Latest Offenders

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A Southampton man has today been jailed after admitting sexual activity with two underage girls.

Patrick Sheppard, 19, of no fixed abode, appeared before Southampton Crown Court today (2 October) where he was jailed for two years and 11 months.

He previously pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual activity with a child at the same court on Wednesday 29 April.

The court heard how Sheppard committed the offences against two girls, both aged 14. The incidents happened at an address in Totton and an address in Nursling between March 2024 and November 2025.

Sheppard also pleaded guilty to driving a motor vehicle dangerously, driving with a proportion of a controlled drug above the limit and using a vehicle without insurance following an unrelated incident in Southampton in April 2025.

As part of his sentence for both the sexual offences and driving offences, he was also handed two 10-year restraining orders, a three-year driving ban and will be subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for 10 years.

Detective Constable Gintare Jatautaite, from Amberstone, the dedicated rape and sexual assault investigations team, said:

“Firstly I would like to thank both victims for their bravery throughout the investigation and court process.

“We encourage other victims to come forward and speak to us. We take reports of this nature extremely seriously and work hard to bring offenders to justice.

“This case should also be a very clear message to other offenders out there that we will always work tirelessly to ensure you are brought to justice.”

Police Staff Investigator Rebecca Stevens, who works on the Child Abuse Investigation Team and investigated one of the assaults, said:

“Sheppard preyed on two young girls and took advantage of their vulnerability.

“His predatory behaviour is abhorrent, and I am pleased we were able to secure justice for these brave girls.

“Our force is dedicated to protecting the children in our community. If you have any concerns about child abuse, please contact us. You can call 101 or reach out via our website.”

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A former priest who sexually abused multiple young women in his Sheffield congregation has today been convicted of further offences including rape.

Christopher Brain, now aged 69, led a group called the Nine O’Clock Service in the city in the 1980s and 1990s and used his power and influence to make women feel they had no choice but to submit to his sexual demands. 

Brain, formerly of Park Road, Wilmslow, Cheshire, was convicted in August 2025 of 17 counts of indecent assault against nine women. The jury in the 2025 trial was unable to reach a verdict on a further four counts of indecent assault and one count of rape. However, following a five-week re-trial, he has today (Friday 2 October 2026) been found guilty of all five of these offences against four women.

Brain’s convictions follow an extensive and complex police investigation which we launched in 2019 following a referral. Thanks to the bravery of the women who made reports, a dedicated team of officers was able to begin building the case against Brain and establishing the full picture of his offending.

The NOS attracted a young congregation through its use of live music and nightclub-style multimedia effects. It was initially held at St Thomas’s Church in Crookes, before later moving to a larger venue in Ponds Forge in the city centre.

The court heard that Brain, who was an ordained Church of England priest, created a ‘cult’ and ‘brainwashed’ his victims into believing that he was a ‘mouthpiece of God’. The victims thought if they didn’t carry out the sexual acts he demanded, they would be failing as Christians.

It was only after the NOS ended, and for some many years later, that the victims realised they had been groomed and sexually abused.

During the investigation, our officers spoke to hundreds of people, with most bringing different names and lines of enquiry into the investigation. We took around 50 statements, gathered hundreds of pieces of documentation and conducted 55 hours’ worth of victim and witness interviews.

Our enquiries took us all over the UK, with many of those involved now based in different parts of the country. Many of the people we needed to speak to for help with our enquiries weren’t previously known to police, and weren’t easily traceable, resulting in the use of varied and complex tactics to find them and seek their assistance.

During both the trial and re-trial, a small team of SYP officers relocated from South Yorkshire to London to support the prosecution and assist in justice being secured.

Detective Superintendent Eleanor Welsh, Senior Investigating Officer, said:

“I’d firstly like to put on record my gratitude towards all of the courageous women who made reports and put their trust and support behind our investigation. These women have waited three or four decades for these verdicts and bravely relived their ordeals in a bid to secure justice.

“Due to Brain’s continued denial of the offences, the victims – who have already been through so much - had to ensure a second trial. Furthermore, victims from the first trial bravely returned as witnesses to support the prosecution.

“Brain is a devious and arrogant sexual predator who caused lasting harm to these women.

“While I am pleased with the guilty verdicts, I know for the victims it can never take away what Brain did to them. However, I hope that it brings some comfort to know they have had a voice, they have been heard, and the jury has accepted that Brain is a serial sex offender.”

Det Supt Welsh added:

“I also hope today’s verdicts show others who may have suffered sexual abuse that it’s never too late to come forward and report to us, even if the offences occurred many years ago. We will listen to you and there is support available to you throughout the process.”

Brain will be sentenced on a date to be set.

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A violent and controlling bully has been given a 22-year sentence after abusing and raping a woman.

Luke Smith (pictured below) controlled his victim, telling her when she could sleep, monitoring who she was talking to, making her change her phone password and adding his own face recognition to her phone.

At times he would track the victim's location on her phone, turning up unannounced to where she was.

On one occasion he bombarded his victim with text messages, before turning up at her home and being sent away. He later followed her to a party at a pub, again attempting to get her to speak to him. Door staff intervened and sent Smith away, but when the victim left the pub later on, she found him waiting for her, appearing again attempting to speak to her.

Smith also raped his victim. Despite her asking him to stop, or telling him no, he continued to do so.

The victim bravely came forward and told police what had happened to her. Smith was arrested, and on his arrest told our officers, Yeah, I have harassed her, I will admit that.

In an interview, he continued to admit to the harassment, but continually denied rape, insisting that any sexual contact was consensual.

Following a consultation with the Crown Prosecution Service, Smith, 24, of no fixed abode, but formerly of Garstang, was charged with six counts of rape, one count of attempted rape, engaging in controlling or coercive behaviour, six counts of sexual assault, sending communication of an indecent or offensive nature and stalking involving serious alarm or distress.

He pleaded not guilty, forcing his victim to endure a trial and re-live the facts of his abuse. A jury saw through his lies and found him guilty.

On Friday 25th September he appeared back in the dock at Preston Crown Court where he was given a custodial sentence of 18 years, and a further four years on extended license.

The victim provided a Victim Personal Statement to the court, opening it with:

The events at the centre of this case have changed my life in ways I never could have imagined.

The abuse did not simply hurt me at the time; it changed the person I was and left me having to rebuild parts of myself that I never should have had to lose. I have lost confidence in myself, in other people and in the world around me.

I have lost my sense of safety, and, for a long time, I lost the ability to feel that I could simply live my life without being afraid.

Later on, she said:

What happened to me will always be something I survived, but it will never be the measure of who I am. I am not the person this experience tried to leave behind. I am the person who survived it, stood up, spoke out and is now taking back the life that belongs to me.

She continued:

No means no, and I should never have to be frightened that saying no will result in someone becoming angry, aggressive or continuing regardless.

DC Kirsten Bell, of Lancaster Polices Domestic Abuse and Vulnerable Adult team said:

Smith is a controlling bully, who repeatedly abused and raped his victim. She gathered the courage to contact us, and without that support, Smith may not have been brought to justice.

Despite the effect Smiths crimes will have understandably had on her, she has been incredibly brave and shown an incredible strength throughout proceedings. As she so eloquently put in her own victim statement she survived it, stood up, and spoke out and because of that, Smith is now behind bars for a significant amount of time. I hope she can now begin to move forward and begin rebuilding her life knowing this.

Smith began his campaign of abuse subtly knowing her phone password, and who she was talking to. His behaviour escalated to stalking the woman and raping her. This was never love, it was controlling and coercive behaviour and abuse.

If you are reading this today and think that some of these signs seem familiar to you, or to a friend or loved one, please speak out. Please get in touch with us knowing you will be believed and that we will investigate appropriately so that we can do all we can to get you justice.

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An abuser who raped one girl and sexually assaulted another has been jailed for 17 years.

Liam Fox raped the young girl on an isolated railway embankment in Darlington around ten years ago.

His offending came to light when the girl, who had told nobody what had happened at the time, broke down and bravely disclosed Fox’s actions to her mother several years later.

Police were called and an investigation was launched, led by Darlington Safeguarding Team.

Through their enquiries, investigators discovered that Fox had sexually abused another young girl over a number of years.

The 34-year-old, from Darlington, was arrested and charged with rape, two counts of sexual assault, and two counts of engaging in sexual activity with a child.

He denied the offences, but a jury found him guilty on all counts following a trial at Teesside Crown Court earlier this year.

Fox returned to court on Tuesday (September 29) where he was jailed for 17 years.

He was also made subject to a year sexual harm prevention order, restricting him from having contact with any female child under the age of 16 for 20 years, as well as an indefinite restraining order preventing him from contacting either of the girls.

Investigative Officer Chris Jung, who led the investigation, said:

“First and foremost, I want to commend these young women for having the bravery to disclose what had happened to police.

“It takes a great deal of courage to speak out against an abuser, but by standing up to Fox and having their voices heard, they have helped to take a dangerous offender off the streets, who poses a clear risk to children.

“Fox is a predator who subjected these girls to appalling abuse and then put them both through the ordeal of a trial. A jury unanimously convicted him for these offences, and I hope both survivors can take comfort from that and seeing him sentenced.”

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Following an investigation by Thames Valley Police, a man has been jailed after being convicted of rape in Milton Keynes. 

Evans Nyarko, aged 45, of Flat 3, 2 Tintagel Court, Fishermead, Milton Keynes, was sentenced to eight years in prison on yesterday (1/10) at Aylesbury Crown Court after being found guilty by a jury of one count of rape of a woman aged over 16. 

The jury returned a unanimous guilty verdict following a six-day trial, concluding on 26 May 2026. 

On 12 August 2024, shortly after midnight in the Conniburrow area of Milton Keynes, the victim, a woman aged in her fifties, had been enjoying a night out with friends and acquaintances. 

At the end of the evening, Nyarko offered to help the victim get home by taxi. 

After arriving at her home address shortly after midnight, the victim began feeling unwell and struggling to walk. Nyarko assisted her into the property before following her into a downstairs toilet and raping her. 

The incident was reported to Thames Valley Police in 2024 and Nyarko was arrested and charged on 28 August 2024. 

Investigating officer Detective Constable Lyndsay Gofton, of Thames Valley Police, said:

"This was a terrible abuse of trust by Nyarko, who took advantage of a woman who was vulnerable after a night out and relied on him to help her get home safely. 

"The victim welcomed Nyarko's assistance because he was known to her. Instead of ensuring that she was safe, he exploited her and committed a serious sexual offence. 

"Nyarko denied what he had done throughout the investigation, forcing the victim to relive her ordeal and give evidence before a jury. 

"I would like to commend the victim for the courage and dignity she has shown throughout this investigation and court process.  

Her determination to come forward and support the prosecution has enabled a dangerous offender to be brought to justice. 

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Damian Parkin, 30, from Durham, has been sentenced at Teesside Crown Court today (2 October) to 37 months in prison for engaging in sexual activity with a child, taking indecent images of a child, and perverting the course of justice.

Parkin was also placed on the sex offenders register for life and made subject to an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order. The victim was additionally granted a five-year restraining order against him. Having previously pleaded guilty, he received a reduced sentence and the victim was not required to give evidence at trial.

It was on Thursday 13 March 2026, when North Yorkshire Police received a referral from Children's Services regarding concerns of child grooming and sexual exploitation involving a 15-year-old girl.

The concerns were initially raised by a family member, who reported inappropriate behaviour by a then-29-year-old man towards the child. During the investigation, evidence revealed a sustained pattern of grooming behaviour designed to facilitate the sexual exploitation of the victim for the offender's own sexual gratification.

The investigation found that the defendant had employed a number of grooming tactics. He first gained the trust of both the victim and her family by presenting himself as caring, supportive and understanding.

He then exploited the child's vulnerabilities, gradually creating an emotional dependency upon him. Throughout the course of their contact, the defendant provided the victim with a variety of gifts to foster a sense of loyalty and obligation towards him. The investigation established that the defendant deliberately sought to isolate the victim from her family and professionals involved in her care.

He created opportunities to spend time alone with the child, encouraged secrecy regarding their relationship, and progressively undermined the support and protection offered by trusted adults around her. The defendant attempted to normalise his behaviour by portraying the relationship as consensual and legitimate. This formed part of a wider pattern of manipulation designed to reduce the likelihood of disclosure and maintain his control over the victim.

Following the seizure and examination of the defendant's digital devices,  extensive communications between him and the victim were recovered, which included evidence that he had actively coached the victim on how to avoid detection and conceal the nature of their contact.

Additionally, officers located nine Category C indecent images of the victim that had been created by the defendant.

The evidence gathered during the investigation demonstrated a calculated and deliberate course of conduct, in which the defendant exploited a vulnerable child through manipulation, isolation and coercive influence in order to facilitate her sexual exploitation.

Detective Constable Lauren Batey of North Yorkshire Police, said:

"This conviction demonstrates our commitment to protecting children from sexual exploitation and bringing those who prey on vulnerable young people before the courts.

"Cases of child sexual exploitation (CSE) are often hidden and victims may not always recognise they are being exploited or feel able to speak about what is happening. I would encourage those who have concerns about a child to report these concerns.

"We take all reports of CSE seriously and work closely with out safeguarding partners to ensure children receive the protection and support they need."

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A man has been jailed for a series of violent and sexual offences against a woman and child following a Met Policeinvestigation built on victim trust.

On Wednesday, 4 February, a jury at Inner London Crown Court found 32-year-old Sergiu Chiriac guilty of 12 counts of rape, actual bodily harm (ABH), coercive and controlling behaviour and child cruelty.

At the same court today, Friday, 2 October, he was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment, to serve fours years on licence.

The charges relate to a series of incidents that took place between 2021 and 2025 against a woman in her 20s and her two-year-old child. Both have received dedicated support from specially trained officers, and it was only after carefully building the victim’s trust that officers were able to uncover and investigate the full extent of the horrific abuse they had suffered.

Detective Constable Izzy Glanvill,who led the Met’s investigation, said:

“Chiriac is a dangerous and predatory individual whowas responsible for a sustained pattern of violence, coercion and sexual abuse. All his actions were utterly reprehensible but targeting a defenseless child highlights the true extent of his brutality.

“I want to commend the victim-survivor in this case for showing extraordinary courage in coming forward and supporting this investigation. While nothing will undo the harm she and her child have suffered, today’s sentencing will hopefully bring them a small measure of comfort knowing that Chiriac has been held to account.

“We remain absolutely committed to tackling violence against women and girls and bringing perpetrators to justice. If you are experiencing abuse or if you think someone you know is experiencing abuse, please speak to us. You will be heard and you will be supported.”

The survivor of Chiriac’s abuseshared the following:

“For those going through similar abuse, I would want for them to know how amazing it is on the other side. I know how it seems more dangerous to leave the abuser and that you and your children are better off with them, but it's not true. Since leaving, my child and I have been able to heal, have gotten so much unexpected support with everything and are feeling genuinely peaceful and happy now. I was pleasantly shocked at how much support got in this situation.

“This is a lot of thanks to the police, justice system, NHS and all the other support that is provided for survivors of domestic violence- they helped to change our lives in the best way.”

The investigation

An investigation into Chiriac’s offending was launched on 31 March 2025 when a relative of the victim alerted Met officers that she had turned up to their home with extensive injuries, including severe swelling to her head, black eyes and multiple bruises.

The relative expressed concern for the woman and child’s safety.

Officers were urgently deployed to find Chiriac. Upon arrival at his property, they found clear signs of disorder, including visible blood staining in one of the rooms.

It was later uncovered that just the day before, Chiriac had attacked the victim and her child without warning. He behaved aggressively, shouted abuse, prevented the victim from leaving the property and threatened her with a knife.

Chiriac was arrested and charged with offences including ABH, criminal damage and child assault before being remanded incustody.

In the weeks after the assault, the victim came to detectives with concerns about further incidents but felt unable to discuss them fully. They reassured her that she could disclose these in her own time and that support would be there whenever she was ready.

As the investigation progressed, she engaged with specialist services and began to rebuild her confidence and sense of safety. In time, she felt able to share a fuller account, enabling detectives to uncover the true extent of Chiriac’s offending - including multiple rapes - and ensure it was brought before the court.

On 11 September 2025 Chiriac was subsequently charged with multiple counts of rape, coercive and controlling behaviour, child cruelty and witness intimidation.

The Met continues to prioritise the safety of women and girls and is relentlessly targeting offenders to secure justice for victims of sexual violence.

As part of our victim-centered approach, we have rolled out new, bespoke training to 23,000 officers and staff. This training is strengthening officer skills to better investigate offences and provide more meaningful support to victims. It has seen stronger outcomes for victims and survivors, with the Met tripling charges for rape and serious sexual offences. More victim-survivors are also bravely reporting offences to police.

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A man was handed a five-year prison sentence after being convicted of grooming and repeatedly engaging in sexual activity with a teenage girl.

Philip Hares, 41, of Trevelyan Road in Cornwall, was sentenced at Ipswich Crown Court on September 25.

The court heard the offences involved a girl aged between 14 and 15 in Lowestoft.

Hares had denied the offences but was convicted following a trial.

Jurors found him guilty of two counts of engaging in penetrative sexual activity with a child aged 13 to 15 and meeting a child following sexual grooming.

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Frederico Santos, 25, of Bramford Road in Ipswich, was jailed for six years and three months after being convicted of rape.

The court heard that Santos raped a woman on a sofa while she was babysitting at a house in the town in May 2022.

Santos denied rape but was convicted by a jury.

Recorder Claire Davies KC said the offence had a "devastating" physical and mental impact on the victim.

He was also banned from contacting her until further notice and ordered to sign the sex offenders' register for life.

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Officers are urging people to look out for a wanted sex offender with links to Cumbria, Hampshire, Edinburgh and Glasgow

Michal Rygielski is wanted by Cumbria Police.

The 38-year-old is wanted after failing to comply with a sex offenders notification order as well as failing to appear at court.

Rygielski is around 5ft 10ins tall, of medium build with blue eyes and receding hair. He is believed to be in the Edinburgh or Glasgow areas.

Anyone with information on Rygielski’s whereabouts is urged to contact police.

People can report online at www.cumbria.police.uk/reportit quoting CRI10062105.

You can also phone on 101.

Alternatively you can contact Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

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A rapist has been jailed for eight years after attacking a woman he met online in her own home.

Carl Thomson, 55, now of Portishead, appeared at Exeter Crown Court for sentence on Friday 2 October after being found guilty of rape, sexual assault by penetration and sexual assault.

Thomson must sign the Sex Offenders’ Register for life.

During the trial, the jury heard how Thomson – then living in Paignton - met the victim online in March 2023.

In early April of that year Thomson and the victim went for a walk and then for dinner so she could show him the local area.

Messages from Thomson to the victim became sexualised and on 13 April 2023, Thomson raped and sexually assaulted her at her home.

The victim reported the offences to police on 18 April 2023, and Thomson was arrested at Bristol Airport.

She went on to tell police that she was forced to comply with Thomson’s advances as she feared for her own safety.

In interview Thomson stated the sexual contact was consensual.

During sentencing, HHJ Patrick told Thomson that the victim showed his kindness, but he took that as sexual and forced himself on her.

He added that the offences have caused her significant psychological harm.

Officer in the case Detective Constable Tia Smallridge, said:

“I welcome the sentence given to Carl Thomson at Exeter Crown Court.

“Thomson is a sexual predator who gained the trust of his victim before betraying it in the most horrific way.

“He abused the victim’s kindness and subjected her to a prolonged and sustained attack in a place where she should have safe from harm.

“He continued to deny his offending meaning the victim had to give evidence at court.

“I would like to thank the victim for reporting what happened to us, and then remaining engaged throughout the legal process.

“We hope she is now able to feel some form of closure and begin to move on with her life.

“Anybody who has been the victim of sexual offending is asked to report it to us via 101 or our website, or by 999 if in immediate danger.

“Our officers will investigate every report regardless of when the offence took place.”

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A man has been jailed after a vicious attack on a woman in Bagshot in January.

39-year-old Craig Grace will spend the next 14 years behind bars after being found guilty of rape.

At the end of January, Grace attacked a woman known to him with a knife. He stabbed her in the hand and raped her, threatening to kill her if she tried to run.

The victim was eventually able to flee and reported the assault to police. Grace was arrested, charged, and remanded within 24 hours of the 999 call. At court he refused to take the stand, and following trial was convicted of:

• Two counts of rape
• One count of sexual assault
• One count of serious assault (GBH)
• One count of assault (ABH)
• Threats to kill

On Tuesday, 29 September, Grace (17/03/1987), of Bagshot, was sentenced to 14 years imprisonment at Guildford Crown Court. He will also be subject to a lifetime restraining order against the victim.

The victim lives with permanent reminders, both physical and emotional, of the attack. “I have a scar on my hand as a result of the injuries I sustained that night. Every time I see it, I am reminded of the violence I endured and the trauma I continue to live with.”

She does not shy away from saying that:

“The events of that night were horrific and have fundamentally changed who I am” but remains defiant and hopeful for the future. “I refuse to be defined solely by what was done to me. Instead, I choose to be defined by my courage, resilience, determination, and strength.”

Investigating officer DC Antonia Corbu said:

“I would like to pay tribute to the courage and resilience of the victim throughout this investigation. I hope that the sentence imposed will go some way to helping provide with the closure needed to rebuild her life.

“Within 24 hours of the 999 call reporting this horrific attack, Craig Grace had been charged and remanded and has not walked free since. I am grateful for the hard work from police officers across departments and forces that made this possible.

“After the attack Grace fled to Wiltshire, where he was swiftly located and arrested by our colleagues from Wiltshire Police. The first attending officers to the scene in Bagshot treated the victim with compassion and respect and helped secure vital evidence, and the investigating team worked flat out to bring charges against Grace and ensure he was held accountable for his crimes.”

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A man has been jailed for more than a decade after he raped a woman and left her unconscious and partially clothed in a Derby street.

Gurpreet Singh raped the woman after a night out in May 2022.

The victim awoke disorientated in an unknown street the following morning and realised she wasn’t wearing any underwear, shoes, or socks and had on a pair of trousers that didn’t belong to her.

Singh, of Doveridge Walk, Littleover, was arrested and subsequently charged but denied that he had raped the victim.

CCTV evidence gathered during the police investigation showed Singh walking along the street holding the victim up, before heading towards an address in Derby. The victim had no clothing on her bottom half and was not wearing shoes.

The case was sent to trial and in July this year 33-year-old Singh was found guilty by a jury.

On 17 September he appeared at Chesterfield Court where a judge sentenced him to 12 years imprisonment.

Singh was also handed an indefinite restraining order in respect of the victim and is required to register with police for life upon his release from prison.

In extracts from her Victim Personal Statement, which was read out in court, the victim said:

“…The assault changed the way I see myself. It made me feel dirty, ashamed, and as though something had been taken from me. Although I know that what happened was not my fault, those feelings have stayed with me and continue to affect my confidence and self-worth.

“…The assault has taken away my sense of safety, freedom, and peace of mind. It has affected my mental health, my sleep, my relationships, my work, and my ability to enjoy everyday life. Four years later I am still living with the consequences of one person’s actions. I continue to carry the fear, anxiety, and emotional pain every day, and I am still trying to rebuild the confidence and sense of security that were taken away from me.”

Officer in the case, Detective Constable Hayley Doody, said:

“The victim in this case has been incredibly brave for the past four years and I want to thank her for her co-operation and patience with our investigation, and the wider case, while she waited for her day in court.

“Singh is an extremely dangerous and calculating individual, who thought he could rape the victim and get away with it.

“Nothing can undo the trauma that Singh has caused for the victim, but I hope that knowing he has been held accountable and is now behind bars will offer her some peace so that she can move forwards with her life.”

Description

Barry Lee, 49, of Marine Road, Pensarn, was jailed for two years at Mold Crown Court after admitting attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child and attempting to cause a child aged 13–15 to look at images of sexual activity.

On 7 September 2026, North Wales Police attended his address after a paedophile hunter group reported that he had been “corresponding with and sending images to a 14-year-old child.” He was arrested and his phone seized. Chat logs showed that between late August and early September he used two names to message someone he believed was a 14-year-old girl. He steered the conversation into sexual territory, sent a sexual image of himself, and asked for images in return. The other party was a decoy.

Lee has six previous convictions covering 19 offences, including sexual communication with a child, attempting to get a child under 16 to watch a sexual act, and sending indecent communications. He was also serving a community order for exposure, which he breached.

Prosecuting, Sam Wiggs outlined the evidence. Defending, John Wyn Williams noted Lee’s early guilty pleas and difficult childhood.

Judge Simon Mills described the offences as “serious” and said only an immediate custodial sentence was appropriate. Previous suspended sentences and community orders had not stopped him offending. The judge accepted that Lee recognised he had a problem, but warned he risked escalating and facing tougher sentences. “The nature of your conversations with the decoy was ever so close to a higher level of offending,” the judge said.

Lee must serve up to half the two-year term in custody, with the remainder on licence. He was made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and will be treated as a very high risk offender. He must comply with sex offender notification requirements for 10 years. A deprivation order was made for his phone, and he must pay the statutory surcharge.

Description

A sex offender who exposed himself to a woman on a train then masturbated in front of her has been jailed, following a British Transport Police (BTP) investigation.

Nisan Fernando Kurukulasuriya, 39, and of Troutbeck Road in Altrincham, was sentenced to eight months' imprisonment at Manchester Crown Court on Tuesday 15 September. He pleaded guilty to Sexual Assault and Outraging Public Decency at a previous court hearing.

He was also handed a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) which will bar him from sitting next to any woman he doesn't know on public transport, and will be on the sex offenders register for 10 years.

The court heard how, on Monday 20 April 2026, Kurukulasuriya was on a train from Stoke to Manchester when he sat next to a woman he didn't know who was on the phone.

He then sexually assaulted her repeatedly, doing so again even after being pushed away by the woman. The woman then noticed that he had exposed himself and was masturbating in front of her.  

She shouted at Kurukulasuriya, who in response stood up and ran away to leave the train. The woman immediately got up to report the incident to staff.

When the train arrived at Manchester Piccadilly, the woman went to speak to a member of railway staff. Kurukulasuriya meanwhile was stood only a few meters away, seemingly without a ticket that would let him through the gate line.

The woman told a member of staff at the gateline that Kurukulasuriya had exposed himself to her, and the member of staff immediately contacted BTP.  

Officers quickly attended, speaking to the woman and arresting Kurukulasuriya before taking him to custody. When police interviewed him, Kurukulasuriya showed no remorse for his actions and refused to answer any questions put to him.

BTP Detective Sargeant Mark Haviland said:

"Kurukulasuriya is a despicable man who targeted a woman travelling alone for his own sick sexual gratification. His brazen behaviour was terrifying, and I commend the victim for having the courage to report the incident so that we could take swift action.

"There is no place on the railway network for sexual offending of any kind, so I am pleased to see Kurukulasuriya rightfully jailed for his actions.

"We take every report seriously, and we will always believe you. No report is too small, and if you've been the victim of this offending, you can contact us discreetly by texting 61016 so we can secure justice for you.”