Latest Offenders

Description

A CHARITIES lawyer exposed by The Scottish Sun as a paedophile was spared jail.

Alan Eccles, 44, was tagged for eight months and handed 300 hours of unpaid work as well as three years’ supervision.

We told how the sicko shared child sex abuse images and chatted online with other beasts about molesting kids.

Eccles, from Bearsden, near Glasgow, also shared an intimate pic of a woman between October and November 2023.

His lawyer John Scullion KC told Paisley Sheriff Court: “The offences took place when his mental health was bad. He accepts full responsibility.”

Passing sentence, Sheriff Bruce Erroch told first offender Eccles: "You are a mature and plainly intelligent man who made a deliberate decision to act as you did.

"You must have known the risks involved. Significant psychological harm was caused by your crimes.

"Such crimes are not victimless crimes. I’ve considered the aggravating factors of all of your offences. 

"Your behaviour was, in short, despicable. You are a man of good nature who appears in the court without any criminal record and you have carried out good public service. 

"Taking all the relevant factors into account I intend to reduce the prison sentence to a high-level community payback order. Such measures will be put in places to protect the public."

The perv will also be on the sex offenders register for three years.

He is a specialist in third sector legal issues and has assisted a number of charities. 

After Eccles’ vile crimes came to light, his profile was scrubbed from the Law Society of Scotland website.

His account on business networking site LinkedIn was also removed.

Description

A Maidstone sex offender has been jailed after a police dog detected ‘invisible’ DNA at the crime scene.

Lloyd Cundall groomed his victim using social media platforms and convinced her to meet up in secluded areas in and around Quarry Road, including woods and alleyways.

Once out of public view, Cundall repeatedly offered the teenager cocaine, cannabis, nitrous oxide (laughing gas) balloons, and alcohol before pressurising her to perform sexual acts.

He was later arrested on 24 September 2024. An initial investigation saw detectives retrieve DNA evidence – which was invisible to the naked eye – from one of the scenes with the support of Police Dog Belle.

Cundall was subsequently charged with eight counts of sexual activity with a child.

He later pleaded guilty at Maidstone Crown Court and, on 21 May 2025, Cundall, 27, of Brenchley Road, was sentenced to seven years and six months’ imprisonment.

On release, he will serve an extended licence period of four years and be subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) for 15 years.

Description

A man has been sentenced after being convicted of sexual assault following an incident in Middlesbrough.

On 1st July 2023, a woman in her forties was sexually assaulted whilst she slept after a group of people went back to a house after an evening out.

The woman fell asleep on the sofa and awoke in the early hours of the morning when she realised that one of the group, 53-year-old Jason Ahmed, was sexually assaulting her. When confronted he denied the offence.

Jason Ahmed, also known as Jake, from Gayton Sands in Middlesbrough, received a sentence of nine months imprisonment at Teesside Crown Court on Thursday 22nd May. He was given an indefinite restraining order and must adhere to strict sex offender notification requirements for ten years.

Description

A 25-year-old man has been sentenced after being convicted of a serious sexual assault in Edinburgh.

Rowan McKenna attacked a woman at a property in the west of the city in July 2023.

He was jailed for 10 years and six months and placed on the Sex Offenders Register when he appeared at the High Court in Edinburgh on Monday, 2 June, 2025, after being previously convicted for the serious sexual assault and an assault to injury.

Detective Sergeant Craig Donnelly said: “My thoughts are with the woman who showed immense strength in assisting our investigation. I hope this sentencing brings her some form of comfort.

“We are committed to bringing those responsible for sexual abuse to justice. We work with a range of partner agencies to support victims and carry out investigations.

Description

A fast-paced and complex investigation by specialist officers safeguarded a vulnerable child and ensured a dangerous offender is now behind bars.

At Chelmsford Crown Court on Thursday 29 May Chace Wiseman was sentenced to 10 years in prison for numerous child sexual offences.

On New Year’s Eve in 2024 Essex Police received a referral from the National Crime Agency.

Officers from our Police Online Investigation Team (POLIT) made urgent enquiries, with one of the team tracking key evidence online which directly linked the Essex suspect to indecent images of children.

Further interrogation of the images and videos led the officers to believe the 18-year-old suspect was in fact the person carrying out the horrific abuse.

They arrested Wiseman at his Witham home on Friday 3 January and during a subsequent search of the address seven electronic devices were seized.

When one of his devices was accessed, officers discovered a large quantity of distressing videos and images which showed sexual assault and rape of a child.

This evidence was put to Wiseman during interview, but he remained silent and refused to answer any questions.

Following irrefutable evidence gathered by the investigative team the CPS authorised them to charge Wiseman with 12 offences.

Guilty pleas

When he appeared at Chelmsford Crown Court on Tuesday 25 March, Wiseman, of Colne Chase, pleaded guilty to all 12 offences:

• 2 counts of rape of a child under the age of 13
• Assault of a child under the age of 13 by touching
• Assault a child under the age of 13 by penetration
• 3 counts of taking indecent photos of a child (6 x Cat A) (48 x Cat B) (75 x cat C)
• 3 counts of making indecent photographs of a child (44 x Cat A) (43 x Cat B) (93 x Cat C)
• Possession of prohibited images of a child (287 images)
• Possession of extreme pornography (20 images)

Sentenced

At the hearing he was sentenced to 16 and a half years extended sentence for the first two offences, to be served concurrently. Ten and half years to be served in custody with an extended licence period of six years.

For the further 10 offences he received custodial sentences ranging from three years to six weeks, all to run concurrently.

He was placed on the sex offenders register and is subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and a Restraining Order.

Description

A sexual predator who thought he was messaging a child has been snared by a paedophile hunting group.

David Bloomfield, 56, believed he was engaging in a chat with a 14-year-old girl but it was in fact a decoy account set up by Yorkshire Predator Hunters. Newcastle Crown Court heard the account, named Olivia, received a request from the defendant and they began to chat.

The court was told 'Olivia' made it clear she was 14 years old and the pair would speak most days. The conversation became more sexual with the defendant stating she could kiss him.

The defendant, of Craster Gardens, Wallsend, also stated they would have sex when they met up and sent her Ann Summers pictures of underwear and bikinis he wanted her to wear. He stated he would 'peel it off her', the court heard.

He also sent images of his penis and told her not tell her parents about the relationship. He then asked Olivia to meet up with him and arranged for a date in October 2022.

The court heard on that day, the defendant was detained outside his address by members of Yorkshire Predator Hunters and police were called.

On sentencing, Recorder Peter Makepeace said: "I accept in this case, there is a feature that is not uncommon in these cases, you are generally isolated with limited skills to develop and maintain relationships. You present as an isolated, lonely, and rather naïve, certainly unsophisticated individual.

"You were arrested for these offences a considerable time ago which has increased your isolation and you have been largely isolated from your family and lost your accommodation."

Bloomfield pleaded guilty to attempting to engage in sexual communication and facilitating the commission of a child sex offence. He was jailed for two years and eight months.

Description

A man has avoided an immediate prison sentence after he tried to meet who he thought was a 13-year-old girl for sex.

Mitchell Taylor messaged several accounts of girls under the age of 16.

He began speaking to 'Ellie' who he planned to meet at Stoke Railway Station on May 28, 2021.

But Taylor, who was 22 at the time, found that he had been duped by a paedophile hunter group.

Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court heard how he told a 13-year-old he 'liked young girls,' StokeonTrentLive reports.

Taylor - who has 13 previous convictions for 27 offences - was later arrested while on bail for threatening a security guard with a six-inch kitchen knife at a housing support premises.

Prosecutor, Syed Ahmed, told the court: "Predator group STOP set up a fictitious social media profile posing as a 13-year-old girl called Ellie.

"Mr Taylor contacted the account on March 20, 2021, with a message saying ‘Hey’. The conversation quickly turned sexual. The decoy informed Mr Taylor she was 13. He replied saying he was 22.

"He asked her if she would like to be his girlfriend. She said she didn’t know as she might get into trouble.

"He asked to see ‘sexy pictures’ of her. She said she didn’t know what this meant and asked Mr Taylor what he would like her to do."

Taylor then described the pictures she could send and offered to share intimate images of himself with her.

Mr Ahmed continued: "The girl said she didn’t know as she didn’t think her mum would be happy with it. Mr Taylor told the decoy that her mum didn’t need to know.

"The defendant arranged to meet with the girl at Stoke-on-Trent Railway Station on May 28, so she could come back to his house. He was instead met by paedophile hunters.

"He denied having sent any messages to the decoy and told the hunters that ‘Kieran had been sending the messages’.”

Taylor was interrogated by detectives on May 28, 2021 and answered ‘no comment’ to all questions.

On December 17, he admitted he knew he was speaking to a child - but denied having any intention of sexual activity.

Taylor, of Greenhead Street, Burslem, pleaded guilty to a charge of attempting to meet a child following sexual grooming on May 28, 2021.

Matthew Ness, mitigating, said that while Taylor had an extensive criminal record, this was his first sexual offence. He said the crimes were a result of his 'vulnerable' mental state.

He said: “At the time of the offending he was in early 20s - but he had the sexual and mental maturity of a teenager.

"Mr Taylor’s psychiatric reports show he suffers from significant learning disabilities.

"It is no coincidence that his offending completely stopped in 2021, ever since he started working with the learning disability support services.”

Taylor was given a two-year suspended sentence, a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order, 100 hours of unpaid labour, and ordered to pay £500 in court costs. He was also ordered to complete a sex offender rehabilitation course.

Description

A plasterer from Catford who sent sexual messages and photos to a 13-year-old girl has avoided prison. 

Mark Ginn, 41, sent the sexual messages on Facebook in October 2023. 

Within days Ginn found himself confronted by members of an online paedophile hunter group. 

Ginn later pleaded guilty to two counts of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child and two counts of attempting to incite a girl to engage in sexual activity.   

The charges state that sent an indecent photo of his penis and requested sexual photos of the young girl.   

Ginn appeared at Woolwich Crown Court for sentencing on Wednesday, May 28. 

He received a two-year sentence which was suspended for two years – meaning he left the court a free man. 

The sentence includes 100 hours of unpaid work, sex offenders treatment requirements and a 10 year sexual harm prevention order. 

He will also be required to sign the sex offenders register for the next 10 years. 

Description

A prolific offender whose sexual violence against women spanned more than a decade has today, Friday 30 May, been jailed for 30 years plus an extra five years to be served on extended licence.

Peter Wilkinson, 53 of Drake Gardens, Tavistock, was found guilty of 21 separate offences following a five-week trial at Plymouth Crown Court.

He must serve 2/3 of the 30 year custodial sentence element of the sentence before he can be considered for parole. Wilkinson must also sign the Sex Offenders’ Register for life. 

During the trial, the court heard how the offending took place between 2012 and 2024 in the Tavistock area against five women, four of whom were especially vulnerable.

Wilkinson was arrested in October 2023 following a report that he had sexually abused a woman on numerous occasions. He was arrested and after extensive investigative work, the investigating officer was able to identify and establish a further four more victims who Wilkinson had also targeted and abused.

Investigating officer Detective Constable Craig Ferguson prepared a voluminous and intricate case with the assistance of Beth Wycherley, a Senior Crown Prosecution Service lawyer from the Rape and Serious Sexual Offences Team. Wilkinson was charged with multiple rapes, sexual offences, physical assaults and strangulation, all of which he denied. He remained on remand in custody until the start of his trial at Plymouth Crown Court on Monday 24 March 2025. 

Throughout the trial the jury heard detailed evidence from each of the five victims who spoke of the trauma Wilkinson had caused them. The jury also heard evidence from multiple witnesses, and from Wilkinson himself who denied any offences and claimed that all of the victims had lied about him.

On 22nd April 2025, after two days deliberation, the jury came back with unanimous verdicts finding him guilty of multiple counts of rape, serious sexual assault, physical assault and strangulation committed against five victims. 

Today, Friday 30 May, the court reconvened at Plymouth Crown Court for Wilkinson’s sentencing. 

The court heard powerful victim impact statements. One victim said that she never wanted to see Wilkinson’s face again. She described: “He hurt me, he frightened me and he forced me to do things I did not want to do.”

Another spoke of being “vulnerable, frightened and exhausted” and suffering repeated nightmares and flashbacks. 

A number of the victims spoke of still being in fear of Wilkinson even though he is locked up.

In mitigation it was heard that Wilkinson has an intellectual disability which results in him living a “basic” existence. 

In sentencing Wilkinson, HHJ Robert Linford said the following: “You were a sexual predator who selected, groomed and abused woman.”

Judge Linford added that Wilkinson carefully selected the majority of his victims due to their vulnerabilities and inflicted physical pain and suffering on them. He also detailed the profound effect Wilkinson’s offending had.

He said: “It does not need me to say that these offences dredge the depths of depravity”, before adding that the offending “utterly beggars belief”.

Judge Linford noted that Wilkinson suffers his own intellectual difficulties, but knows right from wrong, adding “I am sure you targeted these women because of their vulnerabilities”. 

Speaking after the trial DC Craig Ferguson said: “Peter Wilkinson is a dangerous and predatory sexual offender. The offences in this case were harrowing with vulnerable people being targeted and abused in their homes where they should have been able to feel safe and secure.

“I have been a police officer and detective for 21 years, and this is some of the worst and most disturbing offending that I have been caused to deal with.

“This has been a lengthy, complex, and difficult investigation. I know that the outcome of this case will not have diminished the impact that Peter Wilkinson has had upon the victims and their lives, but I hope that they can now try to move forward in the knowledge that he cannot hurt them, or anyone else, anymore.

“I want to pay tribute to the strength and courage of the five women who have survived this abuse, and who each found the strength and determination to give their evidence to the court.

“Without the courage and resolve of these women Peter Wilkinson’s offending may have never come to light, and he may never have been identified and brought to justice.”

Senior Investigating Officer Detective Inspector Neil Lloyd said: “I welcome today’s verdict and thank the court and jury for their time. 

“My thoughts remain with the victims who have shown tremendous courage and strength throughout the investigation and during the trial. I hope today’s verdict provides some degree of closure and that they can begin to rebuild their lives. 

“Wilkinson was a prolific offender whose violence against women spanned more than a decade. He selected the victims because they were vulnerable, and he probably thought they would never be able to speak out or be listened to.

“I want to mention DC Craig Ferguson and PC Helen Winterson, a sexual offences liaison officer (SOLO). DC Ferguson meticulously built the prosecution case over several years, working tirelessly and with great commitment to completing all possible enquiries, whilst PC Winterson  supported the victims throughout the difficult criminal justice process, assisting DC Ferguson with some of the victim interviews, and supporting the most vulnerable in the case. 

“Their work, together with our colleagues from the Crown Prosecution Service, left the jury in no doubt of Wilkinson’s guilt, and ensured the victims’ voices were heard loud and clear.

“We would urge victims of sexual abuse to report their perpetrators. I would like to reassure them that we are fully committed to putting an end to violence against women and girls. We have officers like Craig and Helen across the force who are ready to listen to you and ensure your voice is heard.”

Description

A man who sent sexual images and videos to a 12-year-old girl has avoided prison.

Luke Ayling, 33, of Oakhill Road in Sutton, spent two months sending sexual messages to a Facebook account he believed to be a young girl.

But the former chef, now unemployed, got a shock when he found out he was actually messaging a decoy account designed to catch paedophiles.

Ayling appeared at Croydon Crown Court for sentencing on Friday after he pleaded guilty to attempted sexual communication with a child and attempting to cause a child to watch a sexual act.

Prosecutor Michael Chambers said Ayling began messaging the account in May 2021.

When the operator of the decoy account said they were 12 he replied “too young”, before sending a number of sexual photos and videos of himself.

Ayling made arrangements to meet the child on three occasions but never showed up.

Ruth Zentler-Munro, defending, said her client was in a state of poor mental health at the time of the offending.

She said Ayling has since addressed his substance abuse problem which exacerbated his mental health problems and has not offended in the four years since.

Recorder Samantha Presland, sentencing, said: “Mr Ayling, I appreciate you were in a very bad place at the time you fell down this rabbit hole, but if this had been an actual child the ramifications would have been lifelong for them.”

Ayling was given a 16 month sentence, suspended for 20 months.

He will have to complete 200 hours of unpaid work and a number of rehabilitation days.

Description

A sex offender who repeatedly exposed himself at train stations has avoided prison.

Leon Clarke, 49, from Sutton, admitted exposing his genitals intending to cause alarm or distress on seven occasions in the last year.

Two of the offences took place at Cheam Station whilst one happened at Herne Hill Station.

The other offences took place at various stations in London and Hertfordshire including Romford, Woodside Park and Croxley Green.

Clarke appeared at Highbury Corner Magistrates Court on Tuesday, May 27, and was sentenced to a one-year community order and a 10 fine.

He was also given a five-year sexual harm prevention order which bans him from approaching, touching, or making any attempts to communicate with any unknown female in a public place.

The order also bans Clarke from sitting next to or opposite any lone female or child at a railway station or on public transport except where there are no other seats available.

Clarke has been added to the sex offenders register and will be required to register with the police until 2030.

Description

Two Newcastle perverts caught distributing and making indecent images and videos of children believed it was a "joke", a court heard.

Abdullah Hamood, 28, and Essa Oghul, 45, were caught with a number of indecent images and videos after police seized their mobile phones.

Newcastle Crown Court heard Northumbria Police had received intelligence that a Facebook account linked to Oghul sent an indecent category A video to Hamood in January 2021. In December 2022 Oghul was arrested for an unrelated matter and his phone was seized.

Hamood's property was then searched in January 2023 and his mobile phone was seized, the court was told, with both phones forensically examined.

The court heard on Oghul's phone four Category C indecent images of children were found, alongside one image and four videos of extreme pornography. One of the children was aged between two and four years, the court heard.

Seven Category A videos of children, three Category B indecent images and two Category C indecent images were found on Hamood's phone. The ages of the children were between seven and 15 years old.

It was also found Hamood had distributed six Category A images and videos of children via Whatsapp, while Oghul had distributed one Category C image of a child.

Hamood, of Walkerdene House, Walker, pleaded guilty to one count of distributing an indecent photograph of a child, and three counts of making an indecent photograph of a child. On sentencing Hamood, Recorder Makepeace said the defendant had no previous convictions.

Recorder Makepeace said he had read a presentence report and "rejected entirely" any suggestion that the defendant believed what he was doing was "culturally acceptable". He added: "I reject entirely any suggestion by you that you thought the distribution was a joke.

"Just think for one second how you would explain to a right thinking person it would be a joke. I'm satisfied that what you were doing was for sexual gratification. You don't believe a victim would be harmed in any way, they are real children."

Hamood was given a 20 months prison sentence, suspended for 18 months. He was ordered to complete 30 rehabilitation days and 250 hours unpaid work.

Oghul, of Todds Nook, Newcastle, pleaded guilty one count of distributing a photograph, one count of making an indecent photograph and one count of possessing an extreme pornographic image. On sentencing Oghul, Recorder Makepeace said: "Again, there are similar, very worrying explanations. I do not accept that you shared these images as a joke.

"How any right thinking person would think it is a joke. You did it, I have no doubt, for your own sexual gratification."

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A Perthshire chef has been jailed for historical sexual abuse.

Thomas McPhee, the former head chef and manager at the Red Brolly Inn in Ballinluig, has been imprisoned for 58 weeks after admitting offences against two teenagers in the mid-2000s.

Description

Following a Warwickshire Police investigation, a man has been sentenced to prison for indecent image offences.

David Seccull, aged 68 of Suffolk Close, Bedworth, appeared at Warwick Crown Court on Friday (23 May 2025).

In August last year, a warrant took place at his address where evidence of making indecent images of children was found.

His devices were seized and a forensic examination took place which resulted in the following charges:

• Making and Distributing Category A, Category B and Category C images
• Possession of Prohibited Images
• Possession of Extreme Images
• Possession of a bladed article (due to a separate incident where he turned up answering bail with a knife)

Seccull pleaded guilty to the offences and was remanded in custody. On Friday he was sentenced to three years and two months imprisonment.

Following the sentence, investigating officer PC Naomi Radford said: “Seccull had almost completed his time as a managed sex offender, when we received valuable intelligence that he was continuing to offend.

“Our Sex Offender Management Team secured a warrant, which secured the evidence. Hopefully this case shows that even when offenders think we are not watching them, we are always there and if you continue to engage in illegal activity online then we will work hard to prosecute you.

“I hope prison serves as a reminder to Seccull of the harm his behaviour has caused to his victims. He will now be on the Sex Offenders Register for ten years and will also be subject to a robust Sexual Harm Prevention order.”

Description

A man who tried to conceal his sexual offences by blaming it on his non-existent twin has been jailed.

Suspicions were first raised about Andrew Sullivan, 32, when the parents of a child he had been in contact with raised concerns about his previous offences and the possibility he was subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).

He told them it had in fact been his twin brother who was responsible - and who had since taken his own life.

But, after carrying out their own research, the parents found that Sullivan's twin did not exist and reported him to Lancashire Police.

Officers then uncovered that Sullivan had sexually assaulted a young boy whilst in contact with them.

After forensically examining Sullivan's phone, police found 1,346 illicit images of children, with 701 of the images branded ‘Category A’, the worst possible grading. All of the 1,346 files were videos.

He was charged with three counts of sexual touching of a male child, causing a male child to engage in sexual activity, possession of indecent images of children, and breach of a SHPO.

Sullivan, now of no fixed abode, but formerly of Dickson Road in Blackpool, was sentenced two 12 years in prison in connection with offences in Lancashire and the Kent area at Canterbury Crown Court on Friday 23 May.

He will be required to sign the sex offenders register for life and will also be subjected to a lifelong SHPO, which includes prohibiting him from having unsupervised contact with children and limiting his access to the internet.

Sullivan was also sentenced for rape of a child under 13 and sexual assault of a child in Kent in 2007.

DC Sam Schofield of Blackpool Police said: "Sullivan is a despicable individual who committed abhorrent crimes against children.

“He believed he was being cunning, hiding his previous convictions and lying to facilitate his access to children.

"Thanks to the inquisitive nature of the parents, his lies were uncovered and began to unravel. He will now serve a custodial sentence for his actions both in Kent and Lancashire.

"I want to praise the bravery of the victim. He and his family have shown incredible strength and bravery throughout proceedings. I hope that they can now begin to move on with their lives knowing that Sullivan is behind bars.