Latest Offenders Cheshire

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A man from East Timor who groomed and sexually abused a child in Winsford has been jailed.

Tomas Sarmento appeared at Liverpool Crown Court today, Friday 13 March, where he was sentenced to 17 years in prison.

The 43-year-old of the Winsford area, was previously found guilty of rape of a girl under 13 and causing a girl under 13 to engage in sexual activity, following an eight-day trial at Liverpool Crown Court which concluded on Wednesday 21 January.

During the trial, the court heard how Sarmento groomed and sexually abused the victim between 2022 and 2023, starting when the girl was just 8 years old.

Sarmento would lure the victim to his home under the pretence that she could use his Wi-Fi. Once the victim was inside the address, he would sexually abuse her.

The victim later bravely confided in a friend about what Sarmento had done to her, and the abuse was subsequently reported to police.

Following the reports an investigation was launched by detectives and Sarmento was questioned in relation to the allegations, where he denied any wrongdoing.

Despite his denial, he was charged with the offences.

Following the sentencing, Detective Constable Ann Muldowney, who led the investigation, said:

“Sarmento is a dangerous predator, who is yet to show any remorse for the sexual abuse he forced a vulnerable child to endure.

“He deliberately abused his position as a trusted adult to isolate and manipulate the victim in order to subject her to obscene acts of sexual violence, and I welcome today’s sentence, which ensures he can no longer pose a risk to other innocent children.”

In addition to his sentence, Sarmento was also handed a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) and ordered to sign the Sex Offenders’ register for 10 years.

DC Muldowney added:

“I commend the victim in this case, for the courage she has shown throughout the entirety of this investigation, despite having to relive her trauma during a trial, is truly remarkable.

“It is thanks to her exceptional strength and bravery that we were able to gather the evidence needed to bring this case before the courts and ensure Sarmento will never again have the opportunity to harm another child.

“I’d also like to thank the prosecution team for their efforts in securing justice for the victim and her family, and I hope today’s outcome provides them with some sense of closure as they continue to rebuild and move forward with their lives.”

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A sexual predator has been jailed for 11 years after sexual abusing a child.

Daniel Walker, of Plumley, was handed the custodial sentence on Friday 6 March at Chester Crown Court.

The 42-year-old had previously been found guilty of three counts of assaulting a girl under 13 by touching, two counts of assaulting a girl under 13 by penetration, and three counts of inciting a girl under 13 to engage in sexual activity.

The victim in this case disclosed she had been abused by Walker between the ages of seven and 12.

Walker was arrested in relation to the allegations and was dismissive in interview, even laughing and appearing amused at the officers’ questions.

Following a thorough investigation, Walker was charged with eight counts of sexual abuse against a child.

Detective Sergeant Chris Jackson said:

“The significant custodial sentence handed to Walker demonstrates the severity of his crimes and I am grateful that he is facing many years behind bars where he cannot do this to anyone else.

“He subjected a child to horrific abuse, something no child should have to endure. I would like to acknowledge the victim’s bravery in reporting these offences and I sincerely hope that the lengthy sentence handed to Walker will be of some reassurance to her.

“I also hope her courage in speaking to police will also help others who may wish to report similar offences to come forward; you will be listened to, and we are committed to investigating every report thoroughly and sensitively.”

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A man from Congleton has been jailed for over four years after forcing an 11-year-old child to engage in sexual communications.

Joshua Brookes appeared at Chester Crown Court on Thursday 19 February 2026, where he was sentenced to four and a half years’ imprisonment.

The sentencing comes after the 21-year-old, of Vaudrey Crescent, Congleton, pleaded guilty to four counts of inciting a girl under the age of 13 to engage in sexual activity and two counts of making indecent images of a child.

The court heard that officers from Cheshire Police’s Online Child Abuse Investigation Team (OCAIT) had been investigating reports of online sexual activity between an 18-year-old man and a child.

On Tuesday 30 July 2024, OCAIT officers arrested Brookes and subsequently seized a number of digital devices belonging to him. These devices—a phone and a laptop—were inspected by digital forensic teams, who uncovered a series of threatening messages that had been sent to the victim.

The messages showed that Brookes pressured the girl into sending him sexualised images of herself. He went on to tell the child that if she stopped sending images, he would share them with people she knew, and he even threatened to harm himself and sexually assault her.

Across Brookes’ devices, nearly 30 indecent images were found.

Officers later identified the victim as an 11-year-old girl, who confirmed to them that Brookes had forced her to send the images and had made a number of threats towards her if she stopped.

In his interview with police, Brookes gave no comment to all questions and allegations put to him.

Despite his refusal to provide his side of the story or defend himself, Brookes was subsequently charged with the offences.

Alongside his custodial sentence, Brookes has also been made the subject of a ten-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Detective Constable Anna Hull, of CID Reactive North, said:

“Firstly, I would like to commend the victim in this case, whose help has been invaluable in securing this conviction against Joshua Brookes. Despite her young age, the bravery and courage she has shown in coming forward and speaking to police about the ordeal has been nothing short of inspiring.

“Brookes used fear and intimidation to manipulate his victim, a vulnerable child, making her feel guilty for not wanting to feed into his warped sexual fantasies. I am very glad to see that he has been handed a lengthy custodial sentence, which will, hopefully, allow the victim in this case and her family to begin to move on from this extremely alarming incident.

“Even when Brookes is eventually released from prison in 2030, he will be under continual monitoring under a Sexual Harm Prevention Order, ensuring he will never cause harm to another vulnerable child again.”

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He was also subject to an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).

The 48-year-old of the Winsford area, had previously admitted to four counts of rape of a girl under 13, three counts of assaulting a girl under 13 by penetration, four counts of assaulting a girl under 13 by touching, and four counts of inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity.

The offences occurred between 2023 and 2025.

During the investigation, specialist officers deployed a seminal detection dog to an area where some of the offences took place. The dog subsequently found Huband’s semen on one of the victim’s blankets.

Following the sentencing, the officer in charge of the case, Detective Constable Savy Joshi, said:

“This has been a really challenging case for a number of reasons, and so I’m relieved our hard work has paid off by securing justice for these innocent children.

“In the initial stages of our investigation, Huband dismissed the allegations outright, attempting to weaponise his status as an adult to portray the victims’ accounts as nothing more than childish imagination. But when PD Ebony located his DNA on one of the victim’s blankets, his attempts to deny responsibility fell short.

“Predators like Huband operate on manipulation and control, doing everything they can to silence and discredit those they harm. Thanks to the meticulous evidence gathered throughout this investigation, and the remarkable courage shown by all four victims, Huband has now been stripped of that control. We have exposed his lies, and he is now being held accountable for the atrocities he has committed.”

Detective Sergeant Laura Bradshaw, the Senior Investigating Officer, said:

“Cases of child sexual abuse are always devastating, but this one has been particularly harrowing for everyone involved.

“The children in this case had their lives shattered by the actions of one man who chose to exploit their vulnerability in the most appalling way. The trauma they have endured is unimaginable, yet they have shown extraordinary bravery throughout this entire investigation.

“Their strength has ensured that no other child will be harmed by Huband, no other child will experience what they have experienced.

“I would like to acknowledge the dedication of my team, who have worked tirelessly to build a comprehensive case that left Huband with no option but to plead guilty.

“His sentence reflects the gravity of the horrific abuse he inflicted upon his victims, and whilst they will never be able to forget about what happened to them, I hope that the conclusion of this case will provide them with some closure and enables them to move forward with their lives.

“I also hope this case encourages other victims of sexual offences to come forward and report them to us.

“Any allegation will be thoroughly investigated, with the wishes and needs of the victim as our main priority.

“They will receive the help and support they need from our specialist officers, as well as from other support agencies we work alongside, and all victims of sexual offences have the right to anonymity.”

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A Lithuanian man who sexually assaulted a woman in Winsford has been jailed.

Arturas Galinauskas appeared at Liverpool Crown Court on Friday 30 January 2026 where he was jailed for 13 years.

The 29-year-old had earlier been found guilty of one count of sexual assault following a four-day trial at Liverpool Crown Court which concluded on Friday 12 December 2025.

During the trial, the court heard that at around 12.30am on Saturday 28 June 2025, the victim, a 19-year-old woman, visited the Hive in Winsford with two friends.

While at the premises the group were approached by a man who introduced himself as ‘Tommy’, who was an acquaintance of one of the victim’s friends.

At around 2.30am the group, including Tommy, decided to go back to the victim’s friend’s house nearby.

After returning to the address the group continued to drink, before the victim fell asleep in bed.

She awoke a short time later to find Tommy sexually assaulting her, he only stopped when victim’s friend returned to the room.

Following the incident the victim fled the address with her friend and reported the matter to police.

An investigation was launched by officers from Northwich CID who quickly identified Tommy as Arturas Galinauskas.

He was subsequently arrested in the Delamere Street area of Winsford. During questioning he claimed that all the sexual activity was consensual. Despite his claims, he was later charged in relation to the allegations.

Following the sentencing, Detective Constable Bethany Green, who led the investigation said:

"Firstly, I would once again like to thank the bravery shown by the victim throughout this case.

“The incident had a profound impact on her, but thanks her for the courage a dangerous man is now behind bars.

“While she will never be able to forget what happened that night, I hope that the substantial prison sentenced that has been handed to Galinauskas will provide her with some closure and allow her to move forward with her life.”

In addition to his prison sentence Galinauskas has also been ordered to sign the sex offenders register for life.

Detective Sergeant James Elliot, of Northwich CID, added:

“Nobody should have to experience what the victim has been though and if anything can come from this case, I hope that it encourages other victims of sexual offences to come forward and report them to us. 

“We treat all reports of sexual offences extremely seriously, and any allegation will be thoroughly investigated, with the wishes and needs of the victim as our main priority.

“Victims should never feel ashamed to talk about what they have been subjected to. They will receive the help and support they need from our specialist officers, as well as from other support agencies we work alongside, and all victims of sexual offences have the right to anonymity.”

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A man from Congleton has been jailed after he admitted to sexually abusing young girls online.

James Lawton appeared at Chester Crown Court on Friday 9 January where he was sentenced to three years and four months in prison.

The 23-year-old, previously of Mill Street, Congleton, had earlier pleaded guilty to; causing a child to look at images of sexual activity, possession of indecent images of children, two counts of engaging in sexual communication with a child, three counts of making indecent images of children, and possession of extreme pornography.

He also pleaded guilty to inciting a girl under 13 to engage in sexual activity.

In addition to his prison sentence, Lawton was also ordered to sign the sex offenders register for life and handed a 10-year sexual harm prevention order.

The investigation began in January 2025 when Cheshire Police received intelligence relating to Lawton’s online activity that suggested he was engaging in sexual communications with a child.

Subsequently, officers from the Online Child Abuse Investigation Team conducted a warrant at Lawton’s home in Crewe where he was arrested and a number of electronic devices were seized and sent for analysis.

During this time, officers received a further report from Sussex Police that prior to his arrest, Lawton had been requesting sexually explicit images from a 12-year-old girl in their force area.

Lawton told the child that he was 15 and sent her sexual images and videos of himself, encouraging her to do the same.

He also requested indecent images from a 9-year-old girl from Nottingham.

During examination of the devices, officers recovered 368 indecent images and videos of children, over 129 of which were category A.

Lawton was later charged with the offences, which took place between June and August 2024.

Following the sentencing, Detective Constable Phil Limberg of the Online Child Abuse Investigation Team at Cheshire Police, said:

“We are committed to pursuing and bringing to justice those who view indecent images online and prey on vulnerable children using social media and messaging apps.

“Lawton is clearly a dangerous and predatory individual who was intent on engaging with young girls online for his own perverse sexual gratification, despite knowing full well that they were underage.

“Thankfully he has been given a substantial prison sentence and can no longer pose a threat to young girls.”

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A mother tearfully confronted her rapist in court, saying, "You didn't listen to me when I said no, but you will listen now," as he was jailed for the assault.

Louis Cooper chillingly told his victim he "liked it when she was squirming" during the rape and laughed when he learned he had injured her. Though he denies the offense, the victim stated: "That day changed everything about me. The person I was before this happened died that day."

At Liverpool Crown Court, jurors heard that Cooper, 30, of Rossmore Road East in Ellesmere Port, began consensual sex with the complainant but suddenly changed position without consent. Despite her saying "Louis, no" and trying to push him off, he held her down and raped her. She was unable to "say or do anything" or "move." Afterward, he said: "Halfway through that, I realised I was raping you. I kind of liked it when you were squirming though." He later laughed about her injury and texted her referencing it.

In her victim impact statement, she said tearfully: "What he did to me didn't end when it was over. That day changed everything about me. The person I was before this happened died that day. People hear the word rape and think it's just one moment. It became my whole life. It followed me into my home, my job and sleep until nothing felt normal any more.

"I stopped trusting people. I became frightened of the world. My mental health deteriorated to the point that I tried to take my own life three times. I was not coping, I was not functioning and I was not surviving. I lost my confidence, independence and sense of self. I had to leave my job and move house in order to feel safe again. It still follows me every day.

"Louis Cooper didn't just hurt me, he scarred me. He took my peace, confidence and safety. He took years of my life. Surviving is not the same as living. This was not something I could just move on from. It followed me into every day and every part of my life.

"It didn't just only happen to me. My children watched their mum disappear. They watched me deteriorate, cry and shut down. They've lived with the aftermath of something they should never have been touched by. I wanted to protect them from everything, and I couldn't protect them from the things he did to me.

"My family have lived with this for years too, living with the fear that, one day, they would lose me. I will carry the impact of this for the rest of my life. This is for you Louis. You didn't listen to me when I said no, but you will listen now. This was rape, this was abuse and it nearly killed me."

Cooper has one prior conviction: three years in prison in 2020 for drug trafficking. Defense barrister Mark Connor argued: "He has no previous convictions for any violence at all. He has no previous convictions for any sexual offence. This appears to be an isolated incident. While on bail for a significant period of time, he committed no further offences. This is not a case that calls for an extended determinate sentence. Mr Cooper knows that he will receive a significant sentence of imprisonment. I ask your honour to pass the least possible sentence commensurate with the seriousness of these offences."

Convicted of rape by jury, Cooper appeared via video link from HMP Liverpool, wearing a grey Under Armour sweatshirt, with short dark hair and a beard. Judge Brian Cummings KC sentenced him to eight years in prison plus four years on extended license, noting: "It is apparent that you continue to deny the rape. It is apparent, more than three years on from the offence, that her thoughts continue to be dominated by the rape, and her life has been severely adversely affected.

"It cannot be said that this is your first experience of custody. It is, of course, now your second such experience. I take account of the character evidence presented on your behalf. It is apparent that there is a better side to your character. I take account of the fact that you have a young child. That is always a tragic aspect of any case where a court has to impose a prison sentence.

"I am afraid, notwithstanding the submissions made by Mr Connor, my own assessment, having observed the evidence given in the trial in your case, including your own evidence, is that there is a significant risk of serious harm being occasioned to members of the public by the commission by you of further specified offences. I am not satisfied that a determinate prison sentence will be sufficient, and the sentence in your case will be an extended licence sentence."

Cooper received a lifelong restraining order barring contact with the victim and must sign the sex offenders' register indefinitely.

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A convicted paedophile from Winsford has been jailed again after he was found in possession of thousands of indecent images of children.

Gary McVeigh, of Delamere Street, appeared at Chester Crown Court on Tuesday 6 January where he was sentenced to 14 months in prison.

The 48-year-old had previously pleaded guilty to possession of an indecent of a child, possession of a prohibited image of a child, possession of an extreme pornographic images and three counts of making indecent images of children.

The court heard how on 21 May 2025, officers attended McVeigh’s address as part of the routine checks made to monitor registered sex offenders.

During the visit, officers discovered a mobile phone, a laptop, a USB stick and an SSD memory card. After checking the content of the devices, officers discovered a number of indecent images.

During further checks officers recovered more than 12,950 indecent images of children. There was also evidence showing that McVeigh had distributed more than 120,000 images to other paedophiles.

Following the sentencing, Detective Sergeant Helen Wrigley said:

“As a registered sex offender, McVeigh was subjected to a number of vigorous checks on a regular basis to prevent reoffending and ensure he was keeping to his conditions.

“He was well aware of these checks, but despite this he continued to offend, downloading and sharing thousands of indecent images which showed vulnerable children being tortured, raped and abused.

“Thankfully, through our effective monitoring, McVeigh was quickly arrested and is now facing the consequences of his actions.

“I hope it reassures people that we do carefully monitor registered sex offenders in the community and take action when a breach is discovered.”

In addition to his prison sentence, McVeigh was also ordered to pay £187 costs and sign the sex offenders register for ten years.

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A sex offender given a chance to stay out of jail this summer squandered the opportunity by "deliberately" breaching a court order less than two months after it was imposed.

David Draycott, 70, of London Road, Davenham, received a two-year suspended sentence in September for amassing an "abominable" 50,000-strong collection of child sex abuse images.

He was also subjected to a sexual harm prevention order banning him from any household with children under 16.

But on November 15, Draycott attended a birthday party for a terminally ill friend, staying at least an hour in the presence of two children.

The paedophile appeared at Chester Crown Court on December 17 for sentencing after pleading guilty to the breach before Chester magistrates.

Judge Simon Berkson rejected Draycott's basis of plea for a reduced sentence, stating it was not an emergency and "he could have left and come back at another time."

He added: "It was exceptional circumstances, not emergency."

The prosecution said Draycott visited a neighboring property without disclosing his sex offender status. He greeted the parent and two young children but was not left unsupervised with them.

Draycott later told his probation officer he was at the party and "they were teenagers," which the crown described as a "deliberate breach."

Defense counsel argued: "He said he hadn’t thought of the implications of staying. This was the last party of a friend who died a few days after."

Judge Berkson deemed it a deliberate breach but accepted it was a "crowded room without attempts to talk to the children."

Jailing Draycott for 12 months, the judge said: "You saw there were children there but instead of leaving, you stayed for at least an hour in the presence of those children.

"You know that was a serious breach and deliberate because you know that order is in place to keep you away from children.

"But I do accept that you posed a low risk."

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A man has been jailed for more than seven years after admitting multiple counts of rape and sexual assault.

George Brusby, of no fixed abode, appeared at Chester Crown Court on Friday 12 December.

The 28-year-old was sentenced to seven-and-a-half years after pleading guilty to five counts of rape, one count of assault by penetration, one count of causing a female aged 13 or over to engage in non-penetrative sexual activity and one count of sexual assault.

On 3 March 2023, police received reports of non-recent sexual abuse which occurred when the female victim and Brusby were both children in the Warrington area.

This report was made after seeing a video of Brusby’s arrest which was posted online by a paedophile hunter group who used a decoy to catch him sending sexual communications to a whom he believed was a child.

Following seeing this, the victim told police Brusby had sexually abused her between the ages of 11 and 14, when Brusby was aged between 12 and 16.

Brusby would rape the victim and sexually assault her, also inciting her to engage in sexual activity. She stated she never consented to any of it, but Brusby would use force to rape or assault her.

Brusby was arrested and interviewed about these allegations and tried to claim that any sexual activity they engaged in was consensual. However, despite his denials, he was charged with the offences and ultimately pleaded guilty at court.

On top of his custodial sentence, Brusby must sign the Sex Offender Register and is subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and a restraining order to protect the victim. 

Detective Constable Byng said:

“Even though Brusby was a child himself at the time of the offences, he knew what he was doing was wrong and tried to claim that it was consensual. But thankfully he didn’t put the victim through the stress of a trial and pleaded guilty at court.

“I hope the conclusion of this case will provide the victim with some closure after carrying this on her shoulders for a large portion of her childhood and into adulthood.

“Brusby’s sentence is thanks to her bravery in talking to police about what happened to her, and I also hope that her courage will help others in coming forward and reporting any incidents of sexual abuse, no matter how long ago the offences took place.”

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A man who saved over 43,000 indecent images of children, including AI-generated abuse material and self-written paedophile manuals, has been sentenced to three and a half years, following a National Crime Agency investigation.

NCA officers investigated Charles Cornelius, 57, from Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, after receiving information that an account linked to him had uploaded ten indecent images of children to the internet.

Cornelius was permanently living and teaching in Thailand when he travelled back to the UK in June 2022 and uploaded the images to the internet.

NCA officers arrested Cornelius at Manchester Airport on 9 August 2023 when he returned to the UK for possession, making and distribution of indecent images.

He provided no comment at interview and was released on bail with conditions. Magistrates denied an application to allow him to return to Thailand while the investigation was ongoing.

Analysis of his devices discovered known and AI generated child sexual abuse material, as well as prompts used to create the AI images.

Two self-generated paedophile manuals were also discovered despite attempts to encrypt devices and conceal the material.

Cornelius had previously taught young children in multiple countries. It is believed he took a course in teaching English to non-native speakers before working with the British Council Thailand from 2012 onwards.

Cornelius pleaded guilty to all charges at Manchester Magistrates Court in September and was sentenced at Chester Crown Court today [11 December].

Danielle Pownall, NCA operations manager, said:

Cornelius sought out and created images showing horrific abuse of children, including using AI to create further depraved imagery.

His creation of paedophile manuals reflects a disturbing desire to prey on the most vulnerable in society. He did all this whilst putting himself in a position of trust around children.

The NCA is committed to prosecuting criminals who engage in child sexual abuse activity and pursue justice for victims.

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A man has been jailed after meeting with a 15-year-old girl in Chester.

Assef Naseri, of no fixed abode, appeared at Chester Crown Court on Thursday 4 December where he was sentenced to three years.

The 30-year-old had earlier pleaded guilty to child abduction and engaging in non-penetrative sexual activity with a girl aged 13-15.

An investigation established that Naseri, who lived in Croydon, had been speaking with the victim online and had arranged to meet with her in Chester, despite knowing her age.

In March 2025, the 15-year-old victim was in Chester city centre when CCTV captured Naseri meeting her before the pair travelled to Chester Bus Station where they boarded a coach to London. CCTV obtained from the coach showed Naseri kissing the victim.

Following enquiries, the victim was located by police in Croydon in the company of Naseri four days later. He was arrested for child abduction and was found wearing the same clothing as captured in the CCTV images in Chester.

On top of his custodial sentence, Naseri is subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for 10 years and must sign the Sex Offender Register for 10 years.

Detective Constable Laura Lee said:

“Naseri was well aware of the age of the victim but despite this, took the time to make a calculated plan to meet her in Chester, travelling all the way to Cheshire to do so.

“Once there he took her back to his home on the other end of the country.

“I hope the sentence handed down to him reassures the public that we are committed to protecting vulnerable people and children from those who would exploit them.”

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A man has been convicted of raping a woman in Chester.

Scott Buxton, of no fixed abode, appeared at Chester Crown Court on Wednesday 26 November 2025 where he was found guilty of rape, attempted rape, threats to kill and threats to damage/destroy property, following an eight-day trial.

The 32-year-old will be sentenced at Chester Crown Court on Tuesday 20 January 2026.

In May 2025, Buxton made several threats to kill the victim and ‘blow up her car’ while talking to one of her family members on the phone. Due to this, the victim contacted police.

She then told police that on previous occasions she had awoken to find Buxton raping her or attempting to rape her.

Buxton had also referred to ‘knowing where she had been’, disclosing information which the victim had not made known to him. He would also try to control her movements by making alternative plans, so the victim remained with him and didn’t socialise with anyone else.

Buxton was subsequently arrested and interviewed in relation to the offences, and later charged.

Detective Constable Max Jones said:

“Firstly, I would like to thank the victim in this case for her bravery in talking to police about what happened to her, especially after Buxton failed to take responsibility for his crimes and put her through the stress of a trial.

“But thankfully the jury saw through his lies, and he has now been found guilty of a number of serious offences.

“No-one should ever have to experience what this victim went through. We hope this conviction will give members of the public confidence in coming forward to report incidents of this nature.

“Anyone who wishes to report offences can contact police via 101 or through our website. We will always investigate every report seriously and thoroughly, with the needs and wishes of the victim as our main priority."

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A serial sex offender has been jailed after being caught with child sex abuse images for a third time.

Benjamin Heron, 33, of Church Road, Northwich, was found with up to 200,000 indecent images during an inspection on March 25.

Chester Crown Court heard that Heron, already subject to a sexual harm prevention order from two prior convictions, lied to officers, claiming his only devices were a Nintendo Switch and two TVs. In reality, he had memory sticks, mobile phones, and a PC.

Analysis revealed he had downloaded and distributed indecent images online multiple times between December last year and January this year.

In a sample of about 600 images, around 300 were Category A—the most serious, involving child rape. He had tens of thousands in total, but police examined only enough to secure evidence.

Heron admitted three counts of downloading indecent images, six of distributing, one of possessing indecent images, and one of possessing prohibited images (non-photographic, such as anime or cartoons, per the Crown Prosecution Service).

He also admitted breaching the sexual harm prevention order at an earlier plea hearing.

On November 21, Judge Patrick Thompson sentenced him to four years and six months in prison. Heron must comply with a lifetime sexual harm prevention order and sex offenders register, and surrender his memory sticks, mobile phones, and PC.

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A sex offender has been jailed for breaching a court order designed to protect the public.

David Norbury, 52, of Shores Green Drive in Wincham, was sentenced at Chester Crown Court on November 25 after admitting failure to comply with the sex offenders register and breaching a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO).

He failed to notify police of his online alias, TrendyBear109758, as required by the register.

Norbury also entered and remained at an address with a child under 16—prohibited by the SHPO—between June 25 and August 27 this year.

Judge Patrick Thompson imposed a two-year custodial sentence, stating that the seriousness of the offences justified imprisonment.

Norbury received four months for the register breach, to run consecutively to 20 months for the SHPO violation.

This follows a 2022 eight-week sentence for breaching an SHPO by deleting his internet search history.