Latest Offenders

Description

A Tajikistan national who subjected a 13-year-old girl to an “abhorrent” sexual assault on a train has been found guilty of six charges.

The verdict follows an investigation led by British Transport Police (BTP) detectives from its Major, Serious and Organised Crime (MSOC) team. 

Abdulmanon Aliev, aged 50, originally from Tajikistan but now living on Rye Lane, South London, appeared at Inner London Crown Court for a week-long trial.

On 9 April, the jury found him guilty of two counts of Assault by Penetration, three counts of Sexual Assault and Attempted Rape.

He will be sentenced at the same court on 17 June.  

Jurors heard that on the afternoon of 16 June 2025, the young girl was travelling on a Southend to London train.

During the journey she was approached by Aliev who sat opposite her and attempted to use a translator app on his phone to speak to her.

She then moved away from him to sit elsewhere, but he followed and sat next to her in an aisle seat, blocking her in by the window.

Aliev then forced himself upon the victim and subjected her to a prolonged sexual assault until the service arrived at London Fenchurch Street station where she was able get away from him and alight the train.

The victim boarded another train heading back out of London, leaving Aliev behind at the station.

She bravely reported what she endured to members of the public who encountered her in a distressed state, and the police were informed shortly after.

BTP detectives launched an urgent investigation to identify Aliev, trawling hours of CCTV footage to track his movements before and after the attack.

The manhunt ended on 27 June when plain clothes officers spotted him in Peckham, South London, and he was immediately arrested.

His home address was searched, and officers located and seized the clothes he was wearing during on the day of the attack.

A comprehensive file of evidence was submitted to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and charges were authorised the following day.  

Specialist officers have been supporting the victim and her family throughout the investigation.

BTP Detective Constable Elizabeth Cahill said:

“Aliev singled out a vulnerable child and subjected her to one of the most abhorrent sexual assaults I’ve ever investigated.

“While the focus of attention will rightly be on him as the despicable sexual predator that he is, I want to pay tribute to the brave victim who reported him to police.

“This verdict would not have been possible without her account of what happened and her willingness to support our investigation.

“We take every sexual offence report extremely seriously, and we’ll stop at nothing to put offenders like Aliev before the courts.”

Description

A 22-year-old man has been convicted of rape following a retrial at Northampton Crown Court.

The defendant - Dylan Saunderson - first stood trial at the same court in August last year, charged with three counts of rape, one count of assault and one count of administering a noxious substance.

At the end of that trial, Saunderson was found guilty of assault and not guilty of two counts of rape and administering a noxious substance.

The third count of rape could not be agreed upon by the jury and so the victim decided she would support a retrial at Northampton Crown Court which lasted for four days and ended at the end of last month (March 27). The jury took just two hours to return a guilty verdict.

The incident in question happened on the morning of September 28, 2023, when Saunderson attacked a woman inside a Kettering property and raped her.

He was sentenced on the same day he was found guilty to nine years in prison for the rape, 18 months in prison for the assault, to run concurrently, and six months in prison for a separate dangerous dog offence, to run consecutively. 

Saunderson will also be on the Sex Offenders’ Register for life. 

During sentencing, His Honour Judge Mayo told the court that “this was a prolonged attack which was aggravated by the assault.”

Lead investigator - Detective Sergeant Chelsea Noble from the Force’s SOLAR Team said:

“I’d like to commend the survivor in this case for the strength she has shown throughout this process. She has had to endure not one, but two trials, and the fact that she pushed for a retrial says everything about her absolute determination to get justice for what happened to her.

“In her victim personal statement, she commented on how she felt her life was on hold due to what Saunderson did to her, so I hope the conclusion of this case allows her to move forward. She has a bright future ahead of her and we wish her nothing but the best.

“Tackling violence against women and girls is a priority for Northamptonshire Police and I hope this case demonstrates how important victim care and getting justice is to us.”

Description

A 36-year-old man has been jailed for 19 years for a series of child sex offences.

Aaron John Starmer, of Burton, Staffordshire, pleaded guilty to the rape of a child, attempted rape of a child, three counts of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, sexual assault, sexual activity with a child and inciting sexual activity with a child.

He admitted the offences in October last year and was sentenced to 19 years in prison, with an additional six years on licence.

Starmer has also been placed on the Sex Offenders Register indefinitely, given an indefinite Sexual Risk Prevention Order and a restraining order preventing him from contacting the victim.

The charges followed the victim bravely reporting what had happened to them.

DC Sophie Smart, of Staffordshire Police’s child protection team, praised the victim’s courage.

She said:

“I would like to comment on the outstanding bravery of the victim in this case and their immense courage to come forward.

“Staffordshire Police encourages anyone who has been a victim of sexual offences to come forward and report it so that robust action can be taken and justice can be served.”

A force spokesperson added:

“We started to investigate Starmer after the victim bravely told someone what happened. He was arrested the same day and was charged and remanded into custody the next day. Starmer had no previous convictions for sexual offences.”

Description

A man has been jailed today for 14 years after he was found guilty of five child sex offences.

Craig Raeburn, aged 61, of no fixed address, was sentenced today (9 April) at Preston Crown Court after a jury found him guilty following a trial at the end of January.

Raeburn was made subject of a 20-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) and has been placed on the sex offenders register for life. He was also given an indefinite restraining order against the victim.

The offences occurred in Barrow between 2014 and 2016 and involve one victim.

Investigating Officer, Detective Constable Ash Elliot, said:

“The victim in this case has been incredibly brave in coming forward and reporting these traumatic events and I hope this result can provide some closure.

“Raeburn is a predator and was fully aware of the victim’s age when he committed the offences.

“Despite the case being reported some time after it took place, we hope the result achieved at court shows that it is never too late to report instances of sexual abuse.

“Cumbria Police will investigate all reports of sexual abuse and do everything in our power to hold offenders accountable for their actions.”

Description

A convicted sex offender offered cash to have sex with an “11-year-old girl” unaware he was messaging an undercover police officer posing as the child’s aunt.

Richard Smith, 35, of Nixon Phillips Drive, Hindley Green, Wigan, told the officer: “Money isn’t a problem.”

The 35-year-old, who was subject to strict notification requirements at the time, first contacted the officer on the Chat IW website last August using the username “Whitestick”. The officer used the name “AuntofLil”, which denotes a female child to those in the know, Bolton Crown Court heard.

Smith claimed in his profile to be a 28-year-old from Aberdeen. He asked: “Oh hello, go on how old is she?” Told the “nieces” were 11 and 14, he moved the conversation to the encrypted app Teleguard, known to be used by paedophiles.

He asked for pictures of the girls, where they lived, and whether they were “innocent and naive”. When told they were in London he replied: “Oh it said Greater Manchester lmao fair enough tho I can travel to London.”

After a phone call discussing dates and money, Smith chose the £180 option and later offered £250 to “secure the slot” when told another client had already booked the Sunday. He described the 11-year-old as the “opportunity of a lifetime” and asked about a long-term arrangement. He responded with “a great deal of enthusiasm” to a Snapchat image of children’s underwear.

Smith did not finalise the meeting and was arrested a week later.

He pleaded guilty to arranging or facilitating a child sex offence and breaching notification requirements by failing to disclose his social media aliases.

The court heard he had been convicted in 2018 of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child after performing a sex act during a FaceTime call with a girl under 16, witnessed by her mother.

Defence barrister David Toal said Smith accepted sending the messages but stressed his “voluntary desistance”. “He drew back and that’s the reason why there’s no actual serious harm committed by him. He stopped because he chose to stop,” he told the court.

Recorder of Bolton Judge Nicholas Clarke KC sentenced Smith to six years’ imprisonment, imposed a sexual harm prevention order and ordered him to sign the sex offenders’ register for life. The judge described it as “quite alarming that such websites and facilities are available”.

Description

Jack-Leland Webster of Cedar Road, Earl Shilton, Leicester has been sentenced to nine years and five months in jail for several offences including rape, strangulation and stalking, while living in Manchester. 

On Wednesday 8 April 2026 at Manchester Crown Court, Webster was found guilty of rape and strangulation. He pleaded guilty to stalking the victim at a previous hearing. 

In June 2024, Webster, previously Jack Malone, had accused the victim of cheating with her ex-boyfriend, and as she attempted to exit the flat, he blocked the doorways to prevent her from leaving. 

The victim had been in communication with her ex after he had reached out to her to let her know he was concerned after he found out Webster had been impersonating him to message the victim and test her loyalty throughout their relationship. 

He got on top of the victim and while he strangled her, he said, “Don’t make me kill you. If you do, I’ll have to kill myself so we can be dead together.” He then sexually assaulted her. 

While on bail, Webster purchased numerous fake social media accounts to follow and contact the victim, as well as her family and her friends, which was in breach of his no contact conditions. 

On one occasion, the victim was followed by over 100 accounts on a social media platform in a matter of seconds. Webster also sent her messages whilst pretending to be her ex-partner. 

During interviews, Webster denied all charges against him.

When an officer tried to arrange his second interview, he was obstructive and told the officer to “pick me up from KFC” and “catch me if you can”. 

When he arrived for his interview, he brought with him a book on how to be a good debater and said this was to give an idea of how his interview would go. 

Webster showed no remorse throughout the investigation and treated it as a game. 

He pleaded guilty to stalking before he went to trial where a jury found him guilty of rape and strangulation.

On Wednesday 8 April 2026 at Manchester Crown Court, Webster was sentenced to nine years and five months in prison. He has also been given an indefinite restraining order.

Investigating officer, Detective Constable Lucy Hatton said:

“Thank you to the brave victim in coming forward and reporting the abuse Webster subjected her to, as well as her continued support throughout the investigation, which allowed the police to safeguard her appropriately. 

“Jack-Leland Webster (formerly Jack Malone) is a very dangerous individual who was rightly remanded in custody following a prolonged stalking and domestic abuse campaign where he breached bail conditions multiple times. 

“I hope this sentence offers some reassurance for other victims of stalking and sexual offences.  

“We take all reports of stalking, rape and sexual assaults very seriously and will pursue these offenders and bring them to justice.” 

Description

A 45-year-old man has been sentenced to 11 years in prison for one count of attempted rape and two counts of sexual assault after a court found him guilty following a trial earlier this year.

Michael Modlinsky (06/10/1980) from Salford, appeared at Bolton Crown Court yesterday (07/04/2026) for sentencing following an investigation led by our Salford Criminal Investigation Department (CID).

He will serve an additional three years on licence upon release, while also being subject to a lifetime restraining order.

In August 2025, the victim first met Modlinsky and after a few encounters with one another over the course of four weeks, the offender initiated more contact and began making overtly sexual comments towards her. Despite repeatedly telling him there was nothing between them, this continued.

On one evening, Modlinsky began grabbing the victim and forcing himself on to her while also threatening to rape her - the victim bravely managed to push him away and leave the room before reporting the offence to police.

In his police interview, Modlinsky denied ever making such comments and denied the assault on the victim. A jury, however, found him guilty on all three counts.

Detective Constable Chloe Catterall from our Salford CID said:

"This was an incredibly frightening incident for the victim, and her courage throughout this investigation and the court proceedings has been remarkable. I hope today's sentencing offers her some sense of closure and reassurance.

"This case demonstrates our commitment to thoroughly investigating reports of sexual assault and violence, and ensuring offenders face the full consequence of their actions.

"I urge anyone who may have gone through this or witnessed such incidents to please come forward - you will always be listened to, supported and taken seriously."

Description

A paedophile who told a decoy posing as a 13-year-old girl that “age was just a number” has been jailed for breaching his Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).

Stephen Vincent, 60, was given a two-year suspended sentence in February 2024 for attempting to meet a girl under 16 following grooming, after contacting the fake Facebook profile on New Year’s Eve 2022. He was also made subject to a 10-year SHPO.

He had already breached the order once in 2024 by failing to register a smart device with police within three days. That breach was uncovered after he made nuisance calls to Cleveland Fire Brigade; officers visiting his home found he had denied owning a phone, yet had just booked a taxi.

Vincent, formerly of Grosvenor Gardens, appeared via videolink from prison at Teesside Crown Court on Tuesday after pleading guilty to a second breach. 

A routine police visit on 10 February found a dating app open on his phone with messages sent under the unregistered alias “BigStephen60”. Officers also discovered evidence of several deleted dating apps, which he was banned from removing without permission from his offending manager. Deleted conversations could not be recovered.

Vincent, who has nine previous convictions for 21 offences, was sentenced to 12 months in prison by Judge Andrew Hatton.

Description

A sex offender who continued to upload indecent images of children has been sentenced.

Peter Stilwell of no fixed address appeared at Chester Crown Court on 7 April to be sentenced after pleading guilty to three counts of making indecent images of children.

These related to 44 category A images of children, six category B images, and 2,051 category C images between 30 September 2023 and 2 February 2025.

The 38-year-old was sentenced to 13 months imprisonment.

Stilwell who was previously given a 12 month suspended sentence for 12 months in May 2023 was recalled to prison on 12 March 2025 after officers from Cheshire Constabulary’s Online Child Abuse Investigation Team (OCAIT) attended his former address in Runcorn following information he had uploaded indecent of images of children from the internet.

Stilwell was also subject to a 10 year Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) and was also in breach of this order.

A number of digital devices were seized to be interrogated by digital forensic specialists, who later discovered thousands of indecent images and videos of children. They stopped at more than 2,000 images with a further 395,555 images and videos uncategorised. The remaining images were dip sampled finding further indecent images of children.

DC Kelsey Lee from the OCAIT team said:

“Stilwell was in clear breach of this SHPO following his similar conviction in 2023 for which he was given a suspended sentence. Despite this and the SHPO he continued his offending and thought he could get away with it. He has been in prison ever since and is now paying the price for his sickening behaviour.”

Description

A 56-year-old man from Westbury has been jailed after admitting sexual communications with a child and attempting to meet them - compounding his offending by breaching bail conditions imposed by the court.

Swindon Crown Court heard how Philip Burgess sent sexually explicit messages online, to someone he believed to be 14-years-old. 

Having been arrested and subsequently bailed for the offence in February 2024, he committed further offences and was further arrested for breaching his conditions. An interim Sexual Harm Prevention Order was imposed on him. 

He was charged for these offences in November 2025, and while awaiting sentencing, Burgess was arrested and charged for breaching his Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Burgess was charged with the following offences: two counts of attempted sexual communications with a child, inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, attempting to meet a child following grooming, and breach of a sexual harm prevention order.

Appearing before court on Friday 27th March, he was given a total of 57 months imprisonment, barred from working with children and vulnerable adults and ordered to pay a £228 surcharge.

Detective Constable Daniel Jackson said:

“Burgess has clearly shown his intent to cause sexual harm to children, along with his disregard for any conditions imposed on him, we welcome this custodial sentence by the court.”

Description

A man who enticed a person to sexually abuse a victim he believed to be her six-year-old daughter has been jailed.

Christopher Clinton was in fact talking with an undercover police officer when he engaged in the conversations between November 2024 and January 2025.

Clinton, aged 60, befriended the 'woman' on a social media network.

Posing as a middle-aged woman he then guided her to engage in sexual activity with a child he believed to be her daughter.

He also expressed a desire to develop an ongoing physical relationship with the child as she grew older.

Clinton was aware of the child’s purported age and had no idea he was in fact talking to a police officer.

Police investigators were able to track him down via his username to an address in Edwalton, where he was arrested on March 4 last year.

During his initial police interview, Clinton declined to answer questions and spoke only to deny that he posed a danger to any children.

He later pleaded guilty to arranging the commission of a child sex offence.

Appearing at Nottingham Crown Court on Monday 1 April he was jailed for two years and eight months.

He was also made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order which will closely restrict his future use of the internet as well as his access to children.

PC Summer Smith, of Nottinghamshire Police’s Internet Child Exploitation Team, said:

“Clinton genuinely believed he was talking to another like-minded individual who would help him to realise his depraved sexual fantasies.

“He claimed in his police interview not to be a danger to children, but sadly this is exactly what he is.

“Because if he had his way then he would have facilitated very real harm to a real child somewhere in the word, which is why I am so pleased that he has now been sentenced.”

Description

Two brothers who raped a woman following a Christmas event have been jailed for a total of 18 years after an investigation by specialist Met detectives.

Following the sentencing hearing, the victim-survivor thanked Met officers for their help and support, acknowledging the teams efforts in bringing the dangerous predators to justice.

Justice came after Met officers and prosecutors argued the case should be taken to the Court of Appeal, after a judge initially ruled the defendants had no case to answer.

Marius Todoran, 40 (04.11.1985) of Girton Avenue, Brent, was sentenced on Wednesday, 8 April at Kingston Crown Court to eight years imprisonment for rape.

Vasile Todoran, 43 (18.06.82), of the same address, was sentenced at the same court to 10 years for rape, kidnap, and kidnap with intent to commit a sexual offence.

The pair have also been added to the sex offenders register for life.

The brothers were brought to justice after the hard work and dedication from Met officers, who pursued CCTV, phone data and evidence from key witnesses to prove the offences.

Detective Sergeant Josh Dwyer, who led the investigation, said:

First and foremost, I want to commend the bravery of the victim-survivor. She has shown remarkable strength and courage in speaking to police and throughout the investigation and trial. Her testimony was instrumental in ensuring justice was achieved.

The impact of this case cannot be undone by todays sentencing, but we hope that it provides a small amount of closure.

The Met remains committed to tackling violence against women and girls, removing dangerous offenders from Londons streets, and ensuring victims-survivors get the right support at every stage of the criminal justice process.

That is why the original court decision - that there was insufficient evidence to proceed - was challenged, and the tenacity of the Met investigation team and prosecutors has ensured the Todoran brothers have been held to account for their horrific behaviour.

Following the sentencing, the victim-survivor said:

I would like to thank the police for all the help and support they offered me throughout the case, especially Detective Sergeant Josh Dwyer.

I dont think that I wouldve been able to get through this without all police officers help and care. I would also like to say to whoever reads this to trust and call the police when something happens to them.

The investigation

In December 2023, the victim-survivor, aged in her 40s, encountered Vasile Todoran after she left a Christmas event Queensbury, North West London. CCTV later showed her being forcibly taken to the address where the Todoran brothers rented a room. The victim-survivor attempted to get away from Vasile Todoran on multiple occasions before she was forced into the property, where she was raped.

A complex investigation followed, during which specialist officers reviewed hours of CCTV footage and analysed call and phone data to piece together the events of the evening and build a full picture of the brothers offending. This included interviewing key witnesses and carrying out urgent forensic submissions.

The brothers were later charged. A trial began in November 2024, but during proceedings the judge ruled that there was no case to answer, leading to the case being dismissed.

This decision was heavily challenged by both the investigation team and the prosecution and, as a result, was escalated to the Court of Appeal. The appeal overturned the dismissal and ruled that the case should return to the crown court for a full retrial.

Following a re-examination of all the evidence, the brothers were found guilty at Kingston Crown Court on Friday, 27 February 2026.

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 the Mets victim-centered approach, the organisation has rolled out new, bespoke training to 23,000 officers and staff. This training is strengthening officer skills to better investigate rape and serious sexual offences and provide more meaningful support to victims. This training 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.

Description

A 74-year-old man was sentenced after pleading guilty to one count of rape of a woman 16 years or over, and one count of sexual assault.

Stephen Biggs (04/03/1952) of Furness Square, Bolton appeared at Bolton Crown Court on Thursday 2 April, and was sentenced to nine years in prison.

In late March 2025, a woman befriended Biggs and he invited her alone to his address. Biggs gave her a unknown substance, which led to her feeling drowsy and later falling unconscious in the offender's home.

When she awoke, some of her clothing had been removed, and she found Biggs on top of her. The victim was struggling to gain full consciousness and passed out once again. After waking up, she found the offender still on top of her with his trousers unzipped and she managed to push him off her.

Following his arrest, Biggs was interviewed by officers, where he admitted to raping and assaulting the victim whilst she was unconscious.

The victim bravely shared in her interview: "Being older, this has really taken a toll on me. It’s ruined my confidence. I’m struggling within my own relationship with my partner. It’s destroyed me.”

Detective Constable Jordan Brown from our Bolton CID said:

"This was a horrific assault that happened to the victim all without her consent and without her knowledge at the time.

"She has been immensely brave coming forward to report this and supporting the investigation and I would like to thank her for her continued strength and courage during this difficult time.

"We remain committed to supporting victims of sexual violence and bringing offenders to account, no matter how long it takes.

"I urge anyone who may have gone through this to please come forward and report. You will always be treated with respect and your reports will always be taken seriously." 

Description

A Coventry man has been jailed for 20 years after being convicted of sexually abusing a young girl in the city.

John Evans, aged 59, carried out the sickening campaign of abuse in the 1990s, when he repeatedly sexually assaulted the girl at an address in the city.

The abuse carried on until she was a teenager, and Evans was identified and arrested after the girl came forward as an adult to tell her story.

Thanks to her bravery in coming forward, Evans was arrested in 2023.

Asked about the abuse and confronted with the details of his crime, he offered no comment beyond the basics of the fact he had known the girl at the time.

He eventually admitted rape and indecent assault and sentenced at Warwick Crown Court on 31 March.

Evans, of Hearsall Lane, Coventry, was jailed for 20 years and will be on the sex offender register for life.

Description

Thomas Tosh was found guilty of attacking the woman at his home in Drumchapel while she was intoxicated and incapable of consenting. 

The High Court in Glasgow heard how the 39yearold had collected the victim and her friends from a pub in Clydebank in the early hours of 30 September 2023. 

After dropping off all passengers apart from the victim, Tosh marked the fare as completed and logged out of the taxi’s GPS tracking system. 

He then drove the 23yearold woman in the opposite direction to where he was supposed to take her and brought her to his home, where he raped her. 

Two hours later, he logged back in to the tracking system while driving away from the direction of the victim’s home, where he had dropped her off. 

He was later identified after a friend of the victim showed her a picture of Tosh from social media. 

As well as the GPS evidence, the prosecution presented further evidence that proved the driver’s criminal actions. 

This included DNA results, text messages and witness accounts. 

On 7 April 2026, at the same court, Tosh was jailed for seven years, and his name was added to the sex offenders register indefinitely. 

A 10-year nonharassment order, banning him from contacting or attempting to contact the victim, was also granted.  

Faye Cook, Procurator Fiscal for High Court Sexual Offences, said: 

“This was a despicable betrayal of trust by a man who was responsible for getting a woman home safely after a night out. 

“Thomas Tosh deliberately concealed his location as he drove the victim to his home, where he raped her while it was clear she was unable to consent. 

“I want to recognise the courage shown by this young woman throughout the prosecution process. Her strength has helped bring a predatory offender to justice. 

“Scotland’s prosecutors will continue to use every tool available to pursue those who abuse women and girls, and to protect the public from harm.”