty to all six charges when he appeared at court on July 10.

In a statement written by the victim, she described herself as “a shell of her former self” following the incident, constantly feeling “lost, unsafe and on edge”.

She wrote: “I feel as though my life has been turned upside down. I no longer feel safe in my own home which is a feeling I have never experienced before.

“I’ve always been confident and independent, however, that has now been viciously ripped away from me.

“I want so desperately to go back to some kind of normality with my life, however, I know that what has happened is going to continue to haunt me for the rest of my life.”

Described as a ‘violent and dangerous offender’ by the judge, Guiver was sentenced to 20 years in prison at Swansea Crown court on Thursday, October 31, 2024.

Following sentencing, DCI Briggs said: “The victim in this case has shown immense courage throughout the investigation, and I commend her for that.

“Suffering such an attack in your own home is unimaginable, and – as she detailed in her statement – has impacted every aspect of her life.

“Despite this, she has demonstrated her strength of character every step of the way and worked alongside officers to ensure justice prevailed.

“I would also like to highlight the actions of her relative who intervened during the assault, putting their own safety at risk to ensure further harm was not caused.”

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A 24-year-old man has been sent back to prison after he harassed a woman who was selling baby products online.

As a registered sex offender, Josh Guilder, previously of Northampton, was required to abide by very strict conditions after leaving prison or face going back to jail.

However, in May of this year, he committed multiple breaches including harassing a woman online who was selling baby products.

At first, the woman in question believed Guilder to be a genuine buyer, however he then went on to send her messages about wanting her baby to “suck on the dummies” she was selling as he “wanted them used”.

The woman, who described feeling “shocked and disturbed” by Guilder’s messages, stopped engaging with him. However, he sent her another message which read “can I take the dummy out of your baby’s mouth and suck on it.”

But this wasn’t the end of Guilder’s breaches as he was also found to have deleted messages in WhatsApp which was contrary to his Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) before making admissions to having contact with two unknown children when buying used baby products from the internet.

Guilder was charged with one count of harassment without violence, two counts of breaching his SHPO and one count of attempting to breach his SHPO.

After pleading guilty to the offences at Northampton Crown Court in June, Guilder returned to the same court this week (Monday, October 28) where he was sentenced to over one year and six months in prison.

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A Devon & Cornwall police officer has been sentenced to three years imprisonment and ordered to sign the sex offenders register for life after being found guilty of sexual assault.

PC Simon Mitchell, 43, of Bideford, was sentenced at Bristol Crown Court today, Thursday 31 October.

Mitchell, who had denied the offence, was found guilty by a jury after a nine-day trial in September.

The court heard how in June 2022, Mitchell had been off-duty socialising with colleagues at Devon & Cornwall Police accommodation block when the offence took place.

The incident was reported to police in September 2022 and an investigation was launched. Mitchell was arrested and immediately suspended from duty.

Mitchell denied the charges, claiming a different set of circumstances surrounding the incident, however he was found guilty by a jury with a majority verdict on 12th September 2024.

Today he has been jailed for three years and will become a registered sex offender for life.

Assistant Chief Constable Matt Longman said: “The conviction and subsequent sentencing of PC Simon Mitchell for sexual assault follows a full and thorough investigation by the Force.

“We are as committed as ever to rooting out predatory behaviour and protecting women and girls from sexual violence.

“Our thoughts remain with the victim in this case and specialist officers continue to support her. I would like to thank her for giving evidence in court and I hope that this sentence will give her some sense of closure following the ordeal.

“Now that criminal proceedings have completed, Mitchell will now be subject to internal misconduct proceedings. The outcome of which will be published by the Force in due course.”

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We have today, Thursday 31 October, welcomed the sentencing of a man to 21 years in prison for historical child sexual offences.

Ali Alduhlaimi, 41, of Derwent Road West, Liverpool, was convicted of oral rape, sexual activity with a child, inciting a child to engage in sex acts and causing a child to watch adult penetrative activity following an eight-day trial at Liverpool Crown Court.

The charges relate to offences committed against one victim between 2010 and 2016.

He was today sentenced to a total of 21 years in prison with an additional year on licence. He was also given a restraining order, a sexual harm prevention order and ordered to sign on the sex offenders register for life.

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This is Alister Dyson, and he’s been jailed after breaching his Sex Offender Notification Requirements and his Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Dyson, 39 (pictured below) of no fixed abode but previously of Preston and Morecambe, is a registered sex offender. As a result of this, he had to follow Sex Offender Notification Requirements and a Sexual Harm Prevention Order. Dyson breached two of these requirements: failure to notify police of his address, and unsupervised contact with a child.

He was jailed for 22 months in total at Preston Crown Court yesterday.

Police Offender Manager Adam Weaver, of West Division said: “Dyson blatantly and deliberately ignored the requirements set to protect the community, and I welcome the custodial sentence received. We monitor registered sex offenders in the community and won’t hesitate to put them back before the court should they fail to comply with the lawful orders imposed upon them.  

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A 28-year-old man has pleaded guilty to a string of devastating sexual offences against children after being confronted with overwhelming evidence uncovered by the Metropolitan Police.

Sam Phillips, 28 (07.04.96), of Hillcroome Road, Sutton, appeared at Harrow Crown Court on 30th October, where he admitted to 38 offences committed between December 2023 and February 2024.

His crimes, which targeted six vulnerable children, including over 20 counts of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, alongside further charges of sexual communication with a child and making indecent images of children

The Met investigation demonstrated the tireless dedication of the officers involved, whose swift actions and relentless pursuit of justice ensured that Phillips could not continue his reign of abuse. Their work uncovered the extent of his crimes, providing crucial evidence that led to his guilty plea and ensuring that he will face the full weight of the law.

Chief Superintendent Sara Leach, who leads policing in north-west London where the investigation was undertaken, said:

“Phillips is a predator of the worst kind, preying on innocent, vulnerable children for his own gratification. The scale of his offending is both appalling and heartbreaking, and no child should ever have to endure the trauma these young victims have suffered.

“I want to extend my deepest gratitude to the children and their families who had the courage to come forward. It is impossible to imagine the pain and fear they have experienced, but their bravery has allowed us to hold this dangerous individual to account.

“I am pleased Phillips has pleaded guilty, it is a testament to the strength and diligence of the case that Met officers have built. This outcome reflects our unwavering commitment to bringing sexual abusers to justice and ensuring that victims are heard and protected.”

The investigation began in late January 2024, when officers were contacted with serious concerns regarding the welfare of a child who had potentially been sexually exploited. Met detectives in north-west London immediately launched an investigation.

Through meticulous investigative work, officers uncovered that two additional children had also been groomed by Phillips. He had manipulated these children online, sending them money in exchange for inappropriate images of themselves. Detectives quickly traced the payments to Phillips’ account, and he was arrested on Monday, 11 March 2024. Initially charged with 11 offences involving three children, further analysis of his phone and financial records revealed more victims, leading to the total of 38 charges which were pleaded guilty to.

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A "dangerous paedophile" who pretended to be a teenager in order to rape a teenage girl has been jailed for eight years.

Oliver James, formerly of Marine Drive, Bishopstone, East Sussex, contacted his victim on social media app Snapchat and agreed to meet her in woodland in Newhaven.

Initially claiming to be 16 years old, then later 19, he was actually 29 at the time, Sussex Police said.

The victim, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, reported her experience and James was arrested and charged.

A police spokesperson said the victim had agreed to meet James in the Denton area of Newhaven at about 07:00 BST on 3 May,

The girl told James she did not want to have sex with him, but he forced himself on her before leaving the area, police said.

The victim later confided in a friend and her mother before reporting the matter to the police.

Appearing for sentencing at Hove Crown Court on Tuesday, James was jailed after admitting the charges of rape and sexual assault.

He was also made the subject of a lifetime Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) and will remain a registered sex offender indefinitely.

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Daniel Devlin, 38, thought he was messaging a mother selling her children for sex when he said he would do "anything" to them, Newcastle Crown Court heard.

It was actually undercover police officers and his obscene messages and a phone call were recorded.

Devlin, who was previously jailed for possessing indecent images of children, admitted offences including attempting to arrange the commission of a child sex offence.

Police set up an online profile on Chatiw with a username suggesting they were a mother offering her seven-year-old and 11-month-old daughters for sex, prosecutor Omar Ahmad said.

On 20 March this year Devlin got in touch to arrange a "playdate", Mr Ahmad said.

In a follow up telephone call, Devlin said he would be "into anything" with the two girls, giving details of sex acts he would make them perform.

Upon his arrest, Devlin told officers he had "no friends" and had spoken to the decoy account as part of "sexual role play" but had no intention of meeting the woman or her children.

'High risk'

The offence was committed while he was on bail for breaching a sexual harm prevention order, the court heard.

The order was made after Devlin, of Coburg Street in Blyth, Northumberland, was jailed for 15 months in September 2017 for seven counts of possessing and making indecent images of children.

In January 2023, he spoke to another undercover officer on Chatiw and Kick with his conversation "almost exclusively sexual and discussing sexual fantasies with young children" including a toddler he knew, Mr Ahmad said.

When he was arrested he was found with two phones which he had not registered with police.

Devlin also admitted two counts of breaching a sexual harm prevention order and publishing an obscene article.

Judge Tim Gittins said there had been a "very high risk of really serious harm" if Devlin had succeeded in meeting a girl for sex but he was a man with "difficulties" having been sexually abused as a child.

Another indefinite sexual harm prevention order was also made and he must sign the sex offenders' register until further notice.

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A pensioner sexual predator who repeatedly abused young girls in Dundee has been jailed.

David Duncan, 77, targeted a child at sleepovers in Dundee, Angus and Spain and abused a four-year-old in a parked car outside a school.

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A child sex predator who molested teenagers at his Perth home over the course of more than a year has been jailed.

Victims and family members hugged and broke down in tears as charity worker Ryan Kinnear was led away to begin a 30-month sentence.

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Description

A child sex offender is back in jail after breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention order. Max Coughlin, from Redhill, was jailed for six years at Guildford Crown Court on Monday, October 28 with an extended licence for a further year.

It follows his trial in February when the 29-year-old was found guilty of facilitating the commission of a child sex offence having already pleaded guilty to making indecent images of children. Coughlin had been known to police due to a prior conviction in 2014 for making and distributing indecent images of children.

Following his release from prison for those offences, he was subject to the Sexual Offences registration requirements for 10 years and had a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) which placed tight prohibitions on him, including having no contact with children. In October 2021, a warrant was executed at an address in Redhill by the Force’s Paedophile Online Investigation Team (POLIT) following intelligence he was breaching his SHPO by using apps including Snapchat and then deleting them.

Officers recovered 15 devices including phones and laptops from him which underwent extensive digital examination. Coughlin was arrested for breaching his SHPO and facilitating the commission of a sexual offence after evidence showed he was making plans to meet a child for the purpose of sexually abusing them.

Having given no comment in his police interview, he later pleaded guilty to making indecent images but not guilty to facilitating the commission of a child sex offence. After a review hearing in March 2023, the case was set for trial in February 2024 where he was convicted.

He was remanded in prison until his full sentencing this week where he was jailed for seven years. The judge also ruled Coughlin would be subject to the Sexual Offences registration requirements indefinitely and have a Sexual Harm Prevention Order made on him indefinitely.

Detective Sergeant Ben Green, from Surrey Police’s POLIT Team, said: “Once we received intelligence about Coughlin’s online activity, we took swift action to arrest him and seize his devices and the intended victim was never subject to any physical sexual offence.

“It was clear in this case that Coughlin had been using various tactics to try to cover-up his digital footprint and was prepared to continue lying in the face of the evidence. The behaviour he was showing was predatory so I am extremely pleased with this outcome.

“I would like to thank officers and staff not only in POLIT, but in the digital forensic and offender management teams, who have all worked together to achieve this result. This is a clear demonstration of our policing response to the ever present online threat posed by predators towards children.”