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Clitheroe sex offender jailed after indecent images found on laptop

Richard De’Andrade, 56, of Duck Street, Clitheroe, has been jailed after police found indecent images of children on a laptop seized during monitoring of a sexual harm prevention order.

De’Andrade was already subject to that order after a 2016 suspended sentence at Leeds Crown Court for making indecent images.

On 19 February last year, officers attended his home and seized a laptop. Forensic examination found one category A image, one category B image and 23 category C images of children.

Prosecuting at Preston Crown Court, Paul Brookwell said the images were in thumbnail form, which meant De’Andrade had previously viewed them in full. Police also recovered a USB stick concealed under a tray that had not been made available for inspection, breaching the existing order. Analysis of the USB found no offending material.

De’Andrade admitted the offences. Defending, Bob Elias offered little mitigation, describing the offences as “unpleasant,” and asked the court to consider the defendant’s ill health and that he is awaiting a heart operation.

Sentencing, Judge Michael Maher said: “You are a person with considerable technical ability and experience in the field of cyber security and computing.

“It may be a relatively small number of images, but people like you create a demand for this filth, so you contribute to the continued harm of the children depicted.”

De’Andrade was sentenced to 16 months in prison. The previous sexual harm prevention order was quashed and replaced with a new 15-year order. He will also be subject to sex offender notification requirements for 15 years. A deprivation order was made for the laptop and USB stick.

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Officers have praised the actions of security staff from a Leeds pub who intervened to protect a woman being attacked nearby.    

It comes as Ibrahim Albashir, aged 34, of no fixed abode, was today (25 August) made the subject of a hospital order at Leeds Crown Court after pleading guilty to attempted murder. He was sentenced to 25 years imprisonment and was told he will be detained in hospital for as long as necessary and that if he is discharged from hospital will serve the remainder of his sentence in prison.

Shortly after 9pm on 17 March 2024, police were called to Otley Road, Leeds, to a report from a member of security staff at The Original Oak pub that a man had attacked a woman with a glass bottle by a nearby bus stop. The caller and a colleague had intervened and stopped the victim from being attacked further.

Emergency services attended at the scene and the victim, who is now aged 32, was found to have lacerations to her neck, chest, head and hands and was taken to hospital for immediate treatment.    

The perpetrator was identified as Albashir who was arrested at the scene. He was taken to hospital to be checked over before being taken into police custody.  

Detective Inspector Richard James, of Leeds CID, said:

“Albashir has approached a lone woman and subjected her to a ferocious, sustained attack which has only stopped thanks to the intervention of these security staff.    

“Thankfully they heard the victim’s screams and rushed to her aid, potentially putting themselves in harm's way to protect her. They have not only detained Albashir but also treated the victim’s injuries until the attendance of paramedics. Without their actions, this could very easily have been a murder investigation.    

“It is hard for anyone to imagine the traumatic experience that the victim has been subjected to. Albashir has been convicted of the offence he committed against her, and I hope that this helps her find some form of closure on this truly awful chapter of her life.  

“We also understand the wider public concern that an incident such as this can cause. We will not tolerate violence against women and girls, and this investigation has been treated with the upmost seriousness since the outset.  

“We gathered the evidence that has resulted in Albashir being charged with and admitting an offence of attempted murder. The court has found, following expert medical advice, that Albashir is suffering from a mental disorder and should be detained within a hospital setting so that he can receive appropriate treatment.” 

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A Kirklees man has been jailed for 18 years after being convicted of multiple counts of rape.

Stephen Degnan, aged 47, from Heckmondwike was jailed at Leeds Crown Court today ( Monday 24 August) for five counts of  rape.

The 47-year-old had been found guilty by a jury at a trial in June of the offences which he committed against a woman in the Kirklees area.

He was also made subject of a restraining order preventing him from contacting the victim on his release from prison

DC Isaac Taylor of Kirklees District Police, who led the investigation, said:

“We welcome the sentence imposed by the court on Degnan for what were appalling sexual offences, as reflected in the sentence imposed by the court today.

“The survivor in this case has shown real courage in coming forward and supporting both the police and CPS in bringing this prosecution and then through the trial process.  I hope she can take some comfort in seeing Degnan sentenced for this appalling offending

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A drug dealer who exploited and raped a teenage girl has been jailed for more than 22 years.

James Conroy, 43, of no fixed abode but from the Ely area, was arrested in September last year following reports he had been grooming the victim.

During a police search of a property in Soham, officers found signs of drug use, along with the victim’s belongings. Conroy was arrested and released on bail with conditions not to contact the victim or anyone under the age of 18.

A month later, it came to light that Conroy had raped the victim. He was arrested again and further bail conditions were imposed, including not going near the victim’s home. Officers also found three bags of white powder and £330 in cash in his car.

However, just days later, Conroy was seen leaving a shop close to where the victim lived and he began sending the victim a series of abusive, degrading and threatening messages across multiple social media platforms.

The victim did not respond to the messages, which included threats to murder people known to her, describing himself as "a martyr". In further messages, Conroy offered the victim drugs if she met him before subjecting her to further abuse, calling her names, telling her to die and threatening her with a meat cleaver.

The next day, officers stopped Conroy in his car at a garage in Ely and arrested him. A search of the vehicle uncovered 12 bags of cocaine with a street value of about £1000, along with a mobile phone and cash.

Following a trial in April, Conroy was found guilty of rape, engaging in controlling and coercive behaviour, witness intimidation, offering to supply cocaine and supplying a class A drug, namely cocaine.

He had previously pleaded guilty to two counts of possession with intent to supply a class A drug, namely cocaine.

At Cambridge Crown Court on Wednesday (19 August), Conroy was sentenced to 22 years and five months in prison. He was also given a restraining order, placed on the Sex Offenders Register and handed a sexual harm prevention order.

Detective Constable Melanie Millar, who investigated, said:

"Conroy exploited and abused a vulnerable teenager for his own gratification before attempting to control, intimidate and manipulate her.

"Despite being arrested and placed on strict bail conditions, he continued to pursue the victim, sending her a barrage of abusive and threatening messages and showing a complete disregard for the law.

"I would like to commend the victim for the bravery and resilience she has shown throughout this investigation and court process. I hope this sentence provides her with some reassurance that Conroy can no longer cause harm.

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A child sex offender has been jailed for 16 years after being convicted of a catalogue of recent and non-recent sexual offences in a joint Devon & Cornwall Police and South West Regional Organised Crime Unit (SWROCU) investigation.

John Woodley-Rennie, 39, from Ocean Street, Plymouth, appeared at Plymouth Crown Court for sentence on Friday 21 August after pleading guilty to 16 charges including:

• Taking an indecent photo of a child 
• Distributing an indecent photograph of a child
• Engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child
• Causing or inciting a boy under 13 to engage in sexual activity
• Engaging in sexual communication with a child
• Arranging or facilitating the commission of a child sex offence
• Attempted sexual communication with a child
• Making indecent images of children

Woodley-Rennie was first arrested in January 2025 after he travelled within Plymouth to meet with who he believed was a teenage boy. Instead, he was met by officers from SWROCU and arrested.

Devon and Cornwall Police launched a further investigation in July 2025 when, following his arrest by SWROCU earlier in the year, Woodley-Rennie attended Charles Cross Station and reported that he had carried out the sexual abuse of a male child in the 2010s in the Plymouth area.

The abuse took place on a numerous occasions over a prolonged period of time and was filmed or photographed by Woodley-Rennie.

Woodley-Rennie told the officers that he carried out and photographed the abuse at the request of a man he had met on Grindr. The man Woodley-Rennie claimed to be acting on behalf of has not yet been identified.

Detective Inspector Dave Wells from SWROCU said:

“Working closely with Devon and Cornwall Police, we have collectively ensured a dangerous sex offender has been taken out of our communities after committing offences which span years. 

“We are committed to working with police forces in our region, nationally and internationally to protect children by ensuring such dangerous individuals are identified and brought to justice.” 

Detective Constable Becca Boulton from Devon & Cornwall Police said:

“We welcome the sentence given to John Woodley-Rennie at Plymouth Crown Court today.

“Woodley-Rennie routinely abused his victim, photographing the abuse.

“The offences took place over many years and no doubt had a considerable psychological impact on the victim.

“I’d like to thank the victim for having the strength to talk about what happened to him and remaining engaged throughout the court process.

“We hope he is able to feel some closure knowing that a dangerous sexual predator has been taken off the streets for some time.”

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A child sexual abuser from Worcester has been sentenced to four years in prison for non-recent offences.

Liam Bunton, 35, of Ransom Avenue, Worcester, was convicted of two counts of engaging in penetrative sexual activity with a teenage girl when he appeared at Worcester Crown Court on Friday (21 August).

Bunton (pictured) was sentenced to four years in prison for each offence to run concurrently, ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £170, ordered to sign the sex offenders’ register indefinitely, and handed a restraining order against his victim until 2038.

Bunton’s offences occurred in the past decade and began when he started contacting his victim via Snapchat.

The offences were reported to West Mercia Police last year and an investigation was started by officers.

When interviewed, Bunton have ‘no comment’ responses but he was charged in December and sentenced at court on Friday.

Detective Sergeant Callum Godwin, of Reactive CID, said:

“We are pleased to get a custodial term for Bunton who preyed on an underage girl, after initially contacting her on Snapchat.

“We hope this result shows predators like him will be brought to justice for their offences, even if they are non-recent ones.

“We also hope this court result will encourage others to come forward and report sexual offences, not matter when they occurred.

“We will always listen to you, take you seriously and take action where appropriate.”

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A Walsall man has been jailed for more than 25 years after being found guilty of sex offences against young girls.

John Robinson, 61, abused three teenage girls while living in the Walsall area over more than 20 years, giving them alcohol and making indecent images of his offending.

The offences all took place between 2000 and 2023 and happened when the girls were teenagers.

We arrested and charged Robinson after one of the girls, now an adult, came forward to tell her story.

In the subsequent investigation, two more girls were identified and officers from our Rape and Serious Sexual Assault (RASSO) team were able to make contact with them and hear their story.

A Walsall man has been jailed for more than 25 years after being found guilty of sex offences against young girls.

John Robinson, 61, abused three teenage girls while living in the Walsall area over more than 20 years, giving them alcohol and making indecent images of his offending.

The offences all took place between 2000 and 2023 and happened when the girls were teenagers.

We arrested and charged Robinson after one of the girls, now an adult, came forward to tell her story.

In the subsequent investigation, two more girls were identified and officers from our Rape and Serious Sexual Assault (RASSO) team were able to make contact with them and hear their story.

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A man from Burnley has been jailed for breaching his Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

In 2019 Eamon Brewster was made subject to an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) and placed on the sex offenders register for life.

As part of the conditions of his SHPO, Brewster was required to register any new devices with police within three days of purchase.

In August this year, officers attended Brewster’s home address to carry out a home compliance visit. During this visit they discovered a new laptop belonging to Brewster which he had not made them aware of.

Following enquiries, it was established that the laptop had been used for the last few weeks. As a result, Brewster was arrested for breaching his SHPO.

Brewster, 70, formerly of Parker Lane, Burnley appeared at Preston Crown Court for sentence on Saturday 15th August having pleaded guilty to one count of breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order. 

He was jailed for a year.

PC Anthony Hogan of the Management of Sexual Offenders and Violent Offenders team at East Division said:

“Brewster breached his Sexual Harm Prevention Order by purchasing and using a new laptop without notifying police.

“He disregarded the order imposed on him by the court but was caught out by our team making unannounced visits to monitor his behaviour.

“I welcome the prison sentence handed out, it shows that breaching orders put in place by the court will not be tolerated.”

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Sex offender jailed after failing to declare internet devices

A registered sex offender has been sent back to prison after failing to tell police he had internet-enabled devices, in breach of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).

Rafikul Ashrafi, 35, admitted three counts of breaching the order at Crewe Magistrates’ Court. He was jailed for 12 months.

The SHPO was imposed at Manchester Crown Court in August 2025 and is intended to restrict his ability to commit further sexual offences. Such orders allow specialist officers to monitor offenders through measures including home visits and checks on electronic devices.

Ashrafi committed the breaches on 30 July 2026 while living in Warrington. He failed to notify police that he possessed an iPhone, a Samsung mobile phone and a Lenovo Legion computer. Possession of those devices is lawful for the general public, but not declaring them was prohibited under the terms of his order.

Magistrates took his guilty plea into account but said the offences were so serious that only a custodial sentence could be justified. They said the case was aggravated by his previous convictions for similar offences, and by the fact that he was subject to licence conditions and a court order at the time. The court also noted that the breaches were committed “so soon” after his previous release from custody.

Ashrafi, formerly of Bewsey Street, Warrington, and now of HMP Altcourse, was not ordered to pay court costs. He must pay a £187 victim surcharge. The SHPO remains in force.

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A man from Gloucester who sexually abused two girls has been sentenced to six years in prison.

Michael Joynes, aged 69 and from Brockworth, appeared at Gloucester Crown Court for sentencing this morning (Friday 21 August).

As well as being jailed, Joynes was issued with a 15-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order and restraining orders preventing him from contacting the two victims.

The judge heard how Joynes had repeatedly sexually abused two girls under the age of 13 between 2017 and 2019.

Several years later the survivors bravely came forward and told friends and relatives about Joynes' actions before making a police report.

An investigation was launched by Gloucestershire Constabulary's Public Protection Unit and the Crown Prosecution Service later authorised eight charges of sexual assault of a child under 13, contrary to section 7(1) of the sexual offences act 2003.

Joynes pleaded not guilty to all charges against him and the case went to trial. 

A jury later found Joynes guilty of six of the sexual assault counts, not guilty of one of the counts and were unable to reach a decision on another count.

Acting Detective Inspector Jennifer Adams said:

"I would like to thank the victims for their bravery, courage and strength in reporting this to us and providing such clear accounts of what had happened.

"I know the sentence given today won’t take away the horrific memories they now carry; however, I hope it does allow them to move on from the horrible crimes that Joynes subjected them to."

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A former teacher has been jailed for engaging in sexual activity with a teenage boy.

Emily Drury, 26, of Tuplin Road, Mablethorpe, appeared at Lincoln Crown Court today, Friday 21 August, charged with five offences of sexual activity with a teenage boy.

She pleaded guilty to the charge of engaging in non-penetrative sexual activity with a teenage boy, and four charges of engaging in penetrative sexual activity with a teenage boy.

She was sentenced to four years and six months in prison. She must serve at least half of the sentence before being considered for released. She was also given a sexual harm prevention order and a restraining order to last five years,  and was placed on the sex offenders’ register for life*.

The court heard how Drury had engaged in sexual behaviour with the minor on numerous occasions whilst acting as a private tutor between May and June 2025. She had offered to tutor the boy after lower-than-expected mock exam results, to help him pass his GCSE exams.

In a statement read out in court, the victim said:

"She was kind to me. She would say positive things to me, buy me clothes, she would talk to me and made me feel better about myself. I trusted her and confided in her about some very personal things.”

He went on to describe how he felt after the allegations had been made, he said:

“I felt judged. I felt that people blamed me. I felt unable to simply be a child. I worried that people would not take me seriously because I am a boy. I believed there was a stigma attached to being a male victim of sexual abuse, and that fear made it even harder to cope.”

The victim initially had concerns about how his allegation would be perceived because he was a teenage boy, and the offender was an adult woman - in a position of trust and authority. We reassured him that gender is never a factor in how reports of sexual abuse are investigated and that he would be treated with the same care, sensitivity, and support as any other victim. Throughout the investigation, we worked closely with him to help him understand the criminal justice process and ensure he felt supported every step of the way.

The offender prolonged what was already an extremely difficult experience by delaying her guilty plea until the very last opportunity. As a result, the victim spent many months living with uncertainty about the outcome of the case. Despite these challenges, he showed remarkable courage and resilience. His willingness to come forward and remain engaged throughout the investigation has been instrumental in bringing the offender to justice.

The officer leading this case from East Lindsey’s Protecting Vulnerable People Unit, Detective Constable Julie Jode, said:

Drury abused her position of trust and exploited the access she had to a vulnerable young person for her own purposes. As an adult in a position of authority, she was expected to provide guidance, support, and protection. Instead, she used that position to target and manipulate someone who should have been able to trust her implicitly.

Offences of this nature can have a profound and lasting impact on victims, particularly when they involve a significant imbalance of power and an abuse of trust. The victim in this case was forced to navigate an incredibly difficult and challenging period of his life while also facing the uncertainty of a lengthy criminal justice process. The fact that the offender delayed accepting responsibility only added to that ordeal.

Throughout the investigation, the victim showed exceptional courage, dignity, and resilience. He came forward despite concerns about how he might be perceived and remained committed to seeing the process through. His bravery has been instrumental in securing this outcome and ensuring the offender has been held accountable for her despicable actions.

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A man who arranged to meet a child for sex has been jailed – after he was caught by officers online.

David Horne, 57, has been handed a lengthy prison sentence after he arranged to meet a 14-year-old girl he had been speaking to online.

However, he was actually speaking to an officer from the North East Regional Organised Crime Unit (NEROCU) conducting an investigation alongside the Eastern Region Special Operations Unit (ERSOU) with the support of Durham Constabulary.

Following his arrest on March 9, he was subsequently charged with a number of sexual offences including, attempt to engage in sexual communication with a child, attempt to cause a child to look at an image of sexual activity, attempt to cause a child to engage in sexual activity, and breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

On Wednesday (August 19) he appeared at Teesside Crown Court for sentencing having pleaded guilty to all charges on May 21.

Horne was sentenced to a total of nine years imprisonment.

Speaking after the sentencing, NEROCU Detective Constable Georgina Lewis, said:

“This has been a complex investigation which has thankfully helped secured a great outcome at court.

“Horne is behind bars for a substantial amount of time where he will no longer be a danger to children.
“I want to thank our partners in ERSOU and Durham Constabulary who supported us in this investigation – another strong display of the power of partnership working.

“Under Operational Sentinel, we will continue to work with our partners to tackle online child abuse and sexual exploitation and would urge anyone who has been a victim of this type of offending, or has concerns about someone’s behaviour, to come forward and talk to police.”

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Alexander Storey, 47, jailed after police find over 1.5 million child abuse images on his computer.

A convicted sex offender who previously served a life sentence for attempting to rape a teenage girl has been jailed after police uncovered more than a million images and videos of child abuse material on his computer.

Alexander Storey, 47, of HMP Channings Wood, was sentenced at Southampton Crown Court after officers discovered a vast collection of indecent images of children.

Prosecutor Keeley Harvey told the court that police received information that someone at Storey’s Southampton address had been accessing child abuse material online. Officers attended the property on 7 March 2025 and seized several electronic devices, including a computer tower built by Storey.

Storey initially made no comment in interview. Two days later he admitted the computer contained the images. He told officers he “wanted to test his boundaries by looking at indecent images to see if he would be aroused by them” and that he “had been physically aroused but not emotionally so.”

He pleaded guilty to making 310 Category A images, 338 Category B images and 2,435 Category C images of children. Category A images are the most serious. Investigators also found a further 1,542,256 images and 1,085,573 videos that had not been categorised due to the volume of material recovered.

The court heard that Storey has a long history of sexual offending, including the attempted rape of a 15-year-old girl whom he followed onto a secluded footpath. He received a life sentence for that offence and served 18 years in prison before his release in 2022.

Defence barrister David Storry said Storey had made full admissions and cooperated with the investigation. He asked the court to note that the offences were non-contact and that Storey had never attempted to communicate with a child.

Judge William Mousley KC sentenced Storey to two years’ imprisonment with an extended licence period of three years. The computer used in the offences was ordered to be forfeited and destroyed.

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The incredible bravery of a vulnerable girl disclosing a horrific incident has resulted in a man being handed a custodial sentence for rape of a child.

Following a missing from home episode, the girl, who was aged 12 at the time, was found in the company of then 28-year-old Adam Batley.

Batley was promptly arrested and an investigation launched.

The victim made some initial disclosers to her social workers of the abuse Batley subjected her to, and this was promptly reported to the BSAFE, a dedicated child sexual exploitation team in Barnsley. The victim later courageously disclosed to officers how Batley had plied her with drugs and raped her while she was semi-conscious under the influence of drugs and alcohol.

Batley was re-arrested and interviewed, but failed to admit the horrific actions, answering 'no comment' in his police interview. Batley further showed no remorse and pled not guilty in one of his first court appearances, meaning the girl had to go through an upsetting court trial.

Detective Constable Alessio Godhard, who was the officer in charge of the case said:

"No words can explain just how brave the girl was during this whole process, from her initial disclosure, through to the sentencing at court.

"Batley preyed on her vulnerabilities and used this to gain personal satisfaction.

"The girl in this case will continue to be supported by the BSAFE team and colleagues from social care.

"We take any report of sexual abuse seriously - you will be believed and listened to. Please report it to us so we can investigate and get these dangerous offenders behind bars."

Batley, 30, from Barnsley, was found guilty of one count of rape of a girl under the age of 13 on 31 July, following a seven day trial at Sheffield Crown Court.

He appeared at the same court today (19 August) and was handed a nine year custodial sentence and an indefinite Restraining Order.

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Ian Moffat, 63, from York has been sentenced at York Crown Court to 22 years and eight months on 20 August 2026 for raping and sexually assaulting a girl during the last decade, and possessing 149 indecent images of children.

Moffat has been placed on the sex offenders register indefinitely and issued with a sexual harm prevention order until further order. The court also ordered the destruction of a computer tower.

The abuse was disclosed to North Yorkshire Police in December 2023 and an investigation commenced.

After his initial arrest in December 2023, his digital devices were seized as part of the investigation and examined by our Digital Forensics Unit. It was discovered that his desktop computer contained 149 indecent images of children. Moffat was then further arrested for possession of indecent images of children.

Moffat has been remanded in custody until his sentencing.

The offences he was charged with which Moffat pleaded not guilty to on 1 September 2025, but was found guilty of on 9 July 2026 at York Crown Court after a one-day trial:

• Two counts of sexually assaulting a girl
• Six counts of raping a girl

The offences Moffat pleaded guilty to on 1 September 2025:

• Making 21 Category A indecent photographs of children
• Making 18 Category B indecent photographs of children
• Making 110 Category C indecent photographs of children

Detective Constable James Stewart, from North Yorkshire Police's Safeguarding Investigation Team said:

"During each interview, Moffat only replied with no comment and by pleading not guilty shows his lack of acceptance of any responsibility for the horrendous sexual abuse he subjected his victim to for a number of years.

"I praise the victim for having the courage to report the abuse she endured, and commend her bravery for seeing through the investigation. I hope justice being served to Moffat helps the victim with some form of closure, to help her to proceed with her life the best she can.

"I also hope this helps other victims find the bravery to report to police, please know that it doesn't matter when the abuse took place, you will be listened to."