Latest Offenders

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A man has been jailed following reports of a sexual assault in Ellesmere Port.

Sayed Hasib, of no fixed abode, appeared at Chester Magistrates’ Court on Monday 23 March 2026 and was sentenced to 12 months in custody.

The 30-year-old, who is from Afghanistan, had pleaded guilty to one count of sexual assault.

Shortly before 6pm on Saturday 21 March 2026, officers were called to South Pier Road, Ellesmere Port, following reports that a man had inappropriately touched a 13-year-old girl over her clothing.

Officers attended the scene and Hasib was immediately arrested. Following questioning he was later charged with the offence.

Chief Inspector Daniel Reynolds, of Ellesmere Port LPU, said:

“Hasib was quickly arrested minutes after the incident was reported, and in less than 48 hours has been charged and jailed for his actions.

“This highlights how seriously we take offences of this nature and we will take robust action.

“We understand the concern that this incident is likely to have caused in the local community, and we hope the swift conclusion of this case will provide members of the public with some reassurance.

“If you have any concerns about offences of this nature, please report them to us via 101 or through the Cheshire Police website."

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Matthew Johnston has been jailed for 16 years for grooming and sexually abusing a young boy in Littlehampton over several years.

Johnston, 49, of Haynes Close in Tottenham, London, began grooming and sexually assaulting the victim in 2014 when he was four years old.

Over a number of ensuing years, Johnston subjected the boy to repeated rapes and sexual abuse.

Johnston was a regular attendee at ComiCon-style events, and used events based around Star Wars and superheroes to groom the victim.

The abuse was reported to Sussex Police in December, 2024, at which point the victim and his family were supported by specialist officers and an investigation was launched.

Johnston was arrested and subsequently charged with two counts of rape of a child under 13, two counts of sexual assault of a child under 13, two counts of causing a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity and one count of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child.

At Hove Crown Court on Friday, 10 October, he was found guilty on all counts.

At the same court on Monday (23 March), he was sentenced to 16 years in prison, with a further five years to be spent on extended licence after the Court judged him to be a dangerous offender.

He has also been given an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order, Restraining Order and will remain on the Sex Offenders Register.

Detective Constable Jacob Parkin said:

Matthew Johnston groomed, manipulated and abused this young victim over many years, in a total betrayal of the trust of him and his family.

My thanks go to the victim and his family for their strength throughout this investigation. I have no doubt how challenging this process has been for them, but they have helped bring a dangerous offender to justice.

If you, or anyone you know, has been a victim of sexual offending, please report it to Sussex Police. We will support you and we will do all we can to get you justice.

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A judge has praised a woman for her tenacity and courage in bringing a rapist to justice.

Michael Silcock, 56, of Bull Close Lane, Halifax, was jailed for 11 years at Bradford Crown Court after a jury convicted him of raping her and sexually assaulting her twice.

The court heard he attacked her in the early hours while she was heavily intoxicated, drifting in and out of consciousness and physically unable to resist. He was said to have “preyed on her helplessness”.

In a statement read to the court by prosecutor Michael Morley, the victim said she had been left feeling scared, anxious and paranoid, suffering sporadic flashbacks that left her unable to breathe.

Silcock had 40 previous convictions for 91 offences — including wounding, assault and dishonesty — dating back to 1983. Mitigating, his barrister Abigail Langford noted a significant gap in his offending since 2013 with no previous sexual offences. She said he had struggled with alcoholism and addiction and had undergone a tracheotomy during cancer treatment.

Sentencing him, His Honour Judge Ahmed Nadim said the emotional damage inflicted was “severe and long lasting” and added: “It would not be an exaggeration to say that she has lost interest in life.”

Judge Nadim described the assault as a “violation”. He ordered Silcock to serve at least two-thirds of the sentence before release on licence, to register as a sex offender for life, and imposed a 20-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

He added: “The court expresses its profound gratitude to [the victim] for the courage and the tenacity she has shown in the face of this serious violation and having had the courage to give evidence so that the defendant may be brought to justice.”

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Michael Morrice, 47, has been jailed for 14 years for raping three women in Aberdeen.

He was found guilty after a six-day trial at the High Court in Aberdeen, where Judge Summers described the crimes as a "horrific catalogue of offending" that showed a pattern of physical and sexual violence. Morrice was also convicted of assaulting the three victims.

He received an extended sentence of 17 years, meaning he will be supervised for three years after release.

The judge told Morrice:

"Your conviction for these offences is a testament to the courage and strength of those women who were prepared to speak to the police.

"It is of concern, but unsurprising, that you continue to deny any responsibility for your sexual offending.

"You have no insight in relation to the harm caused to your victims.

"You are assessed as being at very high risk of reoffending.

"It is clear, given the nature and gravity of these offences, that the only appropriate disposal is the imposition of a lengthy custodial sentence."

Detective Inspector Gordon Patullo described Morrice as a "callous predator" now facing the consequences of his actions.

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A man who raped two teenage girls as they slept has been jailed.

Stefan Dobandi, 20, of no fixed abode, appeared for sentencing at Mold Crown Court on Tuesday 24 March.

At a separate hearing in February, he admitted three counts of rape and two counts of taking an indecent photograph/ pseudo-photograph of a child.

Dobandi was jailed for 10 years, with a two-year extended license period.

He was also handed 10 year restraining orders to protect the victims, an indefinite sexual harm prevention order and subject to notification requirements for life.

Between May and June last year, Dobandi raped two teenage girls in Flintshire, on separate occasions, as they slept.

During the early hours of 1 June, he entered an address as one of the victims slept, got into the bed she was sleeping in and raped her. 

The victim woke to find herself partly undressed, with Dobandi next to her in bed.

The previous month, another teenage girl had woken up in bed to Dobandi raping her.

He later sent voice messages to one of the victims, admitting what he had done.

Investigating officer, Detective Constable Guto Hughes said: “Dobandi has proved himself to be a predator who is a danger to women.

“There is no doubt these horrific offences will likely impact his victims forever.

“I commend their courage for speaking out and reporting his crimes, which has led to his conviction today, and prevented him from committing further sexual offences.

"Tackling violence against women and girls remains a foremost priority for North Wales Police. We are committed to identifying perpetrators, pursuing justice, and ensuring that victims receive the protection and support they need.

“We will continue to work tirelessly to hold offenders to account and to keep our communities safe."

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The man pictured below is Anthony Kingston, he is 57 and he is a paedophile.

In 2021 he raped and sexually assaulted a 10-year-old girl in Burnley.

Yesterday (23rd March) he was jailed for 14 and a half years following an investigation by Burnley CID.

Kingston’s offending came to light in February 2022 when the child victim bravely told staff at her primary school what Kingston had done to her.

Kingston was interviewed and denied any wrongdoing.

Kingston, of Roundwood Avenue, Bradford, was later charged with a number of offences.

Having failed to attend court on two previous occasions either to start or complete his trial, Kingston pleaded guilty to the following offences part way through the third attempt at a trial at Preston Crown Court in January. The offences were rape, two sexual assaults on a child under 13 and causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.

He was remanded into custody until yesterday’s sentencing hearing, where he was also ordered to sign the Sex Offender’s Register for life.  

In a statement to the court the victim’s mum said:

“My daughter used to be a happy, go lucky child, but this incident has affected her so much, she is a completely different person now to the girl she was before this crime happened to her. She used to be really good at school however, she often now gets in trouble. Again, I think this is as a result of what has happened to her, it has completely changed her as a person and taken away her innocence.”

She continued:

“I went to court for the first time in October 2024 but the trial was adjourned as Tony didn't turn up. I went to court on a second occasion in July 2025 however, this trial was adjourned again after I had stood up and given my evidence, due to Tony not turning up mid-way through the trial. It was only halfway through the third trial in January 2026 did Tony decide to do the decent thing and plead guilty for the horrific things he did to my daughter. It's disgraceful that he has dragged our family through the courts for this length of time and he will never understand the effect this has had on us all.”

DC Carla Strang, from Burnley CID, said:

“Anthony Kingston is a devious individual who isolated his victim, before committing abhorrent offences for his own sordid sexual gratification.

“His repulsive criminal conduct has had a significant impact on her. In his final act of cowardice and control he failed to attend court on two separate occasions, all while knowing the victim and her family would be there waiting to give evidence. And despite knowing what he had done, he waited until the third attempt at a trial before finally entering his guilty pleas.

“In complete contrast to Kingston, the victim has shown incredible bravery and strength throughout this process. I am pleased that after waiting nearly four years, she and her family have finally seen justice served.”

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A man who was found in possession of a number of indecent images of children has been jailed.

Lee Norman, of Orford Avenue, Warrington, appeared at Liverpool Crown Court on 5th March 2026, where he was sentenced to 10 years 8 months in prison.

The 47-year-old previously pleaded guilty to 3 counts of making an indecent image of a child, 1 count of possession of indecent images of children and one count of encouraging or assisting the commission of an offence contrary to section 25 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003.

The court heard how Cheshire Constabulary received intelligence that a Kik account had uploaded indecent images of children to the platform.

Following enquiries, officers established that the account was linked to Norman’s address in Warrington.

On Tuesday 15 April 2025, officers from the Online Child Abuse Investigation Team (OCAIT) carried out a warrant at the address, where they seized a number of electronic devices. Norman was later arrested at his workplace.

He was released on bail to allow for the digital forensic examination of his devices, which were later found to contain 141 indecent images and videos of children, and 15 extreme images and videos of extreme pornography.

Norman continued to offend despite being on police bail. Officers were made aware by colleagues at the Northwest Regional Organised Crime Unit that Norman was engaging with one of their online decoys.

He believed the decoy had access to a 12-year-old girl and arranged to meet them at Burtonwood Service Station in Warrington so that he could sexually abuse the child.

Instead, he was greeted by plain clothed officers from the Cheshire online child abuse team and immediately arrested.

Norman was subsequently charged with multiple offences.

Following his sentencing, Detective Constable Rachel Owen said:

“Norman was intent on offending and his behaviour only escalated, even when he was on police bail.

“He is clearly an incredibly dangerous individual who is fixated on harming children. His sentence reflects the severity of his actions and the risk he poses to the public.

“We want to make it clear that online child abuse material is not a victimless crime. There are real, innocent children that are forced to endure obscene acts of violence, and anyone found to be engaging with this kind of content will face the full force of the law.”

In addition to his custodial sentence, Norman was ordered to sign the Sex Offenders’ Register. He was also given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).

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A 57-year-old man has been jailed for more than four years after he pleaded guilty to 11 child sex offences.

Between 1995 and 2000, Darren James Wood sexually assaulted a girl on numerous occasions. Then, between 2013 and 2019, Wood repeatedly sexually assaulted another girl.

The offences came to light in 2024 when both girls, now women, reported what had happened to Northamptonshire Police.

An investigation was launched, and Wood was subsequently charged with six counts of indecent assault on a girl under 14, two counts of assault of a girl under 13 by touching, and three counts of sexual assault on a female.

After pleading guilty to all 11 offences at Northampton Crown Court in November, Wood returned to the same court in January where he was sentenced to four years and three months in prison.

Lead investigator - Detective Constable Samuel Bennett said:

“Although nothing can ever erase the awful experiences these women went through at the hands of Darren Wood, I hope the conclusion of this case provides them with a sense of justice.

“They have been through so much and this result is a testament to their bravery and strength.

“I hope this case reassures our local communities and demonstrates the seriousness and care with which we handle reports of this nature.”

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A man has been jailed for more than two decades after sexually abusing three pre-teen girls.

The abuse, which started as far back as the late 1990s, was reported to police in 2023 and Paul Wood was arrested.

The 60-year-old was subsequently charged and remanded.

He denied committing 17 sexual offences against three victims and the case was sent to trial.

On 10 March, he was found guilty of all charges by a jury:

• x5 counts of rape of a girl under 13
• x10 counts of assault by touching a girl under 13
• x1 count of sexual assault
• x1 count of attempt rape of girl under 13

Wood, of Wendover Rise, Cleethorpes, Lincs. was sentenced that same day.

A judge ordered him to serve a 21-year prison term and handed Wood an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Detective Constable Natalie Jones, officer in the case, said:

“The victims in the case have shown great courage from the outset of this investigation, and I’d like to thank them for coming forward and reporting Wood’s abuse.

“Disclosing abuse is never easy and we know that many people keep it a secret for a long time before feeling able to talk about it or report it.

“This case is testament to the fact that no matter when sexual abuse happened, we will investigate it and seek justice.

“Wood is a dangerous paedophile who belongs behind bars.

“I hope that the three young women in this case can now seek to move forward with their lives, knowing that Wood has been held publicly accountable for what he did to them.”

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Iain Wares, 86, a former teacher accused of historical sex abuse by scores of former pupils at Edinburgh Academy and Fettes College — including BBC presenter Nicky Campbell — has been found guilty in South Africa of indecently assaulting a former pupil.

Wares taught in Scotland in the 1960s and 1970s and now lives in Cape Town, where the high court ruled in 2024 he could be extradited. The process was delayed after Scottish authorities added further charges.

In a separate case, a Cape Town court convicted him of indecent assault against a student over alleged sexual abuse in the 1980s. Sentencing has been postponed until 13 May.

Scottish prosecutors first requested his extradition in 2018, leading to his arrest the following year. He was arrested again last October under a UK warrant and released on bail, with a hearing scheduled for 16 April. The additional charges include 60 counts of sexual assault, four of rape and 25 of assault.

Wares denies the charges and has fought against extradition.

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A phone store manager who stole videos and images of children from his customers mobile phones for his sexual gratification has been jailed.

Steven Drew, 38, of Newstead Way, Loughborough, Leicestershire appeared at Lincoln Crown Court earlier today (23 March) where he was jailed for seven years. Drew will also serve an extra two years on licence for the following:

• Sexual assault of a girl aged under 13.
• Five counts of taking indecent images of children.
• Three counts of making indecent images of children.
• Possession of prohibited images of children.
• Possession of extreme images.
• Two counts of voyeurism.
• Possession of a Paedophile manual.
• Three counts of causing a computer to perform function to secure/enable unauthorised access to a programme or data.

In 2022, Lincolnshire Police received information that an Emule user, a file sharing website, had shared and was offering to share indecent images of children online. A warrant was executed at an address in Lincolnshire on 11 January 2023, and Drew, who was living and working in Lincolnshire at the time, was arrested two days later on suspicion of distributing indecent images of children.

His digital devices were seized during the warrant. After forensic examination, detectives uncovered thousands of Category A-C images, as well as prohibited images of children and extreme images, with some of them dating all the way back to 2007.  It was also found that Drew had been using his position as a manager in a phone shop to obtain images and videos of children when customers would bring their devices in.

Drew was further arrested on 8 January 2024 for possession of indecent images of children, taking indecent images of children and voyeurism. He was released on bail with one of the conditions being not having contact with any child under the age of 18.

Other evidence found on the 38-year-old’s phone also showed that he had sexually assaulted a young girl under 13 prior to him being arrested.

Whilst Drew was on bail the Paedophile Online Investigation Team (POLIT) worked tirelessly with their victim identification colleagues to ensure Drew’s victims were identified and safeguarded.

Drew was arrested for a third time in June 2025, on suspicion of 14 offences and was remanded into custody. During investigations it was found that Drew continued to take indecent images of children whilst he was on bail.

He pleaded guilty to 17 counts at a hearing at Lincoln Crown Court on Thursday 30 October and remained in custody until his next court appearance.  

Drew has been placed on the sex offenders’ register for life and has also been given a lifetime Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).

The officer in charge of the investigation, DC Nicola Paradowski from POLIT, said:

“Drew is a dangerous individual who has manipulated and exploited people to obtain images of their children for his sexual gratification. The type of offending Drew has conducted is abhorrent, and it’s evident from this case that Drew has a clear sexual interest in children, and that he would stop at nothing to fulfil his needs.

“I would like to thank the families for their courage and support throughout the investigation, even though this has been a deeply upsetting time for them. Lincolnshire Police take this type of offending extremely seriously and we continue to be relentless in our pursuit to bring people like Drew to justice.”

Judge Hirst who passed today’s sentence stated that Drew had a long-standing sexual interest in children and that he posed a significant risk of causing serious harm.  Judge Hirst therefore deemed Drew as a dangerous offender which means he will serve an extended sentence period in prison.

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Detectives have secured an evidence-led prosecution that resulted in a violent sex offender being put behind bars.

Simon Evans, aged 56 and of Weymouth, was sentenced to 12 years in prison with an extended licence period of a further three years. He was also placed on the sex offenders’ register for an indefinite period.

The defendant subjected the victim to a prolonged and violent sexual assault during the evening of Friday 20 June into the early hours of Saturday 21 June 2025 at an address in Weymouth.

The victim was unconscious throughout the assault, which was photographed and filmed by the defendant. He later threatened to share the intimate footage with other people.

The matter was reported to Dorset Police on Sunday 22 June 2025 and that evening, Evans was arrested and taken into custody.

A detailed investigation ensued and although the victim felt unable to support the investigation, detectives worked hard to gather other evidence through a forensic examination of the defendant’s phone, address searches, DNA samples and analysing footage.

Evans was charged with rape, sexual assault and 11 counts of sexual assault by penetration.

He was sentenced at Bournemouth Crown Court on Friday 20 March 2026 after pleading guilty to all of the charges against him.

Police Staff Investigator Samantha Sheppard, of Dorset Police, said:

“Simon Evans subjected the victim to a prolonged and horrific sexual assault and documented the entire ordeal, all while she was unconscious.

“Detectives worked extremely hard to gather enough evidence to ensure Evans could be held accountable for his appalling and contemptible actions.

“Tackling violence against women and girls is a key Force priority and we are committed to supporting victims and ensuring robust action is taken against perpetrators.

“There are many reasons a victim may choose not to support a criminal investigation, but I hope that the result of this case, secured without the victim being in a position to support the investigation, helps and inspires other victims of rape and sexual offences to find the strength to come forward and report matters to us. Victims can be assured that they will be fully supported by specially trained officers and that we will thoroughly investigate the offences.”

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Swansea shop worker jailed for grooming and attempting to meet 13-year-old girl for sex

A Swansea shop worker who groomed a 13-year-old girl and tried to lure her to his home for sexual activity was arrested by police after her mother discovered the plan and raised the alarm.

Prasad Saravanan, 24, of Russell Street, pleaded guilty at Swansea Crown Court to meeting a girl under 16 following sexual grooming and inciting a girl under 16 to engage in sexual activity.

Prosecutor Georgia Donohue said Saravanan knew the girl was underage after repeatedly speaking to her while she wore her school uniform. He obtained her number and they communicated via Snapchat and WhatsApp.

The girl asked him for a cannabis cigarette. Her mother found their WhatsApp messages and blocked him, but contact continued on Snapchat.

In October 2024, Saravanan invited the 13-year-old to his home. She said she would do “anything he wants”, including performing oral sex when asked.

On 24 October, while the girl was travelling to the meeting, her mother grew suspicious after a phone call and texted Saravanan pretending to be her daughter’s friend. He confirmed the rendezvous. Officers arrested him at the location before the girl arrived.

The girl’s mother said in an impact statement that her daughter was a “kind and trusting” girl “still learning about the world” and that Saravanan had manipulated an “emotionally vulnerable child”.

Defending, Walter Verkaik said Saravanan, originally from Chennai in India, had come to the UK to study. He produced references describing him as a “moral person”, including from a university lecturer. His right to remain in the UK has now been withdrawn and he wishes to return to India.

Judge Catherine Richards said Saravanan had “groomed and manipulated” the young girl. She noted the positive references but said his future plans had been “significantly altered”.

He was sentenced to 31 months in prison after receiving a 25% discount for his guilty plea. He will serve 40% of the sentence in custody. Saravanan was also placed on the sex offenders register for life and made subject to a five-year sexual harm prevention order.

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A man from the West Midlands has appeared at Swindon Crown Court today (18 March) and been sentenced to more than six years having pleaded guilty to a sexual offence against a child. 

Thomas Brewerton, 25, from Cot Lane, Stourbridge, was arrested by SWROCU officers in November last year having travelled from his home to Swindon with the intention of sexually abusing a girl under the age of 13. Instead of meeting with the child whom he intended to sexually abuse, he was met by police officers.  

Brewerton pleaded guilty to arranging or facilitating the commission of an offence of causing or inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity (penetration). He was remanded in custody.

Today, the judge sentenced Brewerton to six years and four months and handed him an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO). 

DI Dave Wells from SWROCU said:

“This case represents an appalling intention to commit a devastating offence. Thomas Brewerton is a dangerous individual who sought to rape a child and my officers acted swiftly to detain him.

“My team is part of a national network of specialist officers who are across the internet looking to track down people with a sexual interest in children and intervene before any harm can occur. The sentence handed down to Brewerton today, along with the conditions of his SHPO, will help protect the most vulnerable people in our communities and keep them safe from sexual harm.” 

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A man who raped two women in Peterborough has been jailed for 26 years.

Wayne Lightfoot, 36, met his first victim while on a night out on 4 September 2022.

They went to the victim’s home and had consensual sex. Later that night he forced himself upon her, despite being clearly told, “no”, and that he needed to leave, he raped her.

On 26 August last year, Lightfoot went on a date with his second victim in Peterborough before going back to his house in Stanton Square, Hampton Hargate.

When they arrived, the victim changed her mind and said she wanted to leave but he violently assaulted her, took her phone away and raped her.

Following a trial, Lightfoot was found guilty at Peterborough Crown Court of four counts of rape, seven counts of sexual assault and false imprisonment.

On Friday (20 March) he was sentenced at the same court to 26 years in prison.

He was also handed an indefinite Restraining Order and Sexual Harm Prevention Order.