Description
This is the moment a registered sex offender was identified by Live Facial Recognition (LFR) technology.
John Thompson was on our watchlist and spotted by one of the LFR cameras in Piccadilly Gardens on 28 January.
When he was approached by officers following the alert, Thompson admitted having an extra mobile phone in his possession, which breaches his Sexual Harm Protection Order (SHPO) and led to his arrest.
Thompson, (10/06/1982), from Manchester, was in court this week after admitting to a total of 35 breaches of his SHPO and a breach of his sex offender notification requirements.
He was jailed for 16 months when he appeared at Manchester Crown Court on Tuesday (03/03/2026). He was also ordered to pay £187 costs.
Without LFR, this level of noncompliance could easily have gone unnoticed, leaving both the risk and Thompson's behaviour hidden.
We have been using LFR since October 2025, with 20% of arrests being for registered sex offenders and three-quarters of suspects being charged with offences.