Latest Offenders

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Owen Evans from Barry has been jailed for sex offences.

Evans, 39, was sentenced to seven years in custody, plus an extended licence period of three years, at Newport Crown Court.

Evans met and groomed the victim online.

His offending came to an end when the girl bravely confided in a friend and a report was made to South Wales Police.

Evans initially denied any contact with the victim or ever meeting her.

However, he later pleaded guilty to:

• meeting a girl under 16 years of age following grooming
• engaging in non-penetrative sexual activity with girl 13 to 15,
• engaging in sexual communication with a child
  making an indecent photograph of a child.
• During sentencing on Friday, April 10, the judge commended the victim for her bravery and the Officer in the Case (OIC) for the standard of the investigation.

OIC DC Tom Hurley, from South Wales Police, said:

“The victim has shown remarkable courage and strength to pursue this matter.
“We hope the outcome at court brings her some peace and gives her confidence to start feeling safe again.
“It’s also important to acknowledge the fantastic support she received from family and friends.
“Thanks to them all, we have been able to convict a man who is clearly a significant threat to young girls.”

As part of the sentencing, Evans will have to register as a sex offender indefinitely and was made the subject of a 10-year sexual harm prevention order.

A restraining order was made preventing him from contacting his victim until further notice.

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A child sexual predator has been jailed – after arranging to watch the sexual abuse of a child online.

Tony Bonner, 62, is now behind bars after he was caught making arrangements to watch a live stream of a 12-year-old girl being sexually abused.

In 2023, Bonner engaged in communication with someone online who he believed had access to children overseas who he could watch being sexually assaulted via live stream and eventually meet. 

However, what he didn’t realise was he was actually speaking to a police officer who was closing in through their investigation.

A strike was planned, and in June 2024 Bonner was arrested by officers from the North East Regional Organised Crime Unit (NEROCU) with the support of Northumbria Police.

Officers also seized electronic devices to further build their evidence case and discovered indecent photographs/videos of children.

Bonner was subsequently charged with arranging the commission of a child sex offence and possession of indecent images of a child.

Faced with the overwhelming evidence against him, Bonner eventually pleaded guilty to all charges.

Today (Friday) Bonner, from South Shields, appeared at Newcastle Crown Court and was sentenced to four years in prison and a ten year Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Speaking after the sentencing, Detective Constable Lee Robertson, said:

“The vile actions of Bonner were clear and thanks to the dedicated work of officers he is now behind bars and facing the consequences of his actions.

“We 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 – support is available and you can help safeguard other vulnerable children."

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A man has been jailed for more than 2 years for possessing indecent images of children.

Jonathan Peter Clark, 47, of  The Valley in Winchester was found to be in possession of 195 indecent images after officers launched an investigation in May 2023 after he was identified as being the user of an online account suspected to have uploaded an indecent image to the internet.

He was arrested in October of the same year, and an analysis of his phone found 195 indecent images graded from A, the most serious, to C. 

Clark was charged with possession of indecent images of children, and breach of a Sexual Offences Prevention Order and pleaded guilty at Basingstoke Magistrates Court in March 2026.

He was yesterday (16 April) sentenced to 2 years and 8 months in prison at Winchester Crown Court. 

His Honour Judge Parker KC also ordered the destruction of his mobile phone and granted Clark a lifelong Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).

PC Neil Nancarrow, of the Internet Child Abuse Team, said: “Jonathan Clark is a repeat sexual offender who has continued to break the law, he clearly poses a serious risk to children and I am glad to see him put behind bars. 

“Hampshire and the Isle of Wight Constabulary is committed to keeping the children in our community safe and I hope this investigation evidences how seriously we take crimes of this nature. We will continue to work hard to bring offenders of these abhorrent crimes to justice.

“Online offending around indecent images of children is a crime. Each image represents a child that has been abused. If you are looking at, making, or distributing these images, we will take action.”

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A man from Crewe has been jailed after breaching his Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) and engaging in sexual communication with a child.

Teejay Walton was sentenced to 30 months in prison at Chester Crown Court on Thursday 9 April 2026, after pleading guilty to two breaches of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and one count of engaging in sexual communication with a child.

The court heard that the 24-year-old had been released from prison in December 2025 following a previous sexual conviction.

Alongside his custodial sentence, Walton, of Timbrell Avenue, Crewe, was placed on the Sex Offenders Register and handed a Sexual Harm Prevention Order, which remains in place until 2033.

Under the conditions of the SHPO, he was prohibited from contacting anyone under the age of 16 online and from deleting internet history stored on any digital devices.

The court was told that between 22 January and 27 January 2026, Walton used social media to engage in conversation with a child who openly told him she was 12 years old. Despite this, Walton chose to continue communicating with her.

He also deliberately changed the settings on his social media account to automatically delete messages after they had been sent, which was a clear breach of his SHPO.

On Wednesday 28 January 2026, officers from the Sexual Offender Management Unit attended Timbrell Avenue, Crewe, and arrested Walton in connection with the breaches and the sexual communication offence.

While in custody, Walton admitted that he had been speaking to someone he believed to be a under the age of 16. He also admitted breaching his SHPO by communicating with the child and by changing his social media settings, although he claimed this had been done without realising it was prohibited.

Police Constable Alex Barker, of the Sexual Offender Management Unit, said:

“Teejay Walton flagrantly breached his Sexual Harm Prevention Order within a month of being released from prison, showing that he had clearly not learned his lesson.

“As a result of his multiple breaches, and his admission that he engaged in sexualised conversations with someone he knew to be under the age of consent, he has now been returned to prison where he is paying the price for his sickening behaviour.

“Officers from the Sexual Offender Management Unit regularly conduct visits to those on the Sex Offenders Register and those subject to Sexual Harm Prevention Orders to ensure breaches such as those committed by Walton do not occur, and to take appropriate action against those who choose to ignore the conditions imposed on them.”

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We’ve commended the bravery of a woman whose courage has led to a man being convicted of a violent rape in Little Hulton, 22 years after the wrong man was sent to prison. 

Paul Quinn (52), now of Exeter, was today (Friday 17 April 2026) unanimously found guilty of two counts of rape, one count of choking with intent and one count of grievous bodily harm. He was convicted after a jury heard six weeks of evidence at Manchester Crown Court.

It follows the victim showing tremendous courage in supporting our investigation, which has meant reliving the attack and going through the court process for a second time.

The original investigation into the attack, in the summer of 2003, wrongly led us to the arrest and prosecution of the innocent Andrew Malkinson, who served 17 years in prison before clearing his name at the Court of Appeal in 2023.

We remain deeply sorry to the victim of this heinous attack, and Mr Malkinson, as the victim of a grave miscarriage of justice, for failing to bring the true attacker to justice during our original investigation.

Today’s verdicts bring an end to an investigation launched in 2022 when DNA samples from our original investigation, which returned no forensic hits at the time, came back to forensically match Quinn.

The events of 19 July 2003 were horrific - the victim was brutally attacked by Quinn and left for dead. Despite the severity of the attack the victim was able to provide detectives with details of her attacker, what he looked like and what he had said during the attack.

The victim recalled the attacker had a shiny appearance with a hairless chest and had his shirt open during the attack. The description provided by the victim was supported by eyewitness accounts provided in 2003 and further corroborated by evidence obtained from those close to Quinn during the reinvestigation.

Witnesses described Quinn’s prevalent sweating, his tendency to shave his chest during the summer months, and the fact that on the night of the attack he returned home without his shirt.

In 2022 a full DNA profile matching Quinn was located on the vest top the victim had been wearing when she was attacked. Quinn, then of Exeter but living in Little Hulton at the time of the attack, was arrested and interviewed.

When faced with the compelling evidence against him Quinn sought to explain away the presence of his DNA by claiming to have slept with two or three women a weekend at the time of the attack.

Quinn also claimed to have little knowledge of the incident beyond the fact that he recalled there had been some media coverage at the time, that an e-fit image of the attacker had been created and publicised by investigators, and that there had been an arrest.

However, our subsequent enquiries into Quinn’s phone history showed a considerable recent interest in the case during the time when Mr Malkinson was successfully campaigning to prove his innocence.

The investigation team worked tirelessly alongside the Crown Prosecution Service to present a clear and compelling case to the jury to prove that Quinn's explanations were nothing more than a desperate attempt to evade justice.

Throughout both investigations, the victim showed immense bravery and determination to get justice. Our investigators particularly commend her courage to support the GMP of today when having to relive the trauma of the attack during a second investigation, two decades later, to help successfully hold Quinn responsible.

Our team of investigators led a meticulous inquiry with a firm focus on bringing the right man to justice. The unprecedented circumstances of the case required detectives to assess more than 6000 documents, review 760 exhibits, and obtain 275 witness statements, including former officers.

The team has kept the victim updated throughout alongside specialist supporting agencies.

Assistant Chief Constable Steph Parker said:

“Today has come two decades too late for all involved in this horrendous case. To the victim of this heinous crime and to Andrew Malkinson, the victim of this profound miscarriage of justice, I apologise sincerely and unreservedly on behalf of Greater Manchester Police.

“I want to pay tribute to the victim who has shown unbreakable strength from day one to help bring her attacker to justice. And I commend the courage of Mr Malkinson who, despite everything, has supported this case. Our words can never repair the harm caused by this ordeal.

"Paul Quinn is a dangerous man. He is the one responsible for this horrific attack, and he has known it all along for more than 20 years. The harm he has done to the victim and the cowardice of watching the wrong man go to prison for his crime is unforgivable.

“The officers and staff working on this reinvestigation have put everything into bringing the true attacker to book. I want to thank the whole team for their unwavering commitment to getting long-awaited justice for the victim.

“However, while this is a significant moment for all concerned, I know today’s outcome only ends the criminal chapter in this case. We will continue to support the ongoing inquiry into Mr Malkinson’s wrongful conviction, and the Independent Office for Police Conduct’s investigation, to get much needed answers for all concerned.”

Detective Chief Superintendent Rebecca McKendrick, senior investigating officer on the case, said:

“My thoughts today are with the victim of this horrific attack who, despite having to relive the events of that night during a second investigation, has shown great strength in supporting the investigation team’s efforts to bring her attacker to justice. I hope that she can finally move on with her life knowing that her true attacker is now behind bars.

“Throughout this unprecedented investigation, my team and I have known the importance of making sure we get this absolutely right for everyone connected with this case.

"We began with crucial evidence that identified Quinn as a suspect, but it was only through painstaking investigative work involving numerous experts and witnesses that we have been able to satisfy the jury of Quinn’s guilt.

“Paul Quinn is a very dangerous man who has clearly been a risk to women. We are alive to the possibility he may have offended on more than this one occasion, and so I encourage anyone with information or concerns relating to the details of this case to know they can approach us in confidence.

“This case demonstrates that every contact leaves a trace. Put simply: if you’re an offender, you will be caught, and if you’re a victim, time is no barrier to justice.”

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A HAMPSHIRE university lecturer tried to kill himself after being caught in an international sting operation set up to tackle child abuse.

David Clarke, 46, was duped into believing he was chatting to another paedophile – in reality he was talking to a special agent stringing him along about exchanging sickening images of children.

The case was so disturbing that one officer investigating it had to take a break from her work at one stage because she found the work so “distressing.”

Clarke, a senior lecturer in psychology at Southampton Solent University, was later arrested at his home which he shared with his partner and their three young children.

An examination of his laptop and a memory stick revealed about 1,800 images involving children as a young as three being subjected to a horrifying catalogue of bondage, rape and sadism.

Prosecutor Tom Wright told the city crown court Clarke, who had been using chatrooms under the aliases of Davyboy, Emma Watson 27, and Kirstyandlouise, refused to give his password to the police who were unable to gain access to his accounts to determine the full amount of his trafficking.

Clarke, of Median Road, Shirley, admitted 20 charges of making, possessing and distributing still and moving images between the summer of 2009 and last November and was jailed for 30 months.

He had pleaded guilty to the charges at his preliminary hearing but sentence had been adjourned after he had tried to commit suicide.

Judge Peter Henry said: “The images concern a high number of different victims and there was a deliberate and systematic searching of the Internet for images for your sexual gratification.

“You deny you find children sexually attractive but in my view, sexual gratification is at the forefront of your offending.”

The judge said he accepted Clarke had suffered mental health problems, depression and alcoholism but he could not have misunderstood the harm he was causing children.

Stephen Tricker, defending said Clarke had “strayed” into viewing the material after searching the Internet for “interest” in other areas and then going into adult sites.

“He has expressed remorse and knows the shame he has brought upon himself and his family. He is motivated to tackle the treatment programme.”

Mr Tricker added: “His self-destruction is complete.”

In addition to the jail term, Clarke was placed on the sex offenders register and banned from working with children.

Under the terms of a sexual offences prevention order, he has restricted use of the Internet and cannot not be left alone with children except with the knowledge of the police or the child’s parents.

After the case a spokesman for Southampton Solent University said: “The individual concerned has not been present or teaching at the university for many months now.

“The university was first notified of this issue last week and has already put in place steps to address this as a matter of urgency.”

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A man has been handed a two-year jail sentence after driving from Sheffield to meet a schoolgirl from Telford he’d been speaking to online.

Awais Sheikh, of East Bawtry Road in Rotherham, was sentenced at Shrewsbury Crown Court on Monday (13 April) after he was found guilty of meeting a child following sexual grooming.

During the hearing, the court was told how the 28-year-old had contacted the girl via social media – Snapchat and Instagram – in October 2024, telling her he was 25, when in fact he was two years older.

The victim had initially ignored a friend request from Sheikh, but when she accepted it she immediately told him she was 15. Despite this, Sheikh continued to contact her, complimenting her appearance.

A few weeks later Sheikh then drove from his home in Yorkshire to Telford to pick the girl up from school.

Sheikh met her outside of school, before taking her to McDonald’s and then to a secluded spot near the Wrekin.

The girl was reported missing to police, and was found by officers at the Wrekin, where condoms and cannabis were discovered in the glovebox of Sheikh’s vehicle.

Sheikh was arrested and later charged with meeting a child following sexual grooming, which on Monday he was handed a 22-month sentence. He was given a further two months to run consecutively for activating an existing suspended sentence.

The judge also ordered that Sheikh is be added to the sex offenders register for 10 years.

Detective Constable Jack Underwood said:

"Sheikh’s actions were predatory, deliberate and deeply concerning. He travelled across the country with the clear intention of exploiting a child. There is absolutely no excuse for what he did.

"I want to pay tribute to the victim, whose courage throughout both the investigation and the court proceedings has been remarkable. Coming forward and reliving such a frightening experience takes immense strength, and her bravery has been vital in ensuring Sheikh has been brought to justice.

"We remain fully committed to protecting children from harm, identifying those who pose a risk, and working tirelessly to ensure offenders face the consequences of their actions, like Sheikh. This case shows that we will act swiftly and robustly whenever a child is put in danger."

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A sex offender who filmed upskirting videos of more than 20 victims during one evening in Soho has been jailed.

James Manchand was spotted by officers on Friday, 16 January repeatedly pacing along queues outside busy West End venues.

The plain-clothed officers initially suspected he was scouting for potential thefts and began to monitor him more closely.

Uniformed officers stepped in to conduct a search when Manchand continued to hover around groups of young women.

After providing his details, police checks revealed that Manchand was a known offender with an active Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) for a previous voyeurism offence. Under the order, he was required to hand over his phone and unlock it for inspection.

On opening the device, officers immediately discovered 29 videos involving more than 20 victims - all filmed that same evening in Soho. He was arrested at the scene.

At Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Friday, 10 April, Manchand, 62 (04.11.63), of Phoenix Street, Camden, was sentenced to 20 months’ imprisonment, and was ordered to forfeit a laptop and mobile phone.

He was also sentenced for a breach of his SHPO in December. Manchand was stopped by Met officers during a Live Facial Recognition Operation on Tottenham Court Road who found him to be using Virtual Private Network software allowing him to erase cookies and browsing history - both explicitly prohibited under his SHPO.

Detective Constable Sam Pearson, who led the investigation, said:

“Manchand’s predatory behaviour was calculated, persistent and showed a complete disregard for the women he targeted.

“Thanks to the vigilance and quick instincts of officers on patrol, we were able to intervene before he could continue offending and recover clear evidence that he had committed multiple voyeurism offences in a single evening.

“No one should have to worry about being violated in this way while simply enjoying a night out. We will continue to act swiftly and decisively against anyone who poses a threat to women and girls.”

The officers who caught Manchand were deployed under Operation Martello, which targets theft and pickpocketing hotspots across the West End. As part of the Met’s commitment to tackling violence against women and girls (VAWG), officers also proactively identify predatory behaviour in the nighttime economy.

The Met continues to prioritise the safety of women and girls and is relentlessly targeting sexual offenders to secure justice for victims. To date, 23,000 officers and staff have received new, bespoke VAWG training, strengthening investigative skills and improving support for victims.

Commander Clair Kelland, the Met’s public protection lead, said:

“Voyeurism can take many forms, but at its core it is a blatant intrusion into someone’s privacy, often carried out in crowded or busy places where victims may not immediately realise what has happened.

“There is absolutely no excuse for this behaviour. Whether motivated by sexual gratification or a desire to cause humiliation, distress or alarm, voyeurism is always deeply unsettling for those targeted.

“We also want to encourage bystanders to look out for one another. If you see someone behaving in a way that feels predatory or attempting to film under clothing, please report it to officers or venue staff straight away. Your quick action could prevent someone from being targeted.”

Manchand was charged on 17 January with:

• Recording an image under clothing to observe another without consent in relation to the Soho offences.
• Two counts of breaching his Sexual Harm Prevention Order on 10 December 2025.

The breakdown of Manchand’s sentence is as follows:

12 months’ imprisonment for each of two breaches of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order, to run concurrently.

Four months’ imprisonment for recording images under clothing, to run consecutively.

A further four months’ imprisonment which formed part of a previously suspended sentence, was also activated by the court to run consecutively.

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A dangerous sexual predator has been jailed after engaging in sexual communications with someone he believed was a child – but what officers found on his phone was even worse.

Declan Sains, 28, is now behind bars after being sentenced by a Judge following a complex police operation by officers from the North East Regional Organised Crime Unit (NEROCU).

In July last year, Sains believed he was talking to a 14-year-old boy online and persisted to send him sexually explicit messages and asking the child if he wanted a ‘rape experience’ and asking the boy to find a young school girl friend for Sains to also have sex with.

What Sains didn’t know was he was actually speaking to a NEROCU police officer who was closing in on him through a specialist police investigation.

Officers descended on Sains home address on Escomb Road in Bishop Auckland, and swiftly arrested him. Further enquiries uncovered more sexually explicit conversations with actual children which included Sains sending images of his own penis and asking them to insert objects into their anus.

He was subsequently charged with a number of child sex offences including engaging in sexual communication with a child, making indecent images of children and cause/incite a boy to engage in sexual activity.

Sains appeared at Durham Crown Court on January 16 and pleaded guilty to all charges.

Today (Thursday), he appeared before the same court and was sentenced to a total of eight years and three months behind bars, with an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order and registration requirement.

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

“I want to thank all the officers who worked on this operation. This has been a particularly vile investigation with a child predator who thought he could hide online.

“Sains thought he could keep offending without consequences, but he has learned that our officers will not stop in their pursuit of abusers.

“Under Operation Sentinel, our regional approach to tacking serious and organised crime, we will continue to investigate these online offences to safeguard children and protect the public.”

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A 30-year-old man who worked at a Wrexham school has been jailed for grooming and sexually abusing a pupil.

Toby Haslam, 30, of Old Newcastle Road, Willaston, appeared for sentencing at Mold Crown Court today, 15 April.

He previously admitted nine offences including seven counts of sexual activity with a child – two of which were penetrative, a count of engaging in sexual communication with a child and possessing an indecent photograph of a child.

He was jailed for six years and handed a ten-year restraining order to protect the victim.

He also received a ten-year sexual harm prevention order and must register with police indefinitely.

In September 2024, North Wales Police received a report a Haslam had been grooming a 15-year-old child at the school he worked and had taken the girl to his home where he had sexually assaulted her.

An investigation discovered Haslam had been speaking to the child on social media. The conversations had become sexual, and he had bought her multiple gifts.

He was also found to have indecent images on his phone.

When the victim returned to school after a summer break, she reported her relationship with Haslam to a schoolteacher.

Investigating officer Detective Constable James Grimwood of the Vulnerable Persons Unit said:

“The victim in this case has been courageous throughout the police investigation.

“She was a vulnerable schoolgirl who had sought support from a member of teaching staff. By virtue of Haslam’s job title, he held a position of trust over her and abused his position of trust for his own sexual gratification.

“He has shown no signs of remorse throughout the investigation.

“The court outcome today reflects the seriousness of this incident, and I hope that this offers a level of closure for the victim.

“If any other person has been a victim of a sexual offence, I urge them to report this to North Wales Police.”

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The first person in Gwent to be convicted of a cyberflashing offence has been jailed for 13 months.

Ryan Thomas was convicted under the Online Safety Act after cyberflashing became an offence in England and Wales on 31 January 2024.

The 33-year-old from Abercarn was on bail after being charged with sexually assaulting a teenage girl when he sent a video of his genitals to a woman.

He was found guilty of both offences at Newport Crown Court on Wednesday 1 April.

Detective Superintendent, Michelle Chaplin said:

“Ryan Thomas is a dangerous, sexual predator who gains sexual gratification by causing alarm and distress to others.

“Cyberflashing is a serious crime which leaves a lasting impact on victims. It is not and should not be dismissed as ‘banter’ or a thoughtless joke.

“The recent Angiolini inquiry suggests that there is a strong link between these types of offences and a potential escalation toward serious sexual/violent offences and so we would encourage anyone who has been a victim of this crime to come forward.

“I hope today’s sentencing sends a clear message that cyberflashing is a serious offence and that perpetrators cannot hide behind a screen.”

Ryan Thomas was convicted of sexual assault against a female child (aged 14) and cyberflashing on Wednesday 1 April. He was sentenced to x at Cardiff Crown Court on Wednesday 15 April.

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A man who raped a young woman while she slept, has been jailed.

Joshua Downing raped the woman, who was in her late teens, while she was asleep.

The following morning the woman noticed she was in pain and experienced flashbacks of Downing, who was known to her, raping her as she drifted in and out of sleep.

Downing, of Barton Court, Mansfield, initially denied the attack that took place at an address in Derby in June 2024 before going on to admit it to the victim and her family.

The 21-year-old was arrested shortly after the rape and subsequently charged to appear at court.

He admitted charges of rape, sexual assault (x2), and assault by penetration during a hearing at Derby Crown Court on 29 January this year.

On 15 March, at the same court, a judge sentenced Downing to eight years and two months’ imprisonment.

He was also ordered to register with police and issued a restraining order in respect of his victim.

Both orders will last indefinitely.

Detective Constable Ellen Sanders, officer in the case, said:

“The victim in the case has been deeply traumatised by Downing’s actions and has struggled to function normally since the rape happened almost two years ago.

“It has been a long road for her, and I want to thank her for her courage, during our investigation and the court process.

“While it can’t take away the emotional anguish, I hope that seeing Downing sentenced and held accountable for his offences will allow her the strength to move forward.”

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A sex offender has been jailed after six breaches of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).

58-year-old Alan Falconer, of The Green, Billingham (pictured below), was jailed on Friday 10th April for three-and-a-half years after it was found that he had been having contact with children.

Falconer had deceived the children’s families and didn’t disclose his previous convictions against children, including rape, attempted rape and indecent assault.

After contacting the police with concerns, an investigation was carried out and it was found that Falconer had been using grooming tactics with the families involved in order to gain access to the children.

He was arrested on 10th March and charged with six breaches of an SHPO.

Detective Constable Niamh Birdsall, from Cleveland Police’s Management of Sexual Offenders and Violent Offenders Department, said: 

“I would like to thank the families of the children involved in these matters for coming forward and supporting this police investigation, which has now concluded with Falconer behind bars.

“Our communities have been protected from any further offending, and a dangerous offender has been jailed. I hope this can now bring some comfort to everyone involved.”

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A man has admitted rape, strangulation, stalking and other offences against two women in north Staffordshire.

Jacob Leslie Simcock, 35, of Tunstall, Stoke-on-Trent, appeared at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court yesterday (Tuesday 14 April) and admitted two counts of rape of a woman, two counts of intentional strangulation, two counts of threatening to share a photograph or film of a person in an intimate state, one count of engaging in controlling / coercive behaviour and one count of stalking involving fear of violence.

Simcock raped and strangled one of the women inside a house last year. He raped the same woman in a separate incident before offences were disclosed to us.

After speaking to the survivor, we found out Simcock had also threatened to share explicit videos of the woman and had tried to stop her from contacting anyone. He told her he would ‘batter’ her and he’d run her over.

Simcock also recorded both of the rapes. We later found them as part of our investigation and informed the survivor, who was unaware they existed at the time.

Simcock also strangled, stalked and threatened to share indecent images of another survivor last year. He asked the survivor to tell us that she had been lying and he would try to call her from withheld numbers when she was at a police station. He also told her that he ‘isn’t scared’ about petrol bombing her house.

Officers from our rape and serious sexual offences unit (RASSO) worked tirelessly to support both of the survivors and to build all of the evidence needed to secure the charges against Simcock.

Faced with the evidence in court, he pleaded guilty, despite originally denying the offences on interview.

Simcock has now been remanded and is due to be sentenced at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court on 9 July this year.

Detective Constable Adele Thompson and Investigative Officer Janine Shropshire, from RASSO, said:

“Simcock has inflicted a great deal of pain and suffering on the two brave women in this investigation, who have shown tremendous courage in coming forward.

“We are pleased we’ve been able to build all of the evidence needed to secure this conviction as early as possible, and I hope it now provides them some form of comfort knowing he is behind bars and awaiting sentencing.”

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A man, aged 41, has been jailed for 13 years after being found guilty of two counts of rape and coercive and controlling behaviour.

Aftab Zulfiqar (09/03/1985), of no fixed address, was sentenced at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court on 15th April 2026.

Through exceptional courage, the survivor came forward to report Zulfiqar, beginning a process that required her to confront and relive deeply traumatic experiences in pursuit of justice.

The survivor was in a relationship with Zulfiqar for three years, during which she was subjected to sustained and escalating abuse that had a profound impact on her life.

Zulfiqar controlled every aspect of her daily routine, including what she wore, when she slept, what she ate and drank, who she was allowed to speak to and how she lived, isolating her from friends and support networks.

His constant demands for contact while she was at work placed significant pressure on her which resulted in her losing a job she loved, increasing her reliance on him.

During the relationship, Zulfiqar raped her on multiple occasions, exploiting the trust of their relationship and manipulating her into believing the abuse was not rape.

Over three years, the survivor endured mental, emotional, physical and sexual abuse. Despite the trauma she suffered, she showed exceptional courage in reporting Zulfiqar in October 2023 through our LiveChat function, concluding in him being arrested.  

LiveChat is a great way to report crimes discreetly.

She fully supported the investigation and stood up in court to give evidence against the man who abused her.

The survivor, in her victim impact statement, said:

“My relationship with Aftab has had a huge impact on my life, more than can be put into words really. I had little confidence any way but since being with Aftab, I have none at all.

“He drilled it into me that much that I’m ugly and worthless that I believed it and now struggle with confidence, and I don’t want to meet anyone.

“I don’t think I could ever trust someone again, I gave Aftab everything and he was never nice to me.

“I was so scared of doing anything wrong. At the smallest thing, he would attack me then throw me out of his flat.

“I was always to blame for everything – he once stood on the plug of my hair dryer and then smashed my hairdryer up and physically attacked me because it was somehow my fault.

“It makes me worried for future relationships and how I’ll be because I am so deeply hurt.

“I really feel that my relationship with Aftab and everything he has put me through will stay with me forever, but I’m determined that he hasn’t won, and I can now start to live a peaceful life after being put through 5 and a half years of hell.”

Following his arrest, Zulfiqar continued to cause distress by posting about the investigation and those involved on social media, leading to his remand in custody, where he has remained since September 2024.

Detective Constable Lucy Hamilton said:

“I want to commend the survivor for the remarkable courage she has shown in coming forward and supporting this investigation.

“Reporting offences of this nature is incredibly difficult, and it is through her bravery that a very dangerous man is now behind bars.

“We want to be absolutely clear: we take all reports of rape and sexual offences extremely seriously, and we will relentlessly pursue perpetrators.

“It is also vital that people understand coercive and controlling behaviour is a criminal offence and will not be tolerated.

“I hope this outcome provides the survivor with some measure of justice as she continues to rebuild her life. Her courage has protected other women from harm, and we will continue to stand with her, and every survivor, in the fight to bring offenders like Zulfiqar to justice."