Latest Offenders

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A 22-year-old rapist who isolated his victim from friends and family to control her movements 24/7 has been jailed for five years.

Marc Cheeney inflicted constant emotional abuse over four months, regularly belittling and degrading her, culminating in him raping her at an address in Halstead and leaving her to take a taxi home, Chelmsford Crown Court heard.

The sentence means Cheeney will miss the birth of his new partner's child later this month.

Prosecutor Richard Potts read the victim's impact statement, which described how Cheeney ruined occasions like her school prom and left her in constant fear.

It read: “I spent every night crying and crying and questioning what I did wrong to make me deserve this.

“Every time I saw him I prepared myself for him to belittle me.

"Things such as my prom were ruined due to him – I just wanted to enjoy being a young girl.”

She added: “When I reported him to the police, I only became more afraid – I was scared he would come after me.

“I worry he will do this again and again to other people.

“I am proud of myself for reporting him but nothing will ever completely heal me from the mental pain I suffer.

“Knowing he has received punishment has given light to my life knowing I can be at peace.”

Cheeney, of Toppesfield Road, Great Yeldham, admitted controlling and coercive behaviour but denied rape, only to be convicted by a jury.

Mitigating, Daniel O’Malley said Cheeney's actions stemmed from poor anger management and jealousy, adding: “By his own admission, his conduct towards the complainant was simply disgusting.”

Judge Jamie Sawyer told Cheeney: “You attempted to stop her wearing a skirt to school.

“You used the Life 360 tracking application to monitor her movements.

“She left the house in a taxi and was observed by the taxi driver to be very upset.

“It is very sad to see how you thought a relationship should develop and how you behaved to a young woman.”

He added: “You are from a loving, supportive family, which begs that question – where did you get attitudes like this from?

“They don’t just spring up from nowhere.”

Cheeney also received a 10-year restraining order and must provide indefinite notifications about his whereabouts upon release. He will serve two-thirds of his sentence before licence.

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A man has been placed on the sex offenders register after he groped four women at a birthday party.

Scott Wilson-Moody, 25, pleaded guilty to four charges of sexual assault at Aberdeen Sheriff Court and not guilty to one more charge.

Description

Blackburn man jailed for raping woman after following her home from Darwen night out

On 13th May 2023 he met his victim during a night out in Darwen. During the night out, Hartley asked the victim if he should come to her, and she declined saying she just wanted to go to sleep. However, in the early hours of 14th May he made his way into the victim’s house along with one of her friends.

When the victim’s friend went to leave, Hartley pretended to be asleep.

It was while the victim was alone that Hartley raped and sexually assaulted her.

Hartley then used her mobile phone to call a taxi.

Hartley, formerly of Minnie Terrace, Blackburn, but now of no fixed address, was arrested two days later. He was subsequently charged with two counts of rape and one count of sexual assault.

Hartley was found guilty of all offences following a trial at Preston Crown Court in September of this year.

He returned to the same court on Monday where he was jailed for five years. He was also ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register for life.

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

“I never expected to be raped on that night in May 2023. I was enjoying a child free weekend with friends and was out with group of lads who I thought I could trust and feel safe with. I felt able to have a drink and a good time and wanted to be looked after, little did I know that the night would end so very badly and change my life forever.

“I was unsure about contacting the police at all in the first instance. I feared that I would not be believed and that the police would not take me seriously. Perhaps they would think it was my own fault for being out with a gang of lads but I was distressed and after several hours of worry and upset I had to do the right thing and tell them what had happened. I was surprised by the response from the police, they listened, took me seriously and offered me support.

“I did not cope well with being in my own home after I was raped. It should have been a safe and happy place for me and my children and it was until that night. I delayed the children coming back and even took them on a last minute holiday to avoid having to be at the house with them. I moved to a new house in the end and that is not something I should have had to do because of the actions of one person but I felt that I had no choice. I threw the sofa out onto the front garden as I could not bear to have it in the house knowing what had happened on it.

“I did not see my children at all for a week after that night. I was not in any fit state to care for them and I did not want them in the house. I spent a week trying to get back to being the old me and convincing myself that I would be able to put a brave face on. It was not easy.

“I do not think that people realise how much I have struggled. That is partially my fault for not being able to open up but it has been nothing short of terrible. I have had countless sleepless nights and have worried endlessly about what I did wrong to deserve what had happened to me. I have spent hours going through the night in my head, asking myself if I gave him any indication at all that it was ok to behave in the way that he did. I have wondered what I could have done differently and then spent hours worrying that Hartley knew where I lived and people would come after me for going to the police and seeing it through to the trial at court.

“I was suddenly unable to do the normal things that a young person of my age would do. I immediately became cautious of everyone around me and avoided nights out for a long time. I worry about having too much to drink and question how safe I am, even with people that I have known and trusted for years. I do not know how to fix this and hope that in time I will find a way through it.”

DC Claire Scott, from our East Rape and Serious Sexual Offences (RASSO) Investigation Team, said:

“Hartley took advantage of a vulnerable woman for his own sexual gratification. His offending has had a profound impact on her daily life as she describes so honestly in her victim impact statement.

“I want to praise the victim in this case for her bravery, and for having trust in the police to put her offender before the courts.”

Description

A paedophile who raped and sexually abused a boy has today (Wednesday 12 November) been sentenced to 25 years.

Jason Lane, 44, of Old Coach Road, Droitwich, had previously been found guilty of 16 offences against his victim in June at Redditch Crown Court.

Lane was found guilty of the following ahead of today’s hearing at Worcester Crown Court where the judge described him as a “very dangerous individual”: 

• Three counts of rape of a boy under 13
• Two counts of rape of boy aged 13 to 15
• Four counts of assaulting a boy under 13 by touching
• Three counts of cause/incite a boy under 13 to engage in sexual activity
• Cause/ incite a boy under 13 to engage in sexual activity by penetration
• Two counts of attempt to cause/incite a boy aged 13 to 15 to engage in sexual activity without penetration
• Causing a child under 13 to watch/look at an image of sexual activity

His total sentence was 25 years – 21 years with four on licence, and he was given an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).

DC Allie Thompson, of our Protecting Vulnerable People team, said:

“We are pleased to get this lengthy sentence for Lane whose predatory sexual behaviour has caused much harm to his victim and their family.

“I would like to commend the victim and their family for their bravery in coming forward and assisting with the process which has secured a conviction and ultimately taken a very dangerous individual off the streets.

“We hope the sentence will some way assist the victim in moving on with their lives with the correct support and assistance moving forward.

“I would also like to thank the officers who have worked tirelessly throughout this investigation in order to obtain this substantial sentence their hard work over several years has assisted in securing this conviction.

“We hope that today’s sentencing shows that we will always pursue sexual predators like Lane and bring them before the courts to face justice and that it will encourage other victims of sexual offences to come forward.

“We will always listen to take your concerns seriously and protect you from the dangerous offenders like Lane.”

Description

A sex offender who served a year in prison for possessing a quarter-million indecent images has breached his sexual harm prevention order by deleting his WhatsApp history.

Jonathon Turkentine, 68, was jailed in 2022 but denied any sexual interest in children. His barrister told Ipswich Crown Court he viewed the images and movies for "artistic reasons" while researching the "perfect female form."

As part of his sentence, Turkentine received a ten-year sexual harm prevention order prohibiting him from deleting internet or message history.

Court papers show he breached it by deleting WhatsApp photos and enabling an auto-delete setting for messages.

Turkentine, of Mersea Road, Colchester, appeared at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court last week and admitted one count of breaching the order.

Magistrates fined him £141, plus £110 in costs to the Crown Prosecution Service and a £56 victim surcharge, totaling £307.

He must pay by December 3.

Description

A former soap opera extra, Rizwan Khan—known as "Riz"—has been jailed for raping two women in separate incidents years apart.

He was also sentenced for sexually assaulting one of the rape victims and for causing unnecessary suffering to a child by slapping them.

Teesside Crown Court heard that Khan told one victim, "I need what I need. I want what I want. You, as a woman, should abide by what a man wants," before raping her despite her repeated refusals. He punched and slapped her, and both victims testified to his violence. The second victim awoke to him assaulting her.

Khan denied the charges but was convicted by a jury in August of two rapes, one sexual assault, and child cruelty; he was cleared of four other rape counts.

At sentencing on Tuesday, Khan stood emotionless as prosecutor Robin Turton read victim statements. One said she suffers anxiety and nightmares: "What he did goes round and round in my head. When I see his face in the newspaper, I feel sick."

Defense barrister Andrew Stranex said Khan maintains his innocence: "It would be quite bizarre if he said he did it, after standing trial." He added, "He is concerned about his parents and their healthcare. Any account saying there's social care available, doesn't take into account the level of his care for them."

Judge Paul Reid noted, "Your pre-sentence report says you demonstrate entitlement and hostility towards females."

Khan, of Union Street in Middlesbrough, was sentenced to 11 years and nine months in prison. He must sign the sex offenders' register for life, is subject to a sexual harm prevention order, and restraining orders prohibit contact with the victims.

During trial, Khan said he worked in a Stokesley call center before pursuing acting at 34, going to the gym daily as jobs came in. He appeared in Hollyoaks and ITV's Vera.

Description

An inquiry has concluded that Neville Husband, an officer at the notorious Medomsley detention centre in County Durham, was "possibly the most prolific sex offender in British history."

Husband was jailed in 2003 for abusing five teenagers at the facility, where hundreds of young men aged 17-21 endured physical and sexual attacks by staff from 1961 to 1987. He died in 2010.

The report by Prisons and Probation Ombudsman Adrian Usher details missed opportunities by the Home Office, police, and prison managers to halt the abuse.

Durham Police and the Ministry of Justice have apologised, with the latter doing so "on behalf of all governments, past and present."

Inmates' complaints were dismissed, leaving them to report abuse to their assailants. The report calls it a "cautionary tale," warning that mistreatment of the vulnerable remains "still an issue" in youth custody.

Designed for "short, sharp, shock" sentences for low-level offenses, Medomsley saw endemic physical violence and summary punishments. Sexual assaults often occurred in the kitchen, where Husband raped inmates.

Chief Constable Rachel Bacon called the report "extremely difficult reading," exposing "shameful failings by police at that time." She added: "On behalf of Durham Constabulary I wish to publicly offer my sincerest apologies to those victims and their families for those failures. Thousands of young men were let down by the system and are continuing to live with the wounds left by that abuse. Those victims were, and remain, our primary concern."

Usher stated: "I have chosen to omit many of the most heinous details of... abuse but I believe it is necessary to include enough to make clear the extent of the horrors that some of those young men endured." He noted the "silence of many" enabled the abuse to persist undetected.

The report found:

• Police dismissed allegations without recording them and threatened inmates with return to Medomsley if they persisted.
• Leadership was either aware and complicit, or lacked curiosity and incompetent.
• Victims had never received a public apology; all bodies should "examine their organisational consciences."
• Two inmates' deaths in 1981-82 were "arguably avoidable."

Survivors like Peter Toole (sent in 1985) recalled: "You weren't even in for a minute and the abuse started. I just thought 'this is it, this is Medomsley, just get on with it and take it on the chin'."

Jimmy Coffey (sent in 1979 at 18) said: "For that first week I was there, I was just continually seeing violence and cruelty and spitefulness. I still have problems now with flashbacks."

The Ministry-ordered inquiry said Medomsley operated "effectively beyond the reach of the law" for 26 years. Besides Husband, storeman Leslie Johnson was jailed in 2005 for sexual assaults, and other guards for physical attacks and misconduct.

Labour Under-Secretary for Justice Jake Richards apologised in an open letter, pledging a panel to improve youth custody safeguarding. He said: "I want to recognise that none of this would have come to light without those who bravely came forward to report the abuse. Please be assured that ministers and government officials are taking this extremely seriously and we will put the voice of victims at the centre of our work moving forward. I know these words cannot change what has happened in the past, but I hope they demonstrate this government's determination to take proper action."

Description

A paedophile who drove into the path of oncoming traffic on the morning of a first court appearance has been jailed for more than three years.

Luke Jarrett, 26, was spotted by officers driving a green Jeep Cherokee on the A47, from Thorney Toll towards Wisbech, at about 9am on 22 September.

Concerns had been raised for his welfare that morning after he had been due to attend Cambridge Magistrates’ Court to face charges relating to illicit images of children.

Jarrett approached the South Brink roundabout and joined the A47 where he failed to stop and accelerated aggressively, moving into the middle of the road.

He reached speeds of 64 mph in a 50-mph limit and recklessly overtook vehicles by moving into the path of oncoming traffic.

As Jarrett approached the Elme Hall roundabout, he swerved into the path of a police car to stop it overtaking but the officers made tactical contact with the Jeep to stop it.

Jarrett was on bail at the time after being charged with illicit images of children offences following an investigation which began in July 2024, after he had uploaded an indecent photograph of a child to the internet.

When officers arrested him for this in September 2024, they seized his electronic devices and found:

• 703 indecent images of children and 771 videos 
• 638 extreme pornographic images
• 288 indecent photographs of a child that had been distributed

On Wednesday (5 November), at Peterborough Crown Court, Jarrett, of Lords Lane, Wisbech, was jailed for three years and four months, having pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and one count of distribute an indecent image of a child.

He also admitted three counts of make an indecent image of a child, two further counts of distribute an indecent photograph of a child and possess an extreme pornographic image, all for which he received no separate penalty. 

Jarrett was also handed an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order, ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register and banned from driving for five years and four months.

DC Simon Law, who investigated, said:

“Creating indecent images and then sharing them may not be a physical offence, but it still harms the child victims.

“Jarrett clearly did not want to face justice for these crimes, which may lie behind his reckless and dangerous driving that endangered innocent members of the public on the day of his first court appearance.”

Description

A 37 year-old man from Southampton has been jailed for five years and seven months after sending grossly explicit messages to a child. 

James Oak, of Winchester Road, plead guilty and was sentenced at Southampton Crown Court last Friday (7 November) .

The offences for which he has been imprisoned took place in October this year, with Oak sending the victim a series of sexually explicit messages, including requests for her to send sexual images, meet him in person, and perform sexual acts.

The victim was just 12 years-old at the time of the incident.

Oak received a five year and seven month sentence for inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity, and further 12-month sentence for sexual communication with a child, which will be served concurrently.

As well as the time he will now spend behind bars, Oak has also been made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order, restraining order and notification of requirement to register with the police, in accordance with the Sexual Offences Act (2003). He will remain on the sex offenders register for life.

PC Jen Grace who led the investigation, said:

“Oaks sentencing marks the end of an incredibly difficult chapter for a brave young girl and her family. The strength and courage she has shown throughout this investigation has been nothing short of extraordinary. Despite the trauma she endured, she found resolve to speak out, to stand firm and to help bring her abuser to justice.   

“While this sentencing won’t erase this awful experience, I hope it can offer her and her loved ones some closure and relief. James Oak is now behind bars, where he belongs, and can no longer pose a threat to any other child.

“I’d also like to commend the officers and staff who worked tirelessly on this case. Their dedication has ensured that a predatory individual has been removed from our community.

“To anyone who may be suffering in silence, please know that you are not alone. Your voice matters - We will listen, we will support you, and we will do everything in our power to bring offenders to justice.”

Description

A man has been jailed for 15 years after he raped a woman in Aldershot.

Steven Bull, 30, of Grosvenor Road, Aldershot, attacked and raped the woman – who was aged in her 30s – multiple times in 2021.

A court heard that Bull’s behaviour was violent and controlling. He slapped her face, punched her in the ribs and hit her arms and legs. His attacks left the victim with black eyes and bite marks.

Officers launched an investigation, and Bull was arrested and charged by officers. Following a trial at Winchester Crown Court, he was found guilty of:

• Rape a woman 16 years of age or over x 2
• Engage in controlling / coercive behaviour

Bull was jailed for a total of 15 years at Salisbury Crown Court on Friday 7 November.

Detective Constable Graeme Calver, from Amberstone North, said:

“Firstly, I would like to praise the victim in this case for her bravery and courage throughout the investigation.

“No one should have to feel in fear of their safety, and everyone should feel safe within our communities, and I want to be clear that violence of any kind will not be tolerated.

“I hope the victim is able to try and move forward and rebuild her life now he is in prison. Hopefully this result sends a clear message to those who commit violent and sexual offences, you will be pursued, we will catch you and you will be dealt with robustly.”

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A Shropshire man has been handed a 24-month prison sentence after he pleaded guilty to sharing indecent images of children, while on a suspended sentence for the same offence.

Robert Gates, of Ludlow, was given the sentence after previously pleading guilty to two charges of making indecent images of children, and two counts of distributing indecent photos of children.

The court was also told how the 70-year-old had been given a two-year suspended sentence in November 2024 for similar offences.

Then, in August 2025, officers were made aware by Metropolitan Police officers that a man they had recently arrested for sharing indecent images of children online had recently been in contact with Gates.

Officers quickly arrested Gates again and seized a number of devices from his home address, where they discovered two category B images and two category C images of children.

It was also discovered that Gates had engaged in conversations online about the sexual abuse of children.

Gates was later charged with the offences to which he pled guilty.

On Friday (7 November) Gates was given a 12-month custodial sentence at Shrewsbury Crown Court for the offences, as well as another 12 months for breaching his suspended sentence. The two sentences are to run consecutively.

PC Ellie Williams, from Shropshire’s protecting vulnerable people team, said:

"Gates is a deeply disturbing individual with a clear interest in the sexual abuse of children. 

"Having previously avoided prison, he has now rightly received a twoyear custodial sentence for his actions. 

"Gates' sickening offending demonstrates a shocking disregard for the harm and trauma his behaviour inflicts on young victims."

Description

A man who distributed sexual images of children has been jailed for two years and four months.

Mark Barnes, 43, was found with various mobile phones when police visited his home in of Wallers Close, Great Chishill, near Royston, on January 11, 2024.  

This breached a court order from January 2014 when he was registered as a sex offender.

The phones and tablets revealed he had distributed 14 category A (the most severe), five category B and 25 category C, indecent photographs of children between July 2022 and March 2023.

He had also made more than 2,000 indecent photographs of children: 628 category A images, 496 category B and 1163 category C.

He claimed he was borrowing one phone from his neighbour, but police found another phone containing sexual images in a suitcase under a bed.

Barnes appeared at Peterborough Crown Court on Tuesday (4 November) and admitted making and distributing indecent photographs of children, failing to comply with the Sex Offenders Register and breaching a sexual offences prevention order.

He was jailed and given an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO), banning him from owning any device on which he can access the internet.

He was also barred from using any remote storage devices, including cloud storage and will have mandatory notification requirements indefinitely.

All the devices recovered by the police have been destroyed.

DC Andrew McKeane said:

“Barnes was fully aware his actions were in breach of his SHPO but he chose to ignore it.

“He showed a blatant disregard for the law and lied about owning the phones and tablets to protect himself.”

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A man has been jailed for the attempted rape of a young girl in Devon.

Friday Ugurou, aged 50 and formerly of Exeter, attacked the victim in Axminster. He was jailed today, Thursday 2 May, to nine-and-a-half years at Exeter Crown Court.

During the trial the court heard how Ugurou attempted to rape the victim upstairs in a property before being disturbed. He then stopped the attack and begged her not to tell anyone.

Ugurou was arrested and interviewed but left the county while the investigation was ongoing. He continued to evade justice, causing the victim further distress and psychological harm. At trial he claimed he was set-up, an account that was dismissed by the jury.

Following the sentencing, DC Jonathan Stephens from the Local Safeguarding Investigation Team said:

“I welcome the result and I am grateful for the courage and resilience shown by the victim and witnesses in this case, and for supporting this investigation over a protracted period of time.

“I hope this case reassures the community how seriously the police take reports of child sexual offences and gives people the courage to come forward in future.”

Description

A Devon man has been jailed after being convicted of rapes and other non-recent sexual abuse committed against two children.

Peter Greenslade, 57, of Bridford, Devon, was sentenced at Bristol Crown Court on Monday 15 September after previously being found guilty after a trial of nine counts of rape, two indecent assaults and two sexual assaults of a child under 13.

Greenslade was sentenced to 22 years in prison by Judge Anna Richardson for the offences committed in the Honiton area.

During the trial the court heard how in 2019 one of the victims bravely disclosed rapes and other sexual abuse committed against her by Greenslade which took place when she was a child. 

Several months later a second victim also came forward, detailing similar abuse at the hands of Greenslade when he too was a child.

During police interview Greenslade denied all the allegations against him, however, his version of events was dismissed by the jury at trial.

The abuse has continued to have a serious psychological effect on the victims.

Officer in the case, DC Jon Stephens from the Public Protection Unit, said:

“Peter Greenslade is a dangerous individual, who has escaped justice for many years.

“We’d like to thank the two victims in this case for the immense bravery they have displayed throughout these proceedings. We hope they are now finally able to move on with their lives. This is another example of how it is never too late to report non-recent sexual offending.”

Description

Lance Melville Percival, 64, (DOB:15/10/1960) from Oxted, pleaded guilty to eight counts of sexual activity with a person with a mental disorder impeding choice, four counts of rape, 2 counts of sexual assault and two counts of assault by penetration when he appeared at an earlier hearing.

He was also given a Restraining Order preventing contact with the survivor and her immediate relatives, and a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

An investigation commenced when an SD card hidden within his wallet was identified as containing numerous files showing him committing the offences. The survivor can clearly be heard telling him to stop in some of the videos whilst he was subjecting her to various levels of abuse. A total of 16 videos were found spanning 13 dates between 2021 and 2024.

The survivor had never reported the abuse and had little understanding or comprehension of what has happened to her. It is believed that she would never have told anyone about what was happening due to the level of grooming and her lack of understanding.

Percival worked as a self-employed taxi driver, licensed by Tandridge District Council, for 10 years. As soon as these allegations came to light, Surrey Police notified the Council and his Hackney Carriage license was immediately revoked.

Detective Constable Marc Taylor from Surrey Police’s Sexual Offences Investigation Team, who investigated the case, said:

“Percival is a sexual predator who abused his position as her driver and took advantage of the victim’s vulnerability. The level and nature of the abuse was hugely shocking and I would like to thank all of my colleagues that assisted in the investigation. It is clear that

Percival knew what he was doing and I am glad that his depraved actions finally came to light. Thanks to the work of the Sexual Offences Investigation Team and the bravery of those involved in the investigation, we were able to secure sufficient evidence to leave

Percival no choice but to plead guilty to his crimes, meaning the survivor and her family were spared the trauma of going through the process of a trial.

This investigation, and today’s sentence, show how seriously any reports of sexual offences are taken and demonstrates that we will do whatever it takes to ensure perpetrators are brought to justice.”