Latest Offenders

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A 35-year-old man has been sentenced for violent and serious sexual offences committed in Orkney. 

Stuart Harding was today, Wednesday, 5 March, 2025, sentenced to 15 years at the High Court in Edinburgh. He was also put on the Sex Offenders Register and made subject to a 20-year non-harassment order.

He was found guilty of multiple sexual offences, including rape, against three women and two female youths between June 2012 and April 2021. The verdict was delivered at the same court on Wednesday, 5 February, 2025. 

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Police are appealing for more than 50 more victims to come forward after one of the country's most prolific sex offenders was found guilty of drugging and raping 10 women.

Chinese PhD student Zhenhao Zou, 28, filmed nine of the attacks as "souvenirs", and kept a trophy box of women's belongings, Inner London Crown Court was told.

Warning: This article contains details of sexual offences

Jurors found him guilty of 11 counts of rape against 10 women, three in London and seven in China, between 2019 and 2023. Two of the victims have been identified and another eight have yet to be traced.

The Metropolitan Police believe Zou could be the "most substantial and prolific offender we've come across in recent times", responsible for many more crimes.

Police believe more than 50 other women may have fallen prey to the engineering student, which would make him one of the worst sex offenders the UK has seen.

Officers have video material showing women who have not been identified and believe around 25 of those victims were raped in the UK and around 25 in China.

All of them are of Chinese heritage and an appeal is being launched for those women to come forward from that community.

The mechanical engineering student was also convicted of three counts of voyeurism, 10 of possession of an extreme pornographic image, one of false imprisonment and three of possession of a controlled drug with intent to commit a sexual offence, namely butanediol.

He was cleared of two further counts of possession of an extreme pornographic image and one of possession of MDMA with intent to commit a sexual offence, and four counts of possession of drugs with intent to commit a sexual offence.

Zou - who first moved to Belfast in 2017 to study mechanical engineering at Queen's University before moving to London in 2019 - showed no visible reaction as the verdicts were read out in court.

Catherine Farrelly KC, prosecuting, told jurors Zou "presents as a smart and charming young man" but is "also a persistent sexual predator; a voyeur and a rapist".

Zou, who also used the name Pakho online, befriended fellow Chinese students on WeChat and dating apps, before inviting them for drinks and drugging them at his flats in London or an unknown location in China, the court heard.

The jury heard how he would secretly film his attacks using a mobile device and hidden cameras, and was shown evidence found on SD cards at his accommodation of him raping unconscious women in London and in China.

Senior Crown Prosecution Service prosecutor Saira Pike thanked the "incredibly strong and brave" women who came forward to report his "heinous" crimes.

"Zou is a serial rapist and a danger to women," she said.

"In some instances, we have not been able to identify Zou's victims. Without knowing who these women are, we have not been able to support them through a deeply distressing period of time.

"We have always been determined to seek justice for both the unidentified and identified victims in this case."

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A 39-year-old man has been jailed after pleading guilty to a total of 12 sex offences, including bestiality.

Graham Marshall coerced his partner Paige Reaney, 33, into acting out his "perverted" sexual fantasies, Sheffield Crown Court heard.

Marshall, of no fixed abode, was jailed on Monday for five and a half years, with an extended licence period of four years.

At the same hearing, Reaney, formerly of Bowman Drive, Sheffield, was given a nine-month sentence, suspended for two years, after admitting bestiality and animal cruelty offences.

Marshall was also placed on the sexual offenders register for life, while Reaney was told to carry out 30 requirement activity days and placed on the sex offenders register for 10 years.

Meanwhile, Marshall and Reaney were both banned from keeping animals.

Judge Jeremy Richardson KC told the court the offending first came to light in August 2021 when police had seized devices from the couple's home after receiving information about the possession of illegal images of children.

The devices contained bestiality content which had been carried out by both defendants over a three-year period and involved their pet dog.

Marshall's devices also contained voyeuristic material and indecent images of children and he had also taken an indecent image of a child, the court was told.

When Reaney was arrested in January 2023, she told officers she had been forced to sexually abuse their dog as part of Marshall's "fantasy", and in a later interview, she told officers he had previously sent her sexual images of dogs.

Reaney denied knowledge of Marshall's other offences.

Judge Richardson accepted Reaney had been "under a level of coercion", but said she "went along with what happened" and had "played your role to the full".

'Worst example'

The judge told Marshall he had "wallowed in a swamp of sexual depravity" and would likely reoffend.

"You were the author and director of this appalling sexual depravity," he said.

"You have deeply ingrained harmful sexual perversions within your character which embrace serious criminal conduct."

Marshall had previously pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting, counselling or procuring intercourse with an animal, three counts of possession of an extreme pornographic image and seven counts of making indecent photographs of children.

He had also pleaded guilty to one count of taking an indecent photograph of a child and one count of voyeurism relating to a camera installed in a toilet.

The court heard in mitigation that Marshall had been sexually and physically abused as a child and exposed to bestiality.

Since the couple's abuse of their dog had come to light, he had been ostracized by his family and was living in a tent in the woods.

Judge Richardson told the defendants their offending was "perhaps the worst example of a case of its kind that I've ever come across" in 45 years.

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A man from Calderdale has been jailed after officers found over 55,000 indecent images on his computer.    

At Bradford Crown Court today, Michael Duck, aged 47, of Harewood Avenue, Halifax was sentenced to 21 months in prison following an investigation by Calderdale District’s Online Child Abuse Investigation Team (OCAIT).  

The investigation began in June 2022, when phones and computers were seized from his address. An analysis of the devices uncovered over 55,000 indecent images of children.  

Despite providing a ‘no comment’ response during interview, and throughout the investigation, he was later charged with three counts of making indecent images of children (category A, B and C), one count of possession of extreme pornography and one count of prohibited images.  

Following a five-day trial a Bradford Crown Court in January, he was found guilty of all charges. 

He was also given a 10-year sexual harm prevention order and was ordered to sign the sex offenders register for a minimum of 10 years.

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A former Harrogate man has been given a life sentence for a series of rapes and sexual assaults.

James Richard Arthur Dowson, 35, currently of no fixed address, but remanded in prison, was found guilty of two counts of rape against a girl under 16 and five counts of indecent assault against a girl under 14.

Dowson denied the offences but was found guilty by jury in November 2024 and remanded in custody until he was sentenced at Bradford Crown Court on 3 March 2025.

He was also jailed at the same time for crimes committed in the West Yorkshire area after being found guilty of 10 offences including rape and sexual assault.

The judge sentence him to life imprisonment to serve a minimum of 12 years and 247 days before he can apply for parole. He was also issued with indefinite restraining orders against the two victims and issued with a sexual harm prevention order. 

The sentences include a total of two years for the offences in North Yorkshire and the remainder for the offences committed in West Yorkshire.

Dowson targeted a girl in North Yorkshire who was aged just eight years old when the abuse began and carried on for five years.

The victim, now an adult, provided a very powerful and poignant victim personal statement that was read out in court. Here are some extracts:

“When the abuse was happening when I was a young child, I remember I felt confused. I lost respect for myself. During the abuse at its worst when I was 13, I felt helpless. I knew it wasn’t right, but I didn’t know what to do.  It was an out of body experience.  I didn’t actually process what had happened and the severity of it until I was 15 or 16 years of age.

“I became angry. I struggled to sleep at night. Certain smells and certain mannerisms from others would cause flash backs. 

“There were times where I felt so low I thought it would be easier if I wasn’t here. I felt worthless and developed self-sabotaging behaviour. 

“The abuse I suffered has also really affected my relationships with others. When I reached low points with my mental health my close family and friends were pushed away.

“When I did finally report the incident to the police, I had the unwavering support of my husband and I think this was what gave me the strength to persevere with the investigation. 

“The court process was extremely hard, however I really felt that my voice was heard, and I felt it was the final hurdle to closing this chapter of my life and starting a new chapter.

“I get to live my life now and watch my babies grow up and be present in the moment. I can wake up every day knowing that I have done the right thing.

“Throughout this process I have learnt that I am loved, I am cared about and that I do matter. This abuse had been in my head for 20 years. After I found out he’d been found guilty on 6 November I felt a wave of calm come over me and I have never felt like that before.”

Investigating officer, Detective Constable Abigail Garford, of North Yorkshire Police’s Safeguarding Investigation Team, said: “It was incredibly difficult for the victim to report this to the police. But she bravely detailed the horrific abuse that Dowson inflicted on her that has now led to his conviction. I know that she now feels a weight has been lifted of her shoulders since he was found guilty.

“Despite her ordeal, her main motivation throughout was to ensure he was locked away so that he couldn’t do the same to other women. This is truly commendable.

“I sincerely hope that the outcome encourages other victims of abuse to come forward and report what has happened to them. You will be listened to and we will do everything we can to bring justice for you.”

Judge Ahmed Nadim praised the victims for helping to make society a safer place, he said: “Without them giving evidence, a very dangerous offender would not have met justice and by taking the brave decision that they have and by giving evidence in the manner that they have, they have contributed to our society being a safer place.

“They are for that reason deserving of an enormous gratitude from this court on behalf of the society as a whole.”

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A paedophile caught with almost 12,000 videos and images of children being sexually abused used group chats to share the sick material.

Police raided Shaun Deuchars’ former home in Arbroath and uncovered a secret folder on his mobile phone.

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A sheriff has told a sex offender to comply with court orders or go to jail after he was snared by an undercover police officer.

Neil Ross found the profile of what he thought was a 14-year-old girl and asked ‘her’ to send a picture “under her pyjamas”.

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A sex offender from Snodland looking for a ‘secret boyfriend’ has been jailed after officers recognised the bedroom wallpaper in images he sent to his victim.

On 20 November 2023, Jack Hickey, 28, of Woodlands Avenue, created a profile for Chat Avenue, an online chatroom service, before proactively targeting a user he believed to be a teenage boy.

After convincing his victim to communicate via Snapchat, a messaging platform used for privacy features such as disappearing messages, Hickey began sending them pictures and sexually explicit messages, including an indecent image of himself.

Arrested

An investigation by digital forensic analysts identified Hickey as the offender and attended his address on 30 November, where they were able to match the wallpaper and missing coving in one of the images to that in his bedroom.

Hickey was arrested at the scene and subsequently made subject to sex offenders notification requirements while he awaited sentencing.

Between 15 and 19 November 2024, he created and used another Snapchat account to communicate with what he believed to be another teenage boy, in a breach of his conditions.

Once more Hickey bombarded his target with lewd messages, repeatedly asking them to take part in video calls and take explicit photographs while wearing a school uniform. Hickey eventually arranged to meet his victim in Canterbury after dark.

When Hickey arrived at the agreed meeting point, officers were waiting to arrest him and remand him to custody.

Sentenced

Hickey was sentenced to four years and 10 months’ imprisonment at Maidstone Crown Court on Wednesday 19 February 2025, after pleading guilty to:

• Attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child;
• Causing a child to look at an image of a person engaging in sexual activity;
• Making indecent photographs;
• Arranging a child sex offence;
• Attempting to meet a child;
• Breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Investigating officer, Detective Constable Steph Kirkin, said:

‘Hickey is a predator who targeted victims he believed to be young and vulnerable. He repeatedly sent his victims a barrage of lewd messages in a bid to coerce them into sharing content for his own gratification. ‘Despite being captured and registered as a sex offender, Hickey shamelessly continued his abhorrent behaviour, resulting in a swift remand and custodial sentence.’

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The man pictured below is 64-year-old Derek Hardman and he is a sex offender.

You won’t see him on the streets of East Lancashire for a while because he was today jailed for 11 years and nine months.

On 28th September 2022 we were made aware that he had engaged in sexual activity with a vulnerable 16-year-old girl.

Hardman was arrested and denied any wrongdoing in police interview.

However, a comprehensive investigation uncovered a multitude of evidence that disproved Hardman’s assertions of innocence. This included an array of concerning text messages Hardman had sent to his victim.

All the offences took place in Burnley.

Hardman, now of no fixed address, was convicted of five counts of engaging in sexual activity with a child at Burnley Crown Court in November.

He returned to the same court today (3rd March) where he was also made subject of a 20-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order and told to sign the Sex Offenders Register for life.

In a statement to the court, the victim wrote: “I am not working at the moment and I think that some of it is due to the effect that the crimes have had on me. It has really affected my mental health. I don't like going out on my own and I don't go out at night. I'm too scared.”

She continued: “I have had nightmares about what Derek did to me. The doctor prescribed me sleeping tablets for this. I still have sleepless nights and nightmares about what happened. I was diagnosed with PTSD in February 2023 as a result of the crimes committed against me. This is something that I need to work through.”

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A convicted paedophile who downloaded almost 400 indecent images of children has been jailed.

Robert Bilsborough, 35, of Kingsfold Drive, Penwortham, was arrested after officers carried out a routine check of his electronic devices following a previous conviction of making indecent images of children and possession of prohibited images of children.

During the forensic examination of his devices, which took place in November last year, officers found 13 images classed as category A, the very worst type, as well as 23 category B, and 361 category C. In total, 397 indecent images of children were found on his devices.

He plead guilty to the offences and appeared at Preston Crown Court on Friday 28th February to be sentenced for 3 counts of making indecent images of children.

In total he was sentenced to 58 weeks in prison.

He was also made subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

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A Met Police special constable groped a “distraught” 14-year-old schoolgirl in the queue at Tesco.

Hassnain Shahzad, 27, of Ilford Lane in Ilford, then went on to sexually assaulted the schoolgirl a second time as she left the store with her mum.

Despite being convicted of two sexual assaults on the young girl, Shahzad left Inner London Crown Court a free man on Thursday (February 28) after he was given a suspended sentence.

Shahzad was a special constable in the Met's East Basic Command Unit, which covers Barking and Dagenham, Havering and Redbridge.

The incident took place at a Bishopsgate store at 10.48pm on August 25, 2023.

Shahzad was queuing up behind the girl and her mum when he passed the victim, touching her bottom.

As it was crowded the victim didn’t realise at first that his actions had been intentional, but she made a mental note of the fact he was carrying pineapple chunks.

When she left the store with her mum Shahzad was caught on CCTV approaching the young girl again on the pavement and touching her again.

The footage clearly showed he was able to avoid the victim but police said he “made a beeline for her”.

The girl bravely alerted her mum about what had happened in the street and in Tesco.

The girl’s mum said: “She was distraught and just wanted to go back home rather than the hotel. At this stage two young women approached us to see what had happened.

“They implored us to go back to the store and see how they could help us. I never got their names but I’m extremely grateful to them for taking the time to talk to us and suggesting we went back to Tesco and see the CCTV.”

She praised her daughter for mentioning the assault and not backing down during the difficult legal process.

She said: “At no point did she say ‘I don’t want to do this’, or withdraw from the prosecution.

“It was a stressful time for her as she had her exams which she completed and never asked for extra help. She doesn’t see it as brave, but I am in admiration of my child.

“Even now, months later, my daughter remains a beacon of kindness and understanding towards others, despite the fear that shadows her every step.

“It's heartbreaking to watch. I’ve seen the way her body tenses, the subtle shift in her expression when she sees men approaching or staring at her. There’s a fear in her eyes that no child should have to experience.”

The mum continued: “Despite this, she continues to show compassion to everyone around her, trying to push through the overwhelming anxiety that clutches at her heart.

“It’s a daily struggle that no one should have to endure, and yet she faces it with such quiet strength. But I can't help but feel the weight of what she's going through and how much more we need to do to protect her, to help her feel safe again.

“That day would mark the tragic end of her innocence, snatching away her right to view the world through the innocent eyes of a child.

“Before the assault, she was a carefree spirit, always bubbling with laughter and playful. She radiated a kind of unfettered happiness that was contagious, relishing the company of her family without a care in the world.

“We’ll never know now what her life would have been like without Shahzad’s actions. I find myself seeking her permission for even the simplest gestures of affection, like a hug. The days of spontaneous affection are gone, replaced by a painful necessity to ask, a stark reminder of the trust that was shattered.”

After being told by the victim that her attacker had bought pineapple chunks, Shahzad was identified by City of London Police on CCTV and via his bank details.

He was arrested at home a month later and a number of items were seized, including clothing identical to that shown on CCTV.

Officers also found video footage on his phone from two days after this sexual assault, showing him filming women on the street without their permission.

Despite the mounting evidence, Shahzad denied the charges and the case went to trial.

The girl’s mum said: “It was an act of cruelty that despite the clear CCTV footage and bank records confirming Shahzad had bought pineapple chunks he still pleaded not guilty. He has shown no moral compass or remorse.

“He’s only sorry he was caught. He was clearly aware of the age of his victim and putting her through the court process that most adults find hard to deal with. We had to listen to his defence suggest that it was a touch you might experience on a busy train. This was not a busy train, this was a wide pavement and he had followed us to continue his attack.”

Shahzad was found guilty of two counts of sexual assault and was sentenced to six months in prison, suspended for 18 months.

He’s been ordered to carry out 120 hours of unpaid work and will be on the sex offenders register for seven years.

(Image: City of London Police) The girl’s mum hopes that by speaking out about the attack, victims of similar abuse might come forward.

She said: “My daughter and I hope that by going into detail about the pain and suffering this has caused us, it will empower more children and women to come forward and shout loudly about the abuse they have endured.

“Protecting children and women from harm is not an awareness day or week, it is an everyday challenge that all in society need to face up to. There needs to be more accountability for men who denigrate women and our schools need to be regularly talking about the dangers children and women face on the streets.

“We’re not speaking for ourselves, but for others who can’t speak out due to the trauma they have endured, or because they have disabilities. Anyone who has been a victim of a sexual assault deserves to be believed, support and given a voice.”

She also praised City of London Police’s Detective Constable Sarah Elsom for her support.

She said: “I reported the crime online the following morning and within 20 minutes someone from the City of London Police called me which I thought was very quick.

“At no stage did I doubt their intentions to support my daughter and fully investigate the case.

“I think it was divine intervention that Sarah was assigned to our case. The dedication of Sarah and her team to pursue Shahzad was remarkable. They did not stop until he was found, arrested and brought to justice.”

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A manipulative sex offender who groomed a young boy has been jailed for four years.

Caitlin Hutchinson groomed the boy over several months, sending him sexually explicit text messages and making him carry out sex acts on her. Her offending came to light when the boy bravely told his parents about what had happened, and Hutchinson was arrested.

She initially denied the offences in interview, telling officers the boy had forced himself on her.

However, the evidence proved otherwise, and she was charged with six counts of engaging in sexual activity with a boy, engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child, engaging in sexual communication with a child, and causing or inciting a boy to engage in sexual activity.

In a victim impact statement, the boy said: “The last 18 months have been hell for me, going through what she put me through and keeping it from my family because I felt ashamed.

“I’ve changed so much because of what I’ve been through. I don’t want to be around women alone because I don’t feel safe, even around women I know because I don’t want to be targeted and manipulated again.

“I struggle to get to sleep every night, sometimes not getting to sleep until the early hours of the morning due to the thoughts going through my head of what happened to me.

“I have no motivation in life anymore and struggle every day with emotions, anxiety and depression.

“I feel like I will never get over what she has done to me, that I am damaged, and that I will never be fully happy. I just want a normal life and I don’t feel that my life will ever be normal again.

“I hope I can move on with my life, although I feel I cannot forgive her for ruining my childhood.”

Hutchinson, of Roker Avenue, in Sunderland, admitted the offences and appeared at Durham Crown Court on February 27 for sentencing. The 21-year-old was jailed for four years and placed on the sex offender register indefinitely.

She was also handed a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) preventing her from having contact with children under 16, and prohibiting her from using social media websites without notifying the police first.

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A Wakefield man has been jailed after being found guilty of sexual offending against a teenager in Calderdale.  

The Calderdale District Online Investigation Team has welcomed the sentencing of Luke Townend, aged 25, from Wakefield.  

He was sentenced to three years in prison on 21 February following a three-day trial at Bradford Crown Court.  

The 25-year-old was sentenced for causing a male to engage in sexual activity without consent and breach of an existing sexual harm prevention order.  

The court heard that Townend had contacted his teenage victim online and then committed the offending against him in 2024.  

He was arrested on 19 August 2024 and charged two days later, before going on trial in February this year.

DS Darren Heald of the Calderdale Safeguarding Online Child Abuse Investigation Team, said: “We are pleased to see Townend behind bars for the sexual offences he committed against a vulnerable victim, who he treated in the most predatory and exploitative fashion. 

“I want to commend the courage of the victim in coming forwards to report the offending against him and then supporting a prosecution.  

“His bravery has helped ensure this male has been made to answer for his criminal offending.”  

He added: “All reports of sexual offending made in Calderdale or anywhere else in West Yorkshire are investigated by specialist safeguarding detectives and we continue to urge victims to come forwards.  

“All reports will be thoroughly investigated with the needs of victims at the heart of our investigations.” 

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THIS Pontarddulais sex offender sent a picture of his penis to who he thought was a 13-year-old girl, having already repeatedly breached a court order.

Daniel Owens was described by a judge as “undeterrable”, as he returned to court to be sentenced for his latest offences.

The court heard that Owens had previously been sentenced three times for breaching his sexual harm prevention order.

Addressing the defendant, Judge Paul Thomas KC said: “Despite all that assistance, despite all those chances, none of those constructive sentences have brought about any change.”

He sentenced Owens to a total of 18 months imprisonment, with an additional two-year extended licence period.

Swansea Crown Court heard that Owens contacted who he thought was a young girl on an online messaging application on October 6. The ‘girl’ was actually a decoy account.

Prosecutor Regan Walters said the defendant’s profile read: “Here to have some fun and spread my seed”, and included a topless picture of himself.

Owens asked the ‘girl’ to move the conversation on to WhatsApp or Snapchat, and the decoy said they were 13 years old. However, he continued to send her his number and asked her to message him on WhatsApp.

The defendant video called the decoy three times and phoned them in order to try and verify they were a real child, Mr Walters said.

Owens turned the conversion sexual, and messaged “Would you like to see it though” and sent a picture of his penis.

He also solicited sexual pictures, and told the ‘girl’ that he would show him ejaculating to them.

The defendant was reported to the police, and South Wales Police attended his address on November 1.

Owens was arrested, and officers seized his phone, laptop and PlayStation console. They also seized a telescopic baton.

He admitted he was the only person who had access to the messages on his phone, and added that he wasn’t aware that it was against the law to have a telescopic baton.

The court heard that Owens was a registered sex offender, and had been made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order in 2016 after being sentenced for sexual assault.

Owens, 29, of Fford Cambria in Pontarddulais, pleaded guilty to attempted sexual communication with a child, sending a photograph of his genitals to cause alarm, distress or humiliation, breaching a sexual harm prevention order, and possessing an offensive weapon in private place.

“He’s undeterrable isn’t he?,” said Judge Thomas. “He continues to commit offences.”

Owens must register as a sex offender indefinitely.

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A chef who subjected three women to sexual assaults and told one of them “I’m always going to sexually harass you” has been spared jail.

Andrew Kerr also held a knife to a woman’s side and told her: “I could kill you right now if I wanted to.”