Latest Offenders

Description

A convicted sex offender who shared explicit messages with what he thought were children on social media has been jailed.

Christopher Bradshaw, 32, contacted an account in May, not knowing it was a decoy run by an online child abuse activist group.

Despite the “child” telling him she was only 13 years old and still at school, he proceeded to strike up conversations of a sexual nature before sharing his number and moving the conversations to WhatsApp.

He also contacted another decoy account around the same time, with the “child” explaining she was only 14. Again, Bradshaw continued his explicit conversations and shared his number so they could exchange messages on WhatsApp.

Despite not using his real name, officers traced the phone number shared with the decoy accounts back to Bradshaw and later arrested him.

Bradshaw, from March, pleaded guilty to inciting a girl aged 13-15 to engage in sexual activity and failing to comply with sex offender notification requirements. He was sentenced to six years in prison at Peterborough Crown Court on Tuesday (23 December).

Detective Sergeant Rob Hutchings, from the management of sexual or violent offenders unit (MOSOVO), said:

“Bradshaw is clearly a risk to children. Protecting young people from harm is one of our top priorities and we will do all we can to bring offenders to justice.”

Description

A rapist who abused four young girls has been jailed for 12 years and nine months after being confronted by vigilantes at his home.

Brian Stobie, 70, was convicted of offenses against the girls—one under 16 and three under 12—in Edinburgh between 1990 and 2007.

The former bus driver was caught in a 2022 vigilante sting while attempting to contact underage girls online, but he communicated with adults instead.

At the High Court in Edinburgh, Judge Alison Stirling sentenced Stobie for the "serious nature of your offending."

Stobie, of Duke Street in Leith, denied eight charges of abuse but was convicted after testimony revealed he made victims sit on his knee, molested them during flat visits, exposed himself, and raped one.

Prosecutor Martin Crawford said: "These were experiences that happened when they were children, in circumstances which were outwith their control."

The court heard one victim struggles with trust, intimate relationships, and avoids the abuser's area.

Defense counsel Andrew Crosbie noted Stobie was targeted in an online "sting" for seeking naked pictures from young girls, leading to a live-streamed confrontation at his home in August 2022.

Stobie admitted four charges of attempting indecent communication with underage girls.

Mr. Crosbie said: "He accepts that he has been convicted of offences of real gravity."

Stobie was placed on the sex offenders register indefinitely and given a non-harassment order barring contact with his victims.

Description

A furious judge threatened to personally escort a paedophile to the cells after custody officers claimed they could not handle disabled prisoners.

At Bournemouth Crown Court, Judge Robert Pawson sentenced Geoffrey Cheffings, a former prison officer from Christchurch, to five-and-a-half years in prison. However, he was outraged when officers refused to use a nearby public lift to transport the 76-year-old cancer sufferer, who relied on a walker.

“I will escort him down to the cells myself if I have to,” the judge declared.

He questioned prison custody officer supervisor Jordan Fairbrother, who explained the dock only had steps to the cells: “As far as I am aware we can’t take anyone with a disability, or is struggling to walk.”

Fairbrother noted that disabled offenders are typically handled at Salisbury Crown Court, which has a secure lift.

Unimpressed, Judge Pawson—highlighting prior delays in the case—responded: “I can’t move the case to Salisbury now. I will bring him to the doors of the cells downstairs.”

When Fairbrother said that wasn't possible, the judge suggested using a bus: “I will take him round the back of the court to where they get on, and take him to the doors of the bus.”

Informed no bus was available, Pawson ordered Fairbrother to call his superiors: “I don’t want you to get in trouble but you can tell them that this is what is going to happen, I will bring him to the doors of the cells or to a bus.”

Shortly after, four guards used the public lift to take Cheffings to the cells.

Cheffings, an army veteran who served 12 years in the tank regiment and rose to troop sergeant, appeared in court wearing an 'Army Veteran' jumper with a Union Jack. His last job was as a taxi driver.

Prosecutor Stuart Ellacott detailed how Cheffings paid a mother in Africa to perform a sex act on her two-year-old son, which she live-streamed to him. He also sent money to individuals in the Philippines and Pakistan for similar abuses of children.

Cheffings was arrested in August 2023 after a couple he met on a dogging website grew suspicious of his interest in children. They created a fake profile claiming two daughters aged nine and 14, leading Cheffings to discuss raping them in a Travelodge.

Already under National Crime Agency investigation for downloading indecent images via his Google account, Cheffings' phones revealed obscene child photos and images of animal abuse, including category A material.

He pleaded guilty to two counts of facilitating the sexual assault of a child under 13, four counts of possessing indecent images of children, and one count of possessing grossly offensive animal images.

Representing himself, Cheffings attributed his actions to “boredom” after retirement: “I don’t really know – boredom, sat at home after retiring. I think basically it was boredom.”

He acknowledged the harm to children: “Yes I do.”

Noting Cheffings' previously “unblemished character” but delayed case due to cancer treatment, Judge Pawson sentenced him to 64 months, stating the case exposed the “downside of the internet and real-life consequences of immediate contact around the world and the ability to transfer money.”

Cheffings must register as a sex offender for life, abide by a sexual harm prevention order, and serve two-thirds of his sentence before release on licence.

Description

A convicted sex offender who had sex with a teenage girl in a West Yorkshire field has been jailed.

Ryan Laing, 27, a fairground worker, messaged the girl on Snapchat before the incident in September last year, Leeds Crown Court heard on Monday.

During one of their walks, they settled in a field where Laing began "nudging" her. The pair "started play fighting" before he "slept" with her. The girl was "adamant it was consensual" and Laing "stopped when she told him to stop."

Her mother discovered the messages and contacted police. In his interview, Laing claimed the allegations were "false" and motivated by her family's knowledge that he was a registered sex offender.

Laing had previously sexually assaulted another teenager at age 22, leading to his placement on the Sex Offenders' Register, which he later breached.

He pleaded guilty to sexual activity with a child. In mitigation, Anastasis Tasou said: "Anything I am about to say is not designed in any way to minimise the seriousness of the offence caused to the victim and those associated with her.

"This is clearly an event which could only end up with a custodial sentence. He was living an isolated life. He was living alone in a trailer. He drank alcohol and would regularly drink himself into a stupor - in his words - and would do stupid things in drink. He lost his grandmother, with whom he tells me he was particularly close...

"Since he has been in custody, he tells me he has obtained a job and has been working and has signed up for education.

"He never entered mainstream education in any way and that would have had a consequential effect on any association he had in any peer group and sexual experience is also highlighted, notwithstanding his previous convictions, he is rather someone who found himself in a certain set of circumstances and used that as an opportunity."

His Honour Judge Menary jailed Laing for four-and-a-half years, requiring him to serve up to half in custody before release on licence.

Description

A man has been jailed for 12 and a half years after he was found guilty of rape and paying for sexual services of a child.

Rishi Nayyar, 40, from Ashford, pleaded not guilty to rape, but guilty to paying for sexual services of a child.  However, following a five-day trial from Monday, 29 September, to Friday, 3 October, he was found guilty of rape.

He appeared at Guildford Crown Court on Thursday, 18 December and was sentenced to 12 years and six months imprisonment (with an extended licence period of four years) for rape, and three years’ imprisonment for three counts of paying for sexual services of a child. The prison sentences will run concurrently.

Our investigation began in April, when we received a phone call from a mother to report that her daughter had been subjected to a non-recent rape.

Officers spoke with the victim, who informed them that she had been speaking with a man, Nayyar, about help with getting a job.

However, Nayyar abused his position and started to buy her gifts and offer to pay for things including sexual activity with her.

During interview, Nayyar tried to deny that he had paid the girl for sex or touched her in a sexual way. The rest of his interview was answered with ‘no comment’.

Detective Constable Lauren Lovett, from the Child Abuse Team, who investigated the case said:

“This result was down to the thorough teamwork of the forensic department, digital department and financial department, who all played a key role in the investigation.

“This excellent collaborative working across these departments ensured that we could be in the best position evidentially when presenting this case to the Crown Prosecution Service.

“The victim in this case has shown commendable bravery throughout the entire process, most notably giving evidence in the presence of her abuser at court.

“It is down to her courage that we were able to secure a conviction leading to a lengthy term of imprisonment - and in turn protect other members of the public from this dangerous child sexual offender.

“This conviction achieved by the Child Abuse Team in partnership with other agencies demonstrates the tireless commitment Surrey Police have when tackling violence against women and girls.”

Description

A registered sex offender has been jailed after being found in possession of indecent images of children.

Jason McCall, a convicted paedophile, is subject to an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention order which poses prohibitions on what the 49-year-old is allowed to do.

This includes the use or possession of any electronic device with internet access, without notifying police within three days, and making any such device immediately available upon request for examination by officers.

Detectives made an unannounced visit to McCall’s address on 12 November.

At first it appeared that he wasn’t at home, so an officer called his mobile.

McCall answered and claimed he was miles away from home. Officers then spoke to staff at the address, who advised them McCall was at home and accompanied them to his door – which he answered.

McCall was then asked to hand over all internet enabled devices, which he did but claimed he couldn’t find his phone. An officer then called the phone, which began ringing, and McCall eventually produced it from his trouser pocket.

When handing the device over he told officers ‘There is stuff on there’.

McCall was arrested but refused to be interviewed by officers. His devices were found to contain several indecent images of children.

He was charged and remanded to appear at Southern Derbyshire Magistrates Court on 13 November, where he admitted making two category A images, one category B image, and two category C images.

McCall, of Derby Road, Wingerworth, was then remanded into prison custody ahead of a sentencing hearing at Derby Crown Court on 12 December.

He was handed a three-year jail term by a judge.

Description

A Nuneaton man has been jailed for 25 years after being found guilty of historical sexual offences including indecent assault and rape.

William Proctor abused his victim over an eight-year period from 1991 to 1999 when the boy was between six and 13.

After reporting the abuse online in 2023, an investigation began and the 75-year-old was arrested. He was subsequently charged with:

• Two counts of raping a male under 16
• Five counts of indecent assault on a boy under 16 and
• Two counts of committing buggery with a boy under 16

Proctor, of Heath End Road, denied any wrongdoing but was eventually found guilty by a jury of all offences at a trial earlier this year.
Appearing before Warwick Crown Court on Thursday (18 December), he was sentenced to 24 years in prison with an extended licence for one year in relation to the rape and buggery charges.

He was further sentenced to ten years, nine years and four years for the indecent assault offences, which will all be served concurrently.

Proctor was also given an indefinite restraining order and will be made to sign the Sex Offender’s Register for life.

Investigating officer, Detective Constable Jamie Russell, from our Criminal Investigations Department (CID) said:

“Coming forward to disclose offences of this nature takes a huge amount of bravery. I want to thank the victim in this case for their strength and commitment throughout the course of the investigation.

“The offences were a dreadful ordeal for a young child to have to go through when they should have been free to enjoy their childhood.

“By speaking out, even after so many years, they have made sure that Proctor is behind bars where he can’t hurt anyone else.

“I would like to stress that, as this case has shown, we take all reports of non-recent sexual abuse extremely seriously and we thoroughly investigate every report we receive, placing the victim's needs at the heart of the case, regardless of how long ago the offence occurred.

“I would encourage anyone who has been a victim of sexual assault, or knows someone who has, to come forward and speak to use. We will listen to you, and we will investigate."

Description

A man has been jailed after attempting to groom a 13-year-old girl online.

On Monday 22 December, Brynley Hocking was sentenced at Portsmouth Crown Court to 3 years and 4 months in prison after pleading guilty to arranging and facilitating sexual activity with a child, attempting to form sexual communications and possession of indecent images of children.

Hocking, 45, of Chichester Road in Portsmouth, sought to groom a 13-year-old girl online and during the communication stated he wanted to meet the child for sex.

Unknown to him, he was actually communicating with an undercover officer.

On his arrest Hocking was found to be in possession of extreme pornographic material including bestiality and indecent images of children, some as young as two years of age. 

As well as the imprisonment, Hocking will also be subject to the Sex Offenders Register for life.

A police spokesperson said:

"The fact remains there have been in this investigation numerous children whom have been seriously sexually abused, harmed, and exploited, in the indecent images that Hocking possessed. 

"Online offending around indecent images of children is a crime, each image represents a child that has been abused. If you are a victim of online abuse, there is support out there for you."

Description

A Cardiff man who used his luxury city centre apartment as a base for young male prostitution which earned him tens of thousands of pounds has been jailed.

Dafydd Evans, of the Hayes Apartments, Cardiff, was jailed at Cardiff Crown Court on Monday, December 22, after he was found guilty by a jury of controlling prostitution for gain, possessing indecent images of children, and acquiring illegal property, namely money.

He came under the radar of South Wales Police’s Exploitation Team after a man from Turkey contacted the Modern Slavery Helpline. Evans had met the man on a website which aims to put people in touch with travellers looking for a place to stay. The whistleblower became suspicious and repulsed by Evans, from what he divulged during online conversations.

Critically to the police investigation which followed, Evans had told him he had a massage business in Cardiff city centre, which included a rough location on a map and the front door and foyer area of the Hayes Apartment he lived in.

Dafydd Evans was at home when South Wales Police officers conducted arrest enquiries on July 3, 2023. They found a massage bed in the corner of the living room, sex paraphernalia including condoms and lubricants, and boys underwear. Officers also recovered a card payment machine from the flat. Strewn over the bed were a number of mobile phones which were all seized and examined forensically.

Officers uncovered extensive evidence of criminality on those devices; Whatsapp accounts owned by Evans included messages he sent of children being abused. They also revealed he was offering sexual intercourse with young men who worked for him and that he was prepared to travel to other countries to meet clients.

His bank statements showed he potentially made as much as £40k from his criminality.

Evans was initially released on bail with conditions which included not having anyone at his apartment but breached those conditions when an officer carried out bail checks. He went on the run from police but was arrested at a hotel a few days later and remanded in custody.

Following a trial on Friday, December 20, Dafydd Evans was found guilty of controlling prostitution for gain, acquiring criminal property - namely money, and two counts of possessing Category A and C indecent photographs of a child. On Monday, December 22, he was jailed for 45 months at Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court.

Officer in the case, Detective Constable Robyn Allen, said:

“Dafydd Evans is a calculated paedophile who made thousands of pounds operating his sordid enterprise from a luxury Cardiff City Centre apartment.

“He preyed on vulnerable people and used them as sex slaves for his own financial gain and to satisfy his sick, depraved fantasies.

“We have shared information we have uncovered during our investigation with international partners, including police forces across the world, so that anyone who is complicit in his activities also face arrest, and to ensure that any other victims get the help and support they need.”

Officers seized over £40k from his bank accounts and are taking steps under the Proceeds of Crime Act to ensure he does not benefit financially from his criminality.

Description

A man and woman have been jailed for a combined total of 14 years after a rape near Lincoln.

Jonathan Stocks and Kimberly Jowle, both of Lydgate Lane in Sheffield, were convicted and sentenced at the conclusion of a five-day trial at Lincoln Crown Court on Friday, 19 December.

Stocks, 48, was convicted of rape and sentenced to nine years in jail.

Jowle, 38, was found guilty of rape - via joint enterprise* - and two counts of sexual assault relating to the same incident, which took place back in 2023 at Fiskerton, Lincoln, and was sentenced to five years in prison.

The result will see the pair face a total combined jail time of 14 years.

Detective Constable Warwick Taylor praised the victim for their strength throughout the investigation and says without them, Stocks and Jowle would not have been brought to justice.

He said:

“Ultimately, this was a harrowing ordeal for the victim who has supported the investigation every step of the way and has been the embodiment of strength and determination throughout.

“They will have to live with the impact of this crime for the rest of their lives, but I hope these sentences give them some sense of closure.

“Stocks and Jowle committed a horrendous crime and have been quite rightly punished their behaviour.

“This result shows that those who commit this type of crime will be brought to justice and these sentences should serve as a deterrent to those who think that this is acceptable.”

Description

A Heathfield man found with thousands of illicit pictures has become one of the first in the county to be sentenced for creating AI-generated child sexual abuse material.

James Castell, 40, of High Street in Heathfield, came to the attention of Sussex Police in October, 2024, when he was linked to the online distribution of an indecent image of a child. The image appeared to have been created using artificial intelligence (AI).

Shortly after, Castell was arrested by officers from the force’s Online Child Abuse Team (OCAT), who searched his home and seized a number of digital devices.

The devices were found to contain over 3,800 indecent images of children, including  640 of the most serious, Category A images. Indecent images in Category A depict penetrative sexual activity, bestiality and/or sadism.

The date range of the images stretched as far back as 2016.

AI software was also found that uses text to generate images, alongside evidence that Castell was responsible for distributing the initial AI indecent image and searches online that indicated a sexual interest in children.

Castell was subsequently charged with three counts of possession of an indecent/pseudo-photograph of a child, possession of a prohibited image of a child and distributing an indecent/pseudo-photograph of a child.

He appeared at Hastings Magistrates' Court on Wednesday, 8 October, where he pleaded guilty to all charges.

At Lewes Crown Court on Friday (19 December), he was sentenced to 18 months in prison, suspended for two years, and made subject to a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order significantly controlling his use of digital devices and access to children. He will also be a registered sex offender for ten years, and order to complete rehabilitation activity and 240 hours of community work.

Detective Chief Inspector Luke Kyriakides-Yeldham said:

“Every child sex abuse image created or shared fuels this despicable industry, and James Castell has shown absolutely no regard for children’s safety in pursuit of his own gratification.

“The scale of his offending, and wider online activity, shows an offender with a committed sexual interest in children as young as three years old.

“Artificial intelligence is a rapidly evolving technology, and cases such as this show criminals will use AI for their own ends.

“Make no mistake, the use of AI to create indecent images of children is an offence. We are working hard with our partners to identify those creating and distributing these images, and we will take robust action against perpetrators.”

Description

A controlling and abusive man has today been jailed for 10 years for the rape and assault of a former partner.

Levi Slack-Smith deliberately isolated the woman, who he was in a relationship with at the time, from her friends.

He would threaten to send intimate photos of her to people she knew, make derogatory and aggressive comments towards her, and when she tried to break up with him he assaulted her.

A court heard the 21-year-old would hit and kick the woman, and strangled her on multiple occasions - including one incident where he caused her to pass out.

It was also heard Slack-Smith had raped her on multiple occasions during their relationship.

At Portsmouth Crown Court, he was convicted, following a trial, of four counts of rape, and five of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

Slack-Smith, of Thorndike Close, Southampton, had also previously pleaded guilty to malicious communications and making threats to disclose private sexual photographs.

As part of his controlling and obsessive behaviour, he disliked her going anywhere without him and would repeatedly blame her for his actions, including telling her "I don't know why you do this to me" after he had kicked her down the stairs.

In a statement read at court today, she said:

"There are so many things Levi has said and done to me which shows he has no respect for women, or any human being at all. He raped me, beat me, spat at me, degraded and abused me in every possible way he could. He tried to destroy me and my life.

"Since the trial, I have felt a huge sense of relief knowing that he was found guilty and remanded. I have been able to go out by myself and I have gone back to college to do what I always wanted to do and hopefully one day I will fulfil my dreams.

"I want to thank everyone who has helped me throughout, especially my ISVA (independent sexual violence advisor), who was there for me and helped me out so much. I can’t thank the police officers enough – it may have taken a while but we got there and got the best possible outcome – thank you."

He was also sentenced today for a dangerous driving offence, after officers pursued him in a car with cloned plates near his home - reaching speeds of up to 60mph - and arrested him on February 13, this year.

Judge Daniel Sawyer today jailed Slack-Smith for 10 years and five months, telling him:

"This ‘relationship’ had almost the entire range of abuse – sexual, violent and emotional abuse.

"Two of the ABHs involved strangulation. It is shockingly dangerous and can lead to sudden unpredictable death. It is a uniquely terrifying form of abuse and the biggest red flag there can be in terms of domestic violence.

"The court looks extremely seriously on this violence. In terms of harm there was undoubtedly severe psychological harm here."

Speaking after the sentencing, investigating officer PSI Rebecca Stevens said:

"Levi Slack-Smith is a vile and reprehensible man, who has no respect for women and refuses to take ownership of his own behaviour and actions.

"Thanks to the immense courage shown by the woman in this case, he now has plenty of time to contemplate those actions, and he is not able to pose a threat to any other women."

Description

A sex offender given a chance to stay out of jail this summer squandered the opportunity by "deliberately" breaching a court order less than two months after it was imposed.

David Draycott, 70, of London Road, Davenham, received a two-year suspended sentence in September for amassing an "abominable" 50,000-strong collection of child sex abuse images.

He was also subjected to a sexual harm prevention order banning him from any household with children under 16.

But on November 15, Draycott attended a birthday party for a terminally ill friend, staying at least an hour in the presence of two children.

The paedophile appeared at Chester Crown Court on December 17 for sentencing after pleading guilty to the breach before Chester magistrates.

Judge Simon Berkson rejected Draycott's basis of plea for a reduced sentence, stating it was not an emergency and "he could have left and come back at another time."

He added: "It was exceptional circumstances, not emergency."

The prosecution said Draycott visited a neighboring property without disclosing his sex offender status. He greeted the parent and two young children but was not left unsupervised with them.

Draycott later told his probation officer he was at the party and "they were teenagers," which the crown described as a "deliberate breach."

Defense counsel argued: "He said he hadn’t thought of the implications of staying. This was the last party of a friend who died a few days after."

Judge Berkson deemed it a deliberate breach but accepted it was a "crowded room without attempts to talk to the children."

Jailing Draycott for 12 months, the judge said: "You saw there were children there but instead of leaving, you stayed for at least an hour in the presence of those children.

"You know that was a serious breach and deliberate because you know that order is in place to keep you away from children.

"But I do accept that you posed a low risk."

Description

A man has been jailed for raping a child in Staffordshire.

On Friday (19 December), Thomas Green, 28, from Cross Heath, Newcastle-under-Lyme, was sentenced to 14 years in prison with an extended license period of three years after pleading guilty to two charges of rape of a child under 16, one count of sexual activity with a child under 16 and one count of breaching a restraining order.

The extended licence was applied after HHJ Smith determined that Green was ‘especially dangerous’ following an assessment.

Green has also been made the subject of an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

In January this year, Green’s victim disclosed that she had been raped by him in summer 2024.

Green was already the subject of a restraining order. Whilst the investigation was carried out, he breached the order.

He was arrested in April, charged and remanded in custody until sentencing at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court.

Detective Constable Katy Jones, who worked on the case, said:

“I am pleased that we’ve been able to secure this outcome against a sex offender who committed crimes against a child in our community.

“The victim has shown enormous strength in reporting what Green did.

“I would urge anyone who has been a victim of sexual offences to report it to us. You will be listened to and supported by specially trained officers, who will do everything in their power to see that justice is done.”

Description

Cameron McGregor, 34, has been jailed for eight years for a 14-year campaign of violence and rape against five women, spanning from 2008 (when he was 16) to 2022 in Dundee and Newport-on-Tay, Fife.

At the High Court in Edinburgh, the trial revealed he punched and struck three women, while subjecting two others to repeated rapes.

The former scaffolding firm owner denied the charges but was convicted.

Defence solicitor advocate Kris Gilmartin noted McGregor served in the Army before a medical discharge and ran a business: "Prior to his remand he had 10 employees all of whom have now been made redundant."

McGregor was placed on the sex offenders register indefinitely, and Judge Lord Ericht issued non-harassment orders barring contact with his victims.

Det Insp Gordon Patullo said:

"McGregor is an abusive individual who subjected his victims to years of horrific offending, and he will now face the consequences of his actions."