Latest Offenders

Description

A man sexually groomed a schoolgirl and got her pregnant, a court has heard. Liam Peat then lied about not knowing the real age of the child, a lie he maintained until the first day of trial when his young victim turned up at court to give evidence against him.

Swansea Crown Court heard that what the defendant did made the complainant feel "worthless" to the point she no longer wanted to be around, but she said that while she would have to "live with the horror" of what happened she was not going to let it take over her life.

Dyfed Thomas, prosecuting, told the court that when Peat began chatting to the girl on Snapchat she was aged 13 and he was 19. He said the pair began to meet in secret and the child started "confiding" in the defendant about matters in her life, establishing a level of trust.

The court heard that as matters progressed, communications became sexual, with Peat asking for intimate pictures and sending her a video of himself masturbating. He would tell the girl to delete messages between them.

The prosecutor said the defendant and complainant had sexual intercourse on a number of occasions when the girl was aged 14 and 15, with protection rarely used. He said it was the prosecution case that Peat "groomed and manipulated" the girl.

The court heard the offending culminated in the child becoming pregnant and telling her mother. Police were notified, and Peat attended a voluntary interview, answering "no comment" to all questions.

The prosecutor said that at the time, the girl did not feel strong enough to make a formal complaint and no further action was taken, but in April 2023 she contacted police to pursue it.

Peat was arrested and in interview gave a prepared statement accepting sexual activity took place on a number of occasions but saying it was always consensual and that the girl had told him she was in college, leading him to believe she was of corresponding age.

In a statement read to the court, the complainant said what the defendant did has had a "massive effect" on her life. She said Peat made her feel "worthless" to the point she no longer wanted to be around, but while she would have to "live with the horror" of what he did she was not going to let it take over her life.

Liam Peat, 25, of Heol y Graig, Crynant, Neath, pleaded guilty on the day of trial to two counts of engaging in sexual activity with a child. He has no previous convictions but two cautions for battery from incidents on nights out.

Matt Murphy, for Peat, said the defendant accepted immediate custody was the only sentence possible. He said the offending occurred when his client was an immature young man with "difficulties" including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Judge Paul Thomas KC said when Peat had been, to all intents and purposes, a man, he sexually groomed a child after "inveigling" himself into her life. He said while there was now "some regret" from the defendant, it would carry more weight if not so late, when the complainant had come to court prepared for cross-examination.

With a 10 per cent discount for his guilty pleas, Peat was sentenced to 45 months in prison. He will serve up to half in custody before release on licence.

The defendant will be a registered sex offender for life and was made subject to a 10-year sexual harm prevention order.

Description

A man from Neath Port Talbot has been jailed after pleading guilty to indecently exposing himself in public.

50-year-old Scott Thomas, from Baglan, flashed his genitals and backside towards passers-by as he walked along Dunraven Street, Aberavon at around 7am on Friday, July 18.

Thomas immediately admitted the offence upon arrest.

He has been sentenced to 26 weeks in prison. He will be required to register with the police in accordance with the Sexual Offences Act 2003 for a period of seven years.

PC Rachael Travers said:

“Scott Thomas’s actions were completely unacceptable and will have caused alarm to those who saw him in Dunraven Street, especially at that time of morning.

“He will have known the likely consequences of what he was doing. Those consequences are now a reality for him.”

Description

Update

Received a further eight years for multiple indecent assaults and sexual assaults against six other children between 1989 and 2018.    

Davies, who was initially jailed in 2021, was also given an indefinite sexual harm prevention order and will have to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.

2021-09-18

A Calderdale man has been jailed for 18 years after being found guilty of multiple sexual offences against young children.

John Davies, 58, from Sowerby Bridge was branded as a danger to children by Kirklees safeguarding detectives following his sentencing at Leeds Crown Court yesterday (Friday).

Davies was found guilty of three sexual assaults and two sexual touching offences following his trial in June.

The offending took place in Calderdale and Huddersfield areas against four girls between 2014 and 2020.

He will be placed on the sex offenders register and be subject to a sexual harm prevention order.

The 58-year-olds abuse first came to police attention in 2020 after one of his victims disclosed what had happened to her.

An immediate investigation was launched which resulted in Davies arrest shortly afterwards, with further enquiries made by both Calderdale and Kirklees specialist detectives.

At his sentencing, Davies was described by the judge as a dangerous offender who posed a high risk of serious harm to very young children.

Detective Constable Yvonne Brear, of the Kirklees Child Safeguarding Unit, who led the enquiry, with assistance from Detective Constable Ameira Blight, said: John Davies abused the trust of others and took advantage of young victims in a truly dreadful way.

It is no exaggeration to say he poses a real danger to children and we welcome the substantial sentence handed down to him today.

He chose to compound the suffering of his victims and their families by taking the case to trial, and that has been reflected in the sentence imposed.

West Yorkshire Police is committed to investigating all reports of child sexual offending with the needs of victims at the heart of every investigation.

Description

A Bedford man has been jailed for grooming a girl into sexual activity in exchange for money and drugs.

Robert Brookes, 37, gave the victim cocaine and cannabis on a regular basis before offering to pay her cash if she engaged in sexual activity with him. 

He also befriended a friend of the victim over social media and attempted to groom her in the same way.

Brookes came to our attention when a relative of the victim saw the messages that he had sent to her.

After a lengthy investigation, Brookes was found guilty of two counts of causing/inciting a girl to engage in sexual activity, two counts of supplying a Class A drug and two counts of offering to supply cocaine.

He was sentenced today (Wednesday) at Luton Crown Court to six years and three months.

Detective Constable David Widdicombe from our Protecting Vulnerable People team said:

“Brookes is a vile individual who took advantage of a young girl in the worst possible way, so I am pleased he has received a custodial sentence.

“The victim was very brave telling us what happened, and I hope she is now able to move on from this chapter in her life.

“Combatting violence against women and girls is a huge focus in policing. We are working tirelessly to put abusers behind bars and this case should serve as a warning to other perpetrators that we will do whatever it takes to bring a case to court and get justice for victims.

“Sadly, we are seeing an increase in reports of grooming – these predators build a relationship with the victim either in person or online to gain their trust before taking advantage of them.

“Grooming can happen both in person and online, often by a stranger, but it can also be someone your child knows. It can be difficult to tell if your child is being groomed – the signs aren't always obvious and may be hidden  - therefore we are encouraging parents or carers to familiarise themselves with some of the signs to look out for and to talk to their children and let them know they can come to you if something happens to them that doesn’t feel right.”

Description

A sex offender has been locked up thanks to determined police work – and help from facial recognition technology.

Alexander Dale, 31, grabbed the 11-year-old girl and pushed her to the floor while she was walking her dog in Cyncoed, Cardiff, last year.

Two days earlier, on October 23, 2024, Dale approached a 15-year-old girl on a bus travelling from Barry and showed her explicit messages on his phone.

Detectives sourced CCTV from the bus and, using Retrospective Facial Recognition, Dale was quickly identified as the suspect.

He was arrested, charged and remanded within a week.

Retrospective Facial Recognition technology compares still images of faces of unknown subjects against a reference image database.

Further enquires confirmed Dale had used a mobile phone app, linked to his e-mail address, to buy his bus ticket.

He pleaded guilty to sexual assault and inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.

Today, he was sentenced at Newport Crown Court to 23 months in prison and is also subject to a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).

Officer in the case, Detective Constable Emma Partridge said:

“Both victims have been incredibly brave to share what happened to them and support the investigation.

“Dale’s actions continue to have a huge impact on their day to day lives including feeling vulnerable on public transport and walking alone.

“I hope today’s sentencing brings the girls some comfort and allows them to regain their confidence to move forward.

“Everyone has the right to feel safe, wherever they are, and South Wales Police does everything possible to keep communities safe and ensure people feel safe when going about their everyday business.

“Stranger incidents like that are very unusual, but when they do happen, we use all available technology and traditional policing methods to bring offenders to justice."

Description

A man has been jailed after he sent a string of explicit messages to an underage teenage girl and began a sexual relationship with her.

Kaylam Prince was arrested in July 2024 after the messages, which included requests for the victim to send naked images of herself, were uncovered.

The 28-year-old was charged and remanded and initially denied the charges against him before pleading guilty to sexual communication with a child, and two counts of sexual activity with a child.

Prince, of Gloucester Road, Stonegravels, Chesterfield, was sentenced to 28 months imprisonment during a hearing at Derby Crown Court on Friday 29 August.

He was also handed a Sexual Harm Prevention Order which imposes restrictions on Prince’s internet usage and his access to children under the age of 16.

A restraining order was also granted to specifically protect the victim in the case.

Both orders remain active for a period of 5 years.

Officer in the case, PC Eloise Cooper, said:

“Kaylam Prince knowingly began a sexual relationship with a child who was well below the age of consent.

“He encouraged her to send sexual images of herself and incited her into engaging in sexual activity.

“Throughout this case the victim, who is still a young girl, has shown real courage when speaking with officers and has provided key evidence which has helped to secure this conviction.

“Her family have also been extremely supportive of the investigation and have ensured that we have been able to do everything our power to ensure that Kaylam Prince is brought to justice.”

Description

A man from Basingstoke has been jailed for more than five years after he pleaded guilty to child sex offences.

Nicholas Muncey, 38, of Hatch Warren Lane, was charged with:

• Engaging in penetrative sexual activity with a girl aged 13 to 15 x 2
• Engaging in non-penetrative sexual activity with a girl aged 13 to 15 x 3
• Causing / inciting a girl aged 13 to 15 to engage in sexual activity x 2

Winchester Crown Court heard the offences took place in the Basingstoke area between 2007 and 2008.

Muncey pleaded guilty and was jailed for five years and eight months at Winchester Crown Court on Friday 29 August.

Detective Constable Mike Cole, from Basingstoke CID, said:

“I really hope this sentence will reassure victims that they will be listened to when reporting similar incidents to us.

“We encourage other victims to come forward and speak to us. We take reports of this nature extremely seriously and work hard to bring offenders to justice.

“This case should also be a very clear message to other offenders out there that we will always work tirelessly to ensure you are brought to justice.”

Description

A 39-year-old man from Barry has been sentenced to eight years in prison, with an extended six years on licence, for seven offences including engaging in sexual activity with a child, sexual assault by touching and sexual assault by penetration.

Sean Newington pleaded guilty and was sentenced at Cardiff Crown Court on August 29.

Detective Constable Mohammad Munir from South Wales Police said:

“I want to commend the victims for their courage in coming forward- thanks their reports and support justice has been served. It has been a traumatic time for everyone involved and I am hopeful the outcome at court brings the victims and families some comfort which they deserve.”

Description

A man has been found guilty of raping an 18-year-old girl in his Birmingham flat hours after meeting her on the 'Roomies' website.

A jury also convicted Mirza Begg of strangling and threatening the victim with a knife at his address in Coventry Road, Small Heath.

The 33-year-old denied full sexual intercourse, claiming he was diabetic and could not maintain an erection without medication, and said other sexual contact was consensual.

But following a trial at Birmingham Crown Court, the jury found him guilty of rape, two charges of assault by penetration, strangulation, making threats with an offensive weapon, and assault by beating.

Begg was remanded into custody ahead of sentencing on December 5.

Judge Simon Drew KC ordered a pre-sentence report to assess if he was a 'dangerous' offender.

He said:

"On the face of it he targeted and exploited a vulnerable young woman

"It raises issues as to whether he poses a risk to other members of the public going forward."

Begg responded to the teenager's Roomies post on March 17 last year, offering free accommodation, which made her suspect a 'scam'; he sent a video of the property.

He picked her up at 9pm and took her to his flat, then left briefly to return a car.

Upon returning, he asked her to join him in the bedroom, rolled a spliff, and told her to get in bed.

Begg started touching her; when she said she felt uncomfortable, he told her to 'shhh' and laughed.

He proceeded to rape and sexually assault her as she repeatedly said 'no' and tried to fight him off.

Begg also slapped her and threatened her with a knife.

Afterward, the victim texted a friend: 'he fell asleep, I just got raped'; the friend reported it to police.

Begg was arrested at 4:30am that morning.

Description

A man has been sentenced to 14 years in prison following serious sexual and violent offences against three women.

Gerald Hever, 51, was jailed at the High Court in Edinburgh on Monday, 1 September, 2025.

The offences took place between 1996 and 2020 in Inverness-shire and Moray.  

He was also placed on the Sex Offenders Register and given a 20-year non harassment order.

Detective Constable Lauren Barron said:

“Hever carried out appalling acts of sexual and violent abuse against the three women.

“Following a complex investigation, he has been brought to justice and this sentence reflects the seriousness of his offending.

“We remain committed to investigating all reports of sexual crime, regardless of when it happened. We will do everything in power to support victims and all reports are treated sensitively.”

Description

A 24-year-old man has been jailed in absentia after he was found guilty of sexually abusing four girls.

Raeshon Dean Everton Rose, of The Headlands, Northampton, first started abusing the girls, who were all children, when he was a teenager. The abuse lasted for six years.

The court heard how Rose abused his victims on multiple occasions, forcing them to perform oral sex on him and repeatedly sexual assaulting them.

In 2021, one of the girls bravely told a friend about the abuse which had taken place when she was younger and this started a process which would set a police investigation in motion.

Northamptonshire Police would go on to find three other girls who Rose had sexually abused.

After pleading not guilty to the charges, Rose appeared at Northampton Crown Court in July where the trial jury found him guilty of eight counts of sexually assaulting a child aged under 13, five counts of child rape and one of causing or inciting a child under the age of 13 to engage in sexual activity.

On Thursday, August 28, he was sentenced to a total of six-and-a-half years in prison.

However, the court was then told the defendant was being sentenced in absentia after he fled the UK while on bail from the earlier hearing.

Northamptonshire Police is now carrying out extensive inquiries to determine his whereabouts and bring him back to the UK to serve his sentence.

Det Supt Jen Castle, head of child safeguarding, said:

“It is deeply distressing for the victims to discover Rose has fled the country – and justice – following his trial. Northamptonshire Police is doing all it can to locate the defendant and ensure that he serves his sentence.

 “The four young women in this case have shown tremendous bravery and I cannot stress that enough. They have found courage they should never have had to call upon.

“Raeshon Rose’s crimes lasted more than half a decade and we are appealing for anyone who knows anything about his whereabouts to contact us on 101.

“Northamptonshire Police takes all forms of sexual abuse incredibly seriously. If you have been subjected to any form of assault or abuse, please come forward and report it to us. We will listen. We will believe you. And we will do all we can to bring those responsible to account.

Description

Two women subjected to sex attacks in a Dundee pub will be paid £1,000 in compensation between them.

Andrew Swan is now on the sex offenders’ register after assaulting the women in the Bush Bar on May 18 this year.

Description

Craig Arrowsmith, 48, of Hoadley Green, Salisbury, appeared at Salisbury Crown Court yesterday (01/09) after pleading guilty to sexual communication with a child, making indecent images of children and four counts of possession of extreme pornography, namely bestiality.

He was jailed for 12 months, suspended for 18 months.

He must also complete 200 hours of unpaid work, pay compensation of £500 and complete up to 35 days of rehabilitation activity days. He will also be required to sign on to the sex offender’s register for 10 years.

On January 30, 2024, police received a Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) referral from the victim’s school raising concerns that the victim was receiving inappropriate messages from Arrowsmith.

Arrowsmith was arrested and bailed. An examination of his phone revealed that between March 2023 and January 2024, Arrowsmith repeatedly messaged the victim, a 15-year-old girl, on a social media platform, many of which were sexual in nature.

Four videos featuring bestiality were also found on his phone, as well as a total of 245 category C indecent images were also found on his phone, all of which related to superimposed photos of the victim.

Arrowsmith admitted the offences and was sentenced yesterday.

DC Louise Butler of the Child Abuse Investigation Team said:

“Firstly, I would like to thank the victim for her bravery throughout the case.

“Her courage in speaking with us and giving a video recorded interview has led to Arrowsmith being sentenced yesterday.

“Arrowsmith’s crimes are abhorrent. Despite knowing the victim was only 15 years old, he continued to message her in a sexual manner and used photos of her to impose her face onto an AI-generated female’s naked body.

“He has now been sentenced and will be on the Sex Offender’s Register for the next decade.”

Description

A former school administrator has been jailed after admitting sexually abusing three teenage girls.

All the girls were aged under 16 – with all three incidents taking place at the Da Vinci School in Chaddesden, Derby.

The extent of Roberts’ offending came to light after the first teenager came forward reporting that, the now 23-year-old, had had sex with her during school time – before two more girls were identified as having been targeted.

Both the girls told officers how he had sexually assaulted them.

Roberts was quickly arrested, before being charged and appearing at Derby Crown Court where he initially denied the offences.

However, before the case could reach a trial, Roberts changed his plea to guilty and was sentenced at the same court on Friday 29 August.

Roberts, formerly of Breaston, was handed a 44-month sentence for sexual activity with a child by penetration – as well as ten months and three months for the two sexual assaults to be served concurrently.

The mother of one of the girls explained how Roberts had taken away her daughter’s innocence and childhood and that she had blamed herself for what Roberts did.

DC Charlotte Flint, who led the investigation into Roberts, said:

“I first want to thank each of the three girls – along with their families.

“Their determination to see Roberts brought to justice has been incredible and their resilience to see him jailed is nothing short of immense.

“Roberts’ role at the school meant that he had a position of trust – one that he betrayed in the worst possible way.

“For these three young girls their school should have been a place of safety, and Roberts used that for his own disgusting means.

“I want to thank the school for their assistance during the investigation – and their excellent safeguarding work after Roberts’ offending was brought to light.

“The likes of Roberts have absolutely no place in our communities, and I would urge anyone who may have been the victim of similar crimes to please come forward.”

Description

The man pictured is Bradley Hawkins and he is a violent child rapist.

When he was a teenager, he raped an eight-year-old girl in Cheltenham. He also assaulted the same victim, raped her again and caused or incited her to engage in sexual activity.

The victim, who now lives in Lancashire, stayed silent about what had happened to her for years through fear.

However, she bravely reported the offences to police in 2023 and we launched an investigation.

Hawkins, who is a career criminal, was interviewed in prison in relation to this offending.

Before the interview could start, he said he ‘doesn’t do these types of offences and he isn’t a nonce or a rapist’. He said that ‘all his life he has been robbing’ and that ‘no one wants this put to their name as this is scum of the earth stuff’.

However, 26-year-old Hawkins’ name will now be associated with sexual offending after he pleaded guilty at Preston Crown Court earlier this year to two rapes of a girl under 13, causing or inciting a girl under 13 to engage in sexual activity and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

Hawkins, of no fixed address, returned to the same court today (1st September) where he was jailed for three years. Although he is now an adult, Hawkins was sentenced based on the age he was when he committed the offences – between 13 and 14-years-old - and the sentencing guidelines at the time.

He was also ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register for life.

In an impact statement to the court, the victim wrote:

“Having the strength to open up about the abuse I endured as a child has been one of the hardest things I have ever done.

“I felt ashamed that this had happened to me. Before I finally managed to open up to my family and then the police, I had lived with this burden all my childhood and early adult life.”

She continued: 

“I struggle to put into words how these events have affected me now as an adult. I believe this is due to the behaviours I have as an adult, that I have always considered normal to me. Upon further self-reflection and evaluation, I now understand how some of my behaviours are not ‘normal’ and are in fact a result of the trauma I experienced as a child.

“To this day I dislike being touched by anyone, unless this is on my own terms. This also has effects on my personal relationship with my partner, due to the abuse suffered I have this behaviour where I have to feel validated and reassured by people I love, If I do not receive this then my mind starts to play tricks and I feel that I am either not loved or liked, realistically I know this is not the case however due to the abuse I suffered, I cannot move past how this makes me feel all the time and I hope that one day, I can heal from this and in my eyes, act normal.”

DC Dan Healey, of the East RASSO (Rape and Serious Sexual Offences) Team, said:

“Hawkins is a dangerous and violent individual who has a worrying sexual interest in children. His views towards females and his sense of entitlement are also of great concern.

“I am content that Hawkins has been convicted and is ultimately now held accountable for his abhorrent offending. I would ask any women or girls who believe the victim of similar offending to make contact with the police as soon as possible.

“I also want to place on record my thanks to the investigation team for their diligent work in bringing Hawkins to justice, particularly DC Sarah Andrews.

“Finally, and most importantly, I want to take this opportunity to praise the victim for the bravery and strength she has displayed throughout this process.  Hawkins’ offending has clearly had a profound and long-lasting impact on her, and her bravery has not only led to a dangerous individual being put behind bars, it may also lead to other victims coming forward.”