Latest Offenders Lancashire

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A man who took advantage of a vulnerable woman before raping her has been jailed.

Martin Glover (pictured) met his victim on a night out in Morecambe in April 2023.

He acted as a good Samaritan by offering the woman a place to stay but then proceeded to rape her at an address in the town.

Glover, 39, of Clarendon Road West, Morecambe, pleaded guilty to rape at a hearing in June of this year and was back at Preston Crown Court for sentence today (Friday, October 3rd).

He was jailed for seven-and-a-half years and ordered to sign the sex offenders register for life.

In a statement the victim, in her 30s, described how she was a shadow of her former self as a result of the attack, that Glover had stolen her dignity and that she suffered from anxiety and sleepless nights.

Det Con Kirsten Bell, of Lancaster CID, said:

“First and foremost I would like to praise the victim for having the courage to support this prosecution – that cannot have been easy, but it would not have been possible to reach this conclusion without her.

“Glover took advantage of and preyed on this vulnerable woman for his own sexual gratification, and I am pleased that other woman are now safe from his offending for some time.”

“I hope that this case gives others who may have suffered similar ordeals the strength to come forward confident in the knowledge that we will investigate sensitively and professionally”

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A wanted sex offender from Lancashire has been arrested.

Stephen Pennington, 37, was sought for breaching his Sexual Harm Prevention Order and had links to Blackpool, Blackburn, and Wigan.

Lancashire Police confirmed yesterday that he was apprehended 300 miles away in Devon and Cornwall.

A police spokesperson said:

“Last week we asked for your help to locate 37-year-old Stephen Pennington from Blackburn who was wanted for breaching his Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

“Pennington, who uses different names including Steven Cayzer and Stuart Rigby, is 5ft 10 and has tattoos on his neck, hand and body. He has deformed toes which turn outwards.

“Just to update you, Pennington was arrested on Thursday (October 2) by our colleagues in Devon and Cornwall Police and is no longer on his toes.

“While we can confirm the arrest came as a result of information received from you, the public, we cannot confirm whether a foot chase was involved.

“Thank you to everybody who shared our appeal.”

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A man who boasted about having sex with a woman 'when she was asleep' and had said 'no' has been jailed for 19 years.

In 2022, police launched an investigation into Martin Crossley, 41, following information he had raped a woman on multiple occasions in East Lancashire and Preston.

He told one witness he ‘saw women as a piece of meat’ and referring to the victim, he said: “I’ve had sex with her when she’s been asleep and after she’s said no.”

In 2023, officers received further information that Crossley had raped a teenage girl.

Crossley, of no fixed address, was charged with five counts of rape. He pleaded guilty to all five counts when he appeared at Preston Crown Court earlier this year.

Crossley returned to the same court where he was jailed for 19 and a half years and given a further five-year extended licence period after a Judge deemed him to be a dangerous offender.

In an impact statement to the court, Crossley’s first victim spoke about how the defendant had destroyed her life.

She continued:

“I could never describe enough how much I hate Martin for what he has done, he does not deserve to use up the oxygen of another human being. I want to be able to move forward with my life finally.”

She added:

“Martin Crossley is a dangerous sexual predator, and I do not want anyone else to be at risk from suffering at the hands of him.”

DC Alyson Richards, from Lancashire Police, said:

“No words I can say will ever truly reflect the impact Crossley’s perverted and deviant behaviour has had and continues to have on his victims.

“I hope the sentence Crossley has received will allow them to begin to rebuild their lives knowing their attacker is behind bars for a long, long time.

“I want to take this opportunity to place on record my thanks to both victims for the bravery they have shown throughout this process and for the trust they placed in us to bring Crossley to justice.”

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A MAN who kidnapped and raped a young woman at knife point has been jailed.

Neil Reid approached the victim as she sat in her car after finishing work in the Leyland area. He got in the front passenger seat and threatened the woman at knife point before demanding she drive to Lostock Hall.

Terrified for her life the victim did as he asked, and Reid then subjected the woman to a horrific rape ordeal in a street in Lostock Hall. She finally managed to break free and run to a nearby pub where she sought help.

Reid then made off in the victim’s car which he dumped in Preston before breaking into a house still armed with the knife and demanding the keys to another car, but he then fled empty handed.

Reid was quickly identified as a suspect, and further enquiries captured him on CCTV.

The offences happened in April this year.

Reid, 43, of Towngate, Leyland, appeared before Preston Crown Court in May and admitted two counts of rape, two counts of attempted robbery, one of kidnap, one of committing an offence with intent to commit a sexual offence, and one of threatening another with an article with a blade or point.

He appeared before the same court today (Wednesday, September 24th) where he was jailed for 20 years six months with an extended licence of a further 8 years.

In a statement the victim, in her early 20s, described how she suffers from anxiety and sleepless nights and is on medication since her ordeal. She said she no longer trusts anyone, has lost her freedom and is scared to go out alone.

The victims of the break-in described how they had been left suffering sleepless nights and of the lasting and massive impact on their lives.

Det Insp Ian Derbyshire, of South CID, said:

“Neil Reid is clearly a dangerous sexual predator who targeted a lone woman and subjected her to an absolutely horrific ordeal before breaking into a property armed with a knife and confronting the occupants.

“He has shown no remorse for the trauma he has caused with his brutal crimes which have left a deep and lasting impact.

“I would like to thank the victim for having the courage to support our investigation and this prosecution which ensures that women will be protected from Reid for a considerable time.”

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A senior hospital consultant convicted of abusing his position to sexually assault female members of staff has today been jailed.

During the course of his trial earlier this year the jury heard Dr Amal Bose was the root cause of a toxic and sexualised culture at Blackpool Victoria Hospital.

His behaviours including touching women inappropriately and making sexualised comments.

Despite claiming his actions were ‘only flirting’ and ‘banter’ Bose was found guilty by a jury after a trial in June.

He was convicted of 12 counts of sexual assault relating to five female members of staff at the hospital between 2017 and 2022.

He was cleared of two other counts.

Bose (03/02/1970) of Main Road, Thurnham, Lancaster appeared at Preston Crown Court today (Monsay, September 15th) and was sentenced to six years in prison.

In personal statements read to the judge the victims said Bose’s behaviour had left them feeling unsafe at work and less trusting of male colleagues.

Some changed work patterns to avoid him, called in sick or were even forced to leave the profession.

They said they suffered anxiety, panic attacks and loss of confidence.

One said Bose had not only violated her body but had violated the trust and respect that should exist in any professional workplace.

Temp Det Chief Insp Kirsty Wyatt said:

“Everyone should feel able to go to work and feel safe, confident and secure but Mr Bose has undermined that by abusing his position of power to sexually assault these female members of staff and by doing so has caused enormous damage.

“I would like to thank the victims for having the courage to come forward and speak about what happened to them – that cannot have been easy.

“While he may have considered his behaviour as merely flirting Mr Bose’s actions have clearly had a deep and lasting impact on his victims and in some cases has caused them to abandon the profession they loved.

“I would like to thank the jury for their careful consideration of the facts of this case and the Crown Prosecution Service for their presentation of the evidence.

“Finally, I hope that the guilty verdicts in this case give others who may have suffered similar ordeals the confidence to report it to us safe in the knowledge we will investigate professionally and sensitively.”

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A man has been jailed after an investigation by our South Internet Child Exploitation (ICE) team.

Officers paid a routine visit to David Hawkyard, a registered sex offender, in July 2025 but when they went in, he was acting suspiciously and delaying handing over his mobile devices.

He was arrested on suspicion of breaching his sexual harm prevention order and when detectives from the ICE team examined his devices, indecent Images of children were identified. Detectives secured three charges of making indecent images of children, and one charge of a breach of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order against Hawkyard, and he was remanded into custody.

Hawkyard, 24, of Lady Acre, Bamber Bridge, admitted the charges and was sentenced at Preston Crown Court this week to 21 months in prison. He was also given an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) which will allow police to closely monitor his activities online following his release.

Detective Constable Pippa Jackson, of the South ICE team, said:

“We believe Hawkyard poses a significant risk if his behaviour continued to escalate and we welcome this sentence.”

The purpose of the ICE teams is to investigate offenders committing online child exploitation offences within Lancashire to safeguard vulnerable children. We act on information where indecent images of children have been uploaded to the internet. A child is exploited every time their image is shared. By taking positive action, we aim to identify offenders, gather digital evidence of their activities, and put them before the court. We aim to prevent escalation in their offending and prevent future contact offences against children.

Online child abuse is a crime that affects all our communities and has a significant impact on children that are exposed to it. We are determined to do all we can to prevent it and continue to investigate offences where children are targeted and exploited online.

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A Paedophile has been jailed after he was extradited from the United States to face justice for crimes he committed almost 50 years ago.

Robert Flynn, an American citizen, was working in the UK in the 1970s when he sexually abused his teenage victim over a number of years.

Flynn returned to the US in 1976 but after the victim reported what had happened to him to police in 2021 an extradition process was launched.

And in May 2025 the U.S. Marshals Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force (NOVFTF) and the U.S. Marshals Office of International Operations (OIO) arrested Flynn at an address in Ohio.

He was flown back to the UK and was arrested at Heathrow Airport in June this year.

Flynn, 77, of Dunham Road, Maple Heights, Ohio, earlier admitted four counts of indecent assault on a boy under 16. The crimes were committed in the Rossendale area.

He appeared at Preston Crown Court today (Thursday, September 11th) where he was jailed for nine years and eight months. He was also given a lifetime Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO)

In a statement the victim, now in his 60s, said Flynn’s actions had affected his whole adult life but that with the help and support of friends he had survived and after coming forward and reporting the abuse to police he was rebuilding his life and was ready to be happy.

The investigating officer Mick Cross, of the Major Crime Review Team, said:

“First and foremost I would like to thank the victim in this case for having the courage to come forward and speak about what happened to him. Flynn’s abuse has had such a significant impact on the course of his adult life, and I hope the fact that Flynn has admitted his guilt and now been jailed for his crimes gives the victim some sense that justice has been done and that he can continue to move forward with his life.
“I also hope that the fact that we have secured justice after so long and after securing Flynn’s return to the UK might give others who have suffered similar abuse the confidence to come forward and report it safe in the knowledge we will investigate professionally and with sensitivity.”

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The man pictured is Danny Dunne and he is a paedophile.

You won’t see him on the streets of East Lancashire any time soon because he is today starting a long stretch in prison after officers from our East RASSO (Rape and Serious Sexual Offences) Team put him before the courts.

Dunne committed a number of sexual offences against a child in Pendle between 2009 and 2019.

After suffering in silence, the brave victim informed police of what Dunne had done to him in June 2024.

Dunne, 28, of Glen Street, Colne, was confronted about his offending and confirmed it was true.

He appeared in the dock at Preston Crown Court earlier this year where he pleaded guilty to multiple offences, including rape, attempted rape, sexual assault and inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.

Dunne appeared back at the same court today (22nd August) where he was given a sentence totalling nearly 17 years. He was jailed for 10 years and eight months and given an extended licence period of seven years. He was also ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register for life and made subject of an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

DC Dan Healey, of the East RASSO Team, said:

“I would like to pay tribute to the victim for coming forward and showing incredible bravery in facing the abuser and to see justice through to the end after being subjected to the abhorrent offences committed by Danny Dunne.

“The victim is now able to look forward with life and begin the process of seeking closure. In contrast, Dunne will hopefully reflect on the horrendous crimes he has committed, from within his prison cell.

“Lancashire Police want people to know, that if you report a sexual offence, then we will do all we can to ensure justice is sought, whether it's a recent offence or a non-recent offence, all reports are treated the same and we will leave no stone unturned in the pursuit of justice."

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A man who sexually assaulted a woman and told her she looked "disgusting" when blood dripped down her head from a wound he inflicted has been jailed for more than seven years.

Saul Rajski, 49, was verbally abusive to the woman and also assaulted her from December 2023 onwards.

The case was opened at Preston Crown Court earlier this month but Judge Ian Unsworth adjourned sentencing so he could consider the proper sentence.

A further hearing also had to be adjourned.

Julian Goode, prosecuting at Preston Crown Court earlier this month, said the victim was left with a black eye on one occasion.

Mr Goode continued by saying that on November 24 last year, police received a report from the victim of the defendant hitting her.

When they arrived, Rajski had left the area, but was stopped in his vehicle a short time later and arrested on suspicion of assault.

Officers noticed swelling around the victim's eye, which she told them was a result of Rajski hitting her two days before.

She also told them Rajski had hit her on another occasion and told her to "shut up".

The victim also disclosed that Rajski would often grab her breasts to the point it would cause bruising, and on one occasion, he sexually assaulted her, telling her to "shut up and enjoy it".

On another occasion he punched her in the head, and when he saw blood running down her head from a cut he caused, he told her she looked "disgusting" and to "wash it."

Rajski was arrested again and denied he caused the injury.

Rajski, 49, of Chequers, Clayton-le-Moors, pleaded guilty to sexual assault, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and battery.

Appearing in the dock at Preston Crown Court again today (August 18), Rajski was jailed for seven years and two months, and also ordered to sign the sex offenders register for life and made subject of an indefinite restraining order.

The victim said in an impact statement:

“This statement has not been an easy thing for me to provide as it involves a time in my life that I would rather not think about or even remember.

"he abuse that he subjected me to is extremely difficult for me 

"I have lost count of the sleepless nights I have had since Saul was arrested and remanded to prison.

"I have been overwhelmed by all sorts of feelings – sadness, fear, disbelief, shame, guilt, the list goes on. I have had no choice but to seek help from my doctor in relation to this.

 “The abuse that Saul subjected me to has had really negative effects on all other relationships in my life. I have been argumentative with friends and family and have pushed them away at times when really everyone has just wanted to help me.

"I have not had the tolerance for it, and I have just felt incredibly emotional and frustrated. I still struggle with flashbacks to this day. I dream about what has happened, and I wake up feeling down and full of fear. This happens on most nights, and I long for the day when I hope that it will stop.”

DC Claire Scott, from Lancashire Police's east rape and serious sexual offences (RASSO) investigation team, said:

“Rajski’s behaviour was completely unacceptable, demeaning and has had a long-lasting impact on her. It is not something that will be tolerated by Lancashire Police or society as a whole.

“I hope she can now begin to move on with her life, knowing that Rajski has been held accountable for what he has done.

“If anyone finds themselves in a similar situation, I would urge them to contact the police, knowing we will listen to you and we will do everything in our power to put the abuser before the courts.”

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A registered sex offender has been jailed after uploading hundreds of indecent images of children to the internet.

Mark Davies, 36, (pictured) used social media platforms Snapchat and Discord to upload the images.

The offences were committed after Davies had recently been released from prison for the sexual assault of a child.

Lancashire Police officers first arrested Davies and seized his mobile phone in Skelmersdale in July 2024, as part of an investigation into possessing indecent images, after which he was promptly recalled to prison.

Whilst under investigation for this offence, police identified that further accounts linked to Davies had uploaded indecent images of children - when on police bail in July 2024 and shortly after release in May 2025.

Davies was arrested again by officers from Lancashire’s South Internet Child Exploitation team, who obtained the evidence needed to remand Davies into custody.

Davies, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to six offences of making indecent images of children and one offence of possession of extreme pornographic images.

Appearing at Preston Crown Court on Wednesday (6th August), Davies was jailed for 22 months, given an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order, and made subject of sex offender notification requirements for 10 years.

Det Con Pippa Jackson, of our South Internet Child Exploitation team, said:

“I welcome the prison sentence which has been imposed on Mark Davies for his abhorrent behaviour.
“Davies poses a serious risk to the public with his offending and the investigation by our team has prevented this man from committing further offences.”

Description

The man pictured is 22-year-old Joseph Turner and in April we told you that he had been found guilty of sexual offences against two girls and two boys.

His abhorrent offending predominantly took place after he lured his victims to woodland in Rawtenstall.

Today (7th August) he was deemed dangerous by Judge Sara Dodd at Burnley Crown Court and given a sentence totalling 26 years. That comprises of 18 years immediate custody, with an extended licence period of eight years.

Judge Dodd said Turner posed a significant risk to others, stating he was manipulative, his behaviour was extreme and that he had no insight into the impact of his behaviour on his victims.

Before we remind you about what Turner did, we just wanted to highlight the impact of his behaviour on his victims and their loved ones.

Some of the victims did not feel able to make impact statements to the court, but the mother of one of the female victims did.

In her statement she wrote:

“At first I was worried sick, then it went into numbness. It was horrible. I can’t put into words how I felt."

“As the victim’s mum I felt powerless and frustrated, feeling that I had not been able to protect her from what he had done to her and at the time of his arrest in April 2023 she would not speak to me or the police about the extent of the abuse which she had endured whilst involved with him.

“It took my daughter a period of time after to pluck up the courage and start to feel safe enough that she could speak out and this led to her providing detail around the sexual and physical abuse in August 2023. It was knowing that Joseph remained inside in prison on remand until his court date for child abduction that then gave her the time and space. My daughter felt safe, she was more relaxed and away from his emotional blackmail. He was no longer able to be present around her physically or by call.

“My daughter’s eating, her being prevented from having friends, self-harming and suicidal thoughts were all things that were present when Joseph had his hold and control over her and were present for a period of time. I did find it hard to see what he had to her but in time my daughter started to look towards the future and little by little things began to get better slowly. My daughter had time to reflect and try and understand what was happening and realise that it was not normal.”

She continued:

“I am relieved at the outcome and that everyone now knows what he has done, that he is an abuser and a predator. My daughter has always said that one of the reasons she spoke out was to prevent it from happening to anyone else.

“We finally have our lives back and our home. As a mother learning of the extent of abuse my daughter endured while involved with Joseph Turner is heartbreaking, but to finally see her happy again and looking forward to the future is amazing and I am so proud of her and all of his victims for having the courage to speak out and stop him harming anyone else or having to secretly carry around what he did to them. I feel like we have the power and control back and I have my daughter back.”

The first victim was 14 and Turner was 20 when he groomed her into thinking they were in a relationship. During that period, he raped her while she as unconscious, sexually assaulted her, physically assaulted her, strangled her with a belt, threatened her with knives and was verbally abusive towards her. He would call her his wife and even got her a ring.

The second victim was 16 when Turner lured her to his flat in Rawtenstall before going on to rape her.

The two male victims were just nine years old when Turner took them to the woods before sexually assaulting them.

Turner, of Linden Lea, Rawtenstall, was arrested and later charged with a number of offences.

Following a trial at Burnley Crown Court, he was found guilty of two counts of sexual assault on a child; two counts of sexual activity with a child; four counts of raping a female under the age of 16; one rape of a female over 16; two counts of intentional strangulation and one count of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

During today’s sentencing hearing he was also placed on the Sex Offender’s Register for life and made subject of an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order which limits his access to children.

DS Sarah Hargreaves, of our East Child Sexual Exploitation Team, said:

“I welcome today’s sentencing which reflects the risk Turner poses to children due to his perverted sexual interests in them.
“His offending has had a clear and long-lasting impact on his victims and their loved ones. I hope the significant sentence handed down to Turner gives them comfort and a sense that some justice has been served.
“Finally, I want to praise the investigation team - DCs Jenny Berry, Alex Biggs and Liam Morris - who worked diligently and patiently to gather all the evidence that led to the conviction after trial.”

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The man pictured below is Andrew Thomson. He is a 53-year-old paedophile and a monster.

You won’t see him on the streets of East Lancashire for a very long time. That’s because on Friday (25th July) he was jailed for 24 years after carrying out serious sexual offences against a six-year-old boy and an eight-year-old boy.

After we arrested Thomson for those crimes, we were contacted by two further victims who the defendant had befriended and then sexually assaulted some years earlier.

Thomson groomed his first two victims, attempted to rape them and carried out multiple sexual assaults against them. He also forced them to watch him perform lewd acts on himself in their presence.

Thomson told his victims not to tell anyone about what he was doing to them ‘or it will be bad luck in life’.

Those offences mainly occurred in Accrington.

DC Hannah Blundell, who works in our Force Major Investigation Team and investigated those offences, said:

“Thomson is a manipulative sexual deviant who carried out unspeakable sexual crimes against two vulnerable boys. This is some of the worst sexual offending I have seen in my career and I welcome the significant sentence Thomson has received, which reflects the very real danger he poses to all male children.

“I want to praise the victims for their bravery in coming forward, though they may not fully understand what happened to them or why.”

When news of Thomson’s arrest for those offences came to light, two further victims came forward.

Thomson befriended both those victims when he was in his late teens/early 20s and they were still at school.

Thomson pulled the third victim’s shorts down when he was sat on a tree stump and sexually assaulted. The victim, who was around nine of 10 at the time, was so traumatised by what happened, he moved away from the area.

The fourth victim was between eight and 10-years-old when Thomson invited him into his house in Accrington where he sexually assaulted him in his bedroom.

DC Jason Taylor, who is from our East Child Protection Team and investigated the offences against the third and fourth victim, said:

“Thomson has left a trail of destruction in his wake as a result of his abhorrent sexual conduct. This offending has spanned decades and has had a profound impact on all of his victims and their loved ones.

“I hope the outcome of this case encourages other victims to come forward, confident they will be believed, listened to and that we will do everything in our power to put their abuser before the courts.”

Thomson, of Bawdlands, Clitheroe, pleaded guilty to attempted rape of a child under 13, causing/inciting a boy under 13 to engage in sexual activity, and engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child.

Sitting at Burnley Crown Court, Judge Sara Dodd also made Thomson subject of an indefinite sexual harm prevention order and placed him on the Sex offenders Register for life.

Description

The man pictured is 32-year-old Joshua Adcroft and he is a deceitful and depraved sex offender.

He also uses the name Joshua Everitt and used to be a football stadium announcer.

His current employment opportunities are now extremely limited. That is because he was jailed for 14 years at Preston Crown Court on Friday (25th July) following our investigation into his abhorrent crimes.

Our investigations found that Adcroft had groomed an 11-year-old girl before going on to sexually assault her. He made threats against her if she told anyone what he had done.

In an impact statement to the court, she said:

“I felt empty inside when Josh first touched me. I felt overwhelmed and helpless. I now feel frustrated. I’m annoyed that I was too scared to tell anyone and feel that I let him do it.

“Previously Josh’s threats stopped me from telling people and reporting to the police as I was worried that he would carry them out. I isolated myself due to this. I was unable to tell anyone. He took away my ability to speak. However, after a period of time, I had the mindset of that not being my problem, and I was so relieved when I told my family.

“Josh has shown me a lot of love, treats and money since knowing him, but this would stop at times, and I found it confusing. Looking back, it was like a cycle which I’d now describe as ‘love bombing’. Josh messed with my head. At the time I wondered why my friends and family didn’t do this to me. It was continuous love from them, but I was always second guessing and wondering when they would stop loving me, like Josh did.”

Adcroft was a registered sex offender at the time of his latest offending but had kept his contact with the child a secret from the authorities.

The offending came to light in April 2024 and Adcroft was arrested by our British Transport Police colleagues following his return from a work trip.

Adcroft’s house in Accrington was searched following his arrest and two laptops and an iPad were found hidden inside an upstairs wardrobe. These devices had not been registered with the authorities – something he was required to do by a court order.

The electronic devices were searched and on two of them, our officers found indecent images of an eight-year-old girl from Essex. We also found a chat log, where Adcroft encouraged activity and instructed the girl’s mother on what images he wanted. These offences took place on 8th April and 9th April 2024. A criminal investigation has been launched into the conduct of the victim’s mother.

A further 53 indecent images of children were found on Adcroft ‘s hidden devices.

Adcroft, formerly of Lower Antley Street, Accrington, but now of no fixed address, was charged with three counts of sexual assault of a child under 13, soliciting indecent images of children; and 11 breaches of his Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

He pleaded guilty to all the offences. As well as being given the custodial sentence, Adcroft was given an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order and ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register for life.

DC Laura Fahey, of the East Child Protection Team, said:

“Adcroft is a manipulative individual who takes an unhealthy interest in young girls for his own perverted sexual interests.

“In contrast, the victim highlighted above has shown incredible courage in coming forward and speaking out about what Adcroft had done to her, despite his threats. His behaviour has clearly had a profound impact on her, as highlighted by her statement to the court.

“I welcome the sentence handed down to Adcroft. He is an extremely dangerous sexual offender who is now off the streets and away from children.”

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A Chorley man has been jailed for having sexualised online chat with a girl he believed to be 14 years old.

Anthony McFarlane, 34, (pictured) had inappropriate conversations via social media platform KIK and arranged to meet the girl at a hotel in Chorley.

However, the girl who McFarlane was talking to was in fact an adult acting as a decoy for a group who help to identify sexual predators.

McFarlane was detained by members of the group at the hotel on 11th April this year and arrested by our officers.

More than 200 messages had been exchanged between McFarlane and the decoy.

The messages showed that McFarlane clearly believed he was communicating with a teenager, and the messages were of a sexual nature.

One of the messages from McFarlane read: “Because think about it I’m meeting an under aged girl that’s staying at mine. That’s the nervous and scary part U get me. If we get caught I go to prison.”

McFarlane, formerly of Moor Road, Chorley, appeared at Preston Crown Court last Thursday (24th July) after pleading guilty to attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child and attempting to cause/incite a girl age between 13 and 15 to engage in sexual activity.

He was jailed for three years, placed on the sex offenders’ register for life, and issued with a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Det Con Mark Edwards of our Internet Child Exploitation team said:

“McFarlane believed he was messaging a 14-year-old girl and was communicating with her for two months.

“The messages were of a sexual nature, and it was clearly his intention to meet the girl and engage her in sexual activity.

“Thankfully it was a decoy he was messaging, and no one came to any harm.

“This was abhorrent behaviour from McFarlane, and I welcome the prison sentence imposed on him.”

Description

The man pictured is Joseph Chapman, he is 36 and he is a paedophile.

He groomed two 14-year-old girls he befriended on Snapchat and gave them vapes.

Chapman, who used the Snapchat handle PJ, went onto sexually assault both victims in his car. The offences took place in Burnley and Colne.

The mother of the first victim became aware of the offending in March 2023 after finding packaging for disposable vape devices in her daughter’s bedroom while cleaning. When she asked her daughter about it, she said she had been given them by an older man.

She went on to tell her sister that PJ had sexually assaulted her, but she didn’t want to tell her mum because she feared getting in trouble for vaping. The sexual assault happened in Chapman’s car the previous November.

The first victim managed to take down the registration number of Chapman’s car and saved it in the notes section of her iPhone.

Chapman had also contacted the first victim’s friend on Snapchat and he would ask her to meet him. He also asked her to send a photograph of herself in her school uniform, but she refused.

The offending against the second victim came to light in May 2023 when her mother found an entry in her diary for January 2023 which mentioned meeting ‘PJ the Pedo’ the following day. Concerned by this she continued to read the diary, noticing numerous entries mentioned PJ and that she received vapes from him.

The second victim went onto disclose that PJ had sexually assaulted her on two occasion in her car.

Chapman had also added the second victim’s friend on Snapchat, asked her age and offered to driver her to McDonalds.

Chapman was arrested in May 2023 and admitted what he had done in police interview.

However Chapman, of Lydgate, Burnley, pleaded not guilty but was eventually found guilty of four counts of sexual activity with a child following a trial at Preston Crown Court. He was back in the dock on Wednesday (23rd July) and was jailed for 11 years and three months.

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

“When the assault happened, I told my closest friends but as they didn’t know how to help they distanced themselves, leaving me alone. I couldn’t leave my house out of fear of seeing him in public. I was going to the shop only a door away from home when I saw a car that looked like his. I froze and ran back home crying, and I was then unable to sleep that night.

“Because of what Chapman did to me, I don’t trust older men and automatically assume the worst which affects how much I trust doctors, counsellors, co-workers and even family friends. Unfortunately, I became hypersexual but also asexual, I crave the male validation and attention but when I get it, I hate it and feel dirty.

“When Chapman pleaded not guilty it felt hopeless, like he was going to win. This also occurred on a different day than we were told ‘for his protection’ this made me furious as I didn’t think he should have any protection. So instead of being distracted from just one GCSE I was distracted for all of them. The lengthy legal process made me feel like it was going to continue ruining my teenage years. I almost gave up altogether but I couldn’t let him win.

“I spent years trying to block out the memories so when I was told that I would need to re-watch my video evidence and the need to watch it ahead of the trial, all I did was cry and worry it would take all my progress away. When I watched my evidence I felt two emotions; sadness for my younger self and anger for me now it was so surreal watching myself talking about what happened. I did experience a flashback after this but that’s when I knew I wasn’t giving up now and he would be punished.

“Due to Chapman having issues with his legal team, court dates were one again pushed back, causing me further anxieties, and now I’m writing this statement for my long overdue justice and closure. Not only for me but all other survivors of Chapman's selfish actions.”

DC Lee Walker, of Burnley CID, said:

“Chapman is a dangerous and manipulative individual who groomed young girls online with the intent of going on to engage in sexual activity with them.

“He then forced them to re-live their ordeal by forcing them to give evidence during a trial – his final act of control.

“Chapman’s abhorrent behaviour has clearly had a significant impact on Chapman’s victims. Now the court process is over I hope they can now begin to rebuild their lives, knowing he will be in prison for a significant period of time.”