Latest Offenders Liver

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A man has been jailed for 16 years for rape, child cruelty and assault in Oxton.

Ibrahim Cetin, 54, of Hornby Road in Liverpool was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court on Monday 6 October after being found guilty of assault, actual bodily harm, rape and child cruelty.

It follows reports from two boys in February who said they had been abused by Cetin several times.

Cetin was arrested by officers on suspicion of assault.   Following his arrest it was also reported that Cetin had raped and repeatedly assaulted a woman since December 2024.

Cetin was later arrested and charged for each of these offences. He has been placed on the Sex Offender’s Register indefinitely. 

Detective Chief Inspector Phil Atkinson said: “Cetin subjected his victims to serious physical harm and violence on numerous occasions.

“They have all shown immeasurable bravery in coming forward and telling us exactly what happened to them.

“Cetin also forced his victims to go through a trial after he denied the offences, but thankfully a jury saw through his lies and he was rightly convicted.”

Detective Chief Inspector Phil Atkinson added:

“Merseyside Police is completely committed to protecting children and women from violence and sexual abuse.

“As you can imagine for victims of such appalling crimes, the impact on them is significant and long-lasting.

“If you have experienced any form of sexual abuse, or know of a child being abused, please come forward and report this to police.

“We take all such reports extremely seriously and if you can find the courage to come forward and speak to us we have specially trained officers who will treat you with sensitivity and compassion.”

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A Kuwaiti asylum seeker who messaged what he believed to be a 14-year-old girl has avoided prison after claiming, "I didn't know I was doing anything wrong."

Fahad Al Enaze, 31, sent sexual texts to paedophile hunters posing as an underage girl, according to The Sun. Living in a Liverpool migrant hotel, he was caught by the Widnes Parents Against Predators group in September 2024.

He pleaded guilty to attempting sexual communication with a child at Warrington magistrates' court on Friday.

Prosecutor Chelsea Kearns said Al Enaze sent explicit messages to the decoy child and, upon arrest, told officers, "I didn't know I was doing anything wrong."

Kuwait raised its age of consent to 18 in March 2024, allowing sex only within marriage. Previously, men could marry (and have sex) at 17 and women at 15 with parental or judicial consent.

The court heard Al Enaze persisted in asking for photos after learning her supposed age, quizzed her on sex, and suggested he could "teach her everything" in a relationship.

He received an eight-month suspended jail sentence for 24 months, plus a sexual harm prevention order and 10 years on the sex offenders register.

Al Enaze must complete 25 rehabilitation days, 300 hours of unpaid work, and pay £272 in costs and surcharge.

Magistrate JP Paul Chadwick called him "very lucky" to avoid custody, adding: "In this country we take these offences seriously. You should be truly ashamed of yourself."

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A man from Liverpool has been jailed for several child sex offences with teenagers aged 13 to 15.

Keith Simpson, 67 years, of Hartington Road, Toxteth was convicted today (Wednesday 17 September) of three counts of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child, one count of attempting to cause a child aged 13 to 15 to watch/look at an image of a sexual act, one count of attempting to cause/incite a girl aged 13 to 15 to engage in sexual activity and possession of indecent images of children.

Simpson was jailed to a total of 4 years imprisonment and also given an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Officer in case William Wilson, said: “I know that people hearing the details of Simpson’s crimes will feel complete revulsion at the way he attempted to exploit who he believed to be vulnerable children. Simpson is a sexual predator that used anonymous chat sites in an attempt to target female children as his prey, to achieve sexual gratification.

“His crimes are quite simply despicable. Simpson had no regard for the impact his behaviour would have on victims and subjected them to a number of offences.”

Chief Inspector Alan McKeon added: “Merseyside Police is completely committed to protecting children from sexual abuse and stopping those who seek to do them harm – including those who share images of that abuse.

“Sex offending has a huge and devastating impact on victims and their families, and that harm can last a lifetime’’

“Our Sex Offender Management Unit is dedicated to preventing sexual offences and protecting the public from registered sex offenders. This should send a very clear message to the public that we will do everything in our power and use all tools at our disposal to target offenders and bring them to justice.

“Merseyside Police has invested in digital risk management software to reduce the risk posed by sex offenders living in the community, but also to ensure that robust proactive arrests can be made quickly should any illegal activity be identified.

“If you have experienced any form of sexual abuse, know of a child being abused or know of an adult involved in storing or sharing images of abuse please come forward and report this to police. 

 “We take all such reports extremely seriously and if you can find the courage to come forward and speak to us, we have specially trained officers who will treat you with sensitivity and compassion.”

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Mark Smith, AKA Mark Bocker

A former headteacher who sexually assaulted three girls at his school has been jailed.

Mark Bocker, 65, abused the teenagers between 2007 and 2016 at a school in the Oswaldtwistle area.

Bocker, of Gorse Lane, Formby, was jailed for three-and-a-half years at Burnley Crown Court after he was convicted of three counts of sexual assault.

He was also given an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order and placed on the Sex Offenders' Register for life.

Police Investigating Officer Amanda Gallery said:

"First and foremost I would like to praise these girls for having the courage to come forward and report to us what happened to them.

"I hope the guilty verdicts and sentence give them some sense that justice has been done."

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Stephen Attah, 47, groomed a 14-year-old girl with lewd sexual messages over six months after spotting her in a Liverpool pub with her family.

He took her phone, added his number, and began messaging her on WhatsApp, switching to 24-hour disappearing messages.

At Liverpool Crown Court on August 1, prosecutor Jamie Baxter said: "While at the pub, (Attah) took the girl's phone, entered his personal number into it, and soon after began messaging her on WhatsApp, and began grooming her. The defendant changed the chat to 24-hour disappearing messages. This deletes the chat thread after that period."

The girl saved some messages, which she shared with police. Mr. Baxter added: "These messages reveal a snapshot of the defendant's lewd and sexual messages toward the victim. The victim explained in addition to the sexual messages, the defendant had at some stage taken a photo of his penis and sent it to her. He tried to book a hotel for them to meet up - to arrange and facilitate the commission of a sexual offence against her."

Court-heard messages included a 12:30 a.m. text urging her to meet him in pyjamas: "come and see (him) for 10 minutes." He said he was "round the corner" from her house and offered "£20 for a vape." He asked: "can I have a picture please? Sexy ones. Send me some different pictures of you and I'll video call you in a minute. Don't talk, just look at me and see what's waiting for you."

He offered to book a hotel the next day, warning: "You can't let anyone else know what we're doing or see us together, you know. You know that, right?" Messages grew more explicit, demanding nude photos from her bathroom and becoming forceful.

Mr. Baxter said: "She said the defendant would threaten her not to tell anyone what they would speak about. He told her 'if you tell anyone, something's going to happen to you', and she believed him."

The girl confided in her cousin, leading to her parents alerting police. Attah was arrested and pleaded guilty to arranging or facilitating a child sex offence and sexual communication with a child.

In her statement, the girl said: "When everyone found out I was terrified and upset, and it's impacted my confidence massively. I don't go out alone anymore. I'm scared I'll bump into someone who knows him or his family. I'm scared if he does get out, what he'll do to me or my family. It plays over in my head every single day. I feel scared and upset every single day because of it."

Mr. Baxter noted Attah, of Askham Close, Toxteth, had 18 prior convictions for 38 offences, including drug supply, firearm possession, and bladed article possession. He added: "The use of threats, when considered in the context of his convictions, may add significant credibility to the victim's concerns."

Defence barrister Carmel Wild said references from family, friends, employers, and his partner showed a "very different side": "Somebody they can count on, kind, compassionate, empathetic and very committed to his work." She noted his remorse and shame, explaining: "Although there is no excuse for this disgusting behaviour, he outlines the place he found himself in. He wasn't taking his prescribed medication during this time, and was blocking out traumas with alcohol. The loss of his mother and the daily care of his father."

Attah has PTSD from witnessing a friend shot dead and testifying against the perpetrators, after which the perpetrator's brother murdered the mother of his children. Ms. Wild added: "He had accepted he was struggling and turned to alcohol and turned to this offending despite having a partner. This offending is very much out of character. The defendant does had previous convictions but there is some gap in offending between 2017 and 2025."

Since remand, Attah has worked as a cleaner and completed an alcohol awareness course.

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Orme appeared in Liverpool Crown Court on Wednesday, July 2, after he was found guilty of the rape of a child under the age of 13 following a five day trial at the end of April. 

Orme, 37, was sentenced to six-and-a-half years in prison after being found guilty of three counts of rape of a child under the age of 13, one count of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, and one count of indecency with a child.

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Today, Monday 14 July, a man from Newsham Park has been jailed for the rape of a woman in Liverpool.

James Anthony Elliott , 30 years, was sentenced to eight years in prison and issued with an indefinite restraining order at Liverpool Crown Court today.

Elliott, of Newsham Drive, was found guilty following a three-day trial which commenced on Monday 7 July.

The court heard that Elliot raped an 18-year-old woman inside a house in August 2022. The woman has been supported by specially trained officers.

Detective Constable Andy Littler from Merseyside’s Unity Team who specialise in Rape and Serious Sexual Assault Offences, said: “This has been an extremely lengthy and complex investigation. Elliott then put his victim through the trauma of having to relive the experience by way of a trial.

“And while no sentence will repair the damage Elliot inflicted on his victim, I hope this conviction has secured some justice for her.

“I would like to praise the dignity she has shown throughout the investigation. Today’s results shows that violence against women and girls will simply not be tolerated and we will work tirelessly to bring perpetrators to justice.”

Detective Constable Littler added:

“We are committed to protecting victims of sexual offences, and anyone who reports an incident to us will be safeguarded and supported throughout the investigation by Specially Trained Officers and Sexual Violence Advocates who will provide all the relevant support.

“Anyone that has been a victim of a sexual offence, is concerned for the safety of someone they know or suspects someone to be engaging in this criminal activity, should come forward and speak to us.

“We have a team of dedicated staff who will expertly and compassionately deal with your reports and we will do everything we can to bring offenders to justice.”

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A dad-of-three falsely claimed to be a reverend while attempting to groom two schoolgirls online. Kevin Marshall, 45, of Hursley Road in Fazakerley, posted Facebook pictures of himself in a priest's collar and Moncler coat, befriended the teens via social media, booked hotel stays, and arranged meetups for coffee or drives.

Unbeknownst to him, he was ensnared in a paedophile hunter sting by Saving Children's Futures UK, using decoy profiles of 15-year-old girls on Facebook and WhatsApp. He made repeated attempts to meet one and specific arrangements with the other. Marshall was confronted at home by the group around 9:30pm on April 28, 2025, leading to his arrest. He told police, "honestly, I've done nothing wrong" and described matters as "both 'nasty and dangerous'."

With the first decoy, he asked when she turned 16, called her "hot," sent photos of motorcycles, cars, and his shoulder X-ray after a biking accident. He proposed a hotel stay, offered to travel to Glasgow to collect her, sent train times, booked a room for April 25, 2025, asked "what type of drunk she was," and said he would "make her comfortable on her first experience with a man."

For the second decoy, contacted in January 2025, he claimed "he had been a reverend but quit when his mother died," suggested "meeting up for coffee, a walk or a drive as friends, for a chat," called her "stunning and beautiful," admitted "naughty thoughts," offered to "pick her up in his Volvo" and "put a smile on her face." He also commented on family court as "pricks who think they know better" and arranged a Crosby coffee meet.

Marshall has 20 prior convictions for 51 offenses, including a five-year blackmail sentence in 2015. Defense lawyer Matthew O'Neill said: "He puts it down to the loss of his mother in January this year, which resulted in him misusing cocaine to the extent where he found himself communicating with what he believed to be 15-year-old girls online. He is disgusted in his behaviour and embarrassed, given the nature of his offending and the fact that he has three young children. Mr Marshall has spent the best part of two months in custody. He tells me that he is using his time constructively and reflecting on his actions to ensure that, when he is released from custody, he does not appear before the courts again."

At Liverpool Crown Court, Marshall pleaded guilty to two counts of attempted sexual communications with a child and two charges of arranging or facilitating a child sex offense. Appearing in a grey t-shirt, he wiped away tears during the hearing and was jailed for three years.

Judge Simon Medland KC said: "There were two supposed children involved under pseudonyms. They were both girls who were 15, or so you thought, yet you were prepared to go to considerable lengths to arrange sexual encounters in the most graphic ways. Under an imaginative disguise, you sought to groom them in a prolonged way. Children are entitled to their childhood. They are not there to be sexualised or seen as sexual objects by dirty minded, paedophile inclined adults. Yet that is what you were doing."

Marshall received a lifelong sexual harm prevention order and must sign the sex offenders' register indefinitely.

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A Liverpool man who was found to have committed child sex offences after hotel staff raised the alarm has been jailed today, Thursday 3 July.

Joel Dever, aged 25, was sentenced to five years, three months in prison at Liverpool Crown Court.

He was also issued with a lifelong restraining order and is required to sign the Sex Offender Register for life. 

Dever, of Good Shepherd Close in Croxteth, pleaded guilty to a number of child sexual offences, including six counts of sexual activity with a child, arranging or facilitating a child sex offence, and five counts of making indecent images of a child which were category A,B or C videos.

Today's sentencing relates to child sex offences Dever committed in 2023 when he was 22.

Dever met a 14-year-old girl on a social media site and engaged in a sexual relationship with her for more than a year, regularly booking hotels for them both in Liverpool and Southport.

Detective Constable Soph Lowe from Sefton Protecting Vulnerable People Unit, said: "We work closely with hotels and bars to raise awareness of child sexual exploitation. Hotel staff in particular have been trained to identify the signs of when a child is being sexual exploited and how to report issues to police.

“In this instance, Dever’s predatory and vile behaviour was found out when hotel staff at one establishment raised concerns about the girl's age and called police.

“The victim and her family have shown immense courage and bravery throughout the investigation to reach this conviction.

“Today’s custodial sentence has removed him from the streets to prevent further harm to anyone else. I hope Dever spends his time in prison reflecting on his wholly unacceptable behaviour."

Det Con Lowe added: “I hope his imprisonment encourages other victims to come forward and report sex offences to us, and demonstrates that they can have confidence in us to take reports seriously. We will ensure offenders are put before the courts so that they can pay for their crimes.

"“Anyone who has been a victim of a sexual offence, or is concerned for the safety of someone they know or suspects someone to be engaging in this criminal activity, should come forward and speak to us. 

“We have a team of dedicated staff who will expertly and compassionately deal with your reports, and we will do everything we can to bring offenders to justice.

“Time is no barrier to reporting offences and I would urge anyone who has been victim of a sexual offence at any time to come forward and we will do everything we can to help and support them.”

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A former agency teaching assistant has been jailed for 20 months as part of an investigation into the possession of indecent images of children.

Keiron Pickett, 24 years, of Withington Road, Speke, appeared at Liverpool Crown Court today, Friday 20 June. 

In May, he pleaded guilty to the following offences and was remanded into custody ahead of today's sentencing:

• Five counts of making indecent photographs/pseudo-photographs of a child (Categories A, B and C), none of which relate to the school
• Operating equipment beneath clothing, relating to an incident at the school in 2023
• Possession of a Class B controlled drug (cannabis), relating to cannabis seized from his home address

On Thursday 5 June at a plea hearing, a further charge of taking an indecent photo/pseudo photograph of a child was taken into consideration, in relation to the same incident at the school in 2023. Today, he was convicted and jailed for 20 months for that offence. 

He was further sentenced for the other offences, to run concurrent.

Pickett was also issued with a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for 10 years and ordered to pay a Victim Surcharge.

Detective Inspector James Milligan said: “Pickett was an agency teaching assistant at Bank View School in Ganworth Road, Speke at the time of his abhorrent crimes, in the autumn term of 2023. He abused the trust placed in him by the organisation, and today justice has been served.

“We naturally understand the concern caused by such crimes, especially when they take place in an educational establishment, as two of these offences did. As soon as he was charged, Pickett was remanded into custody pending the sentencing.

“Pickett has today been dealt with by the courts following a complex investigation, but we continue to work in close partnership with all of those affected.

“If you have been affected by sexual offences of any kind, then please know that there is a lot of support available, both from ourselves and our partner organisations, so please come forward.”

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Detectives from our Child Criminal and Sexual Exploitation Team (CCSET) are welcoming the sentencing of a Liverpool man to life in prison for multiple sexual offences against girls. He was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court today, Thursday 16 September.

Marc Noonan, 27, of Fenwick Street, pleaded guilty to eleven sexual offences prior to appearing at trial on other matters. Noonan will serve a minimum of 18 years minus time spent on remand, until there is any possibility of parole.

In January, Noonan was found guilty of a further 29 sexual offences. The offences took place between 2022 and 2023, against three girls between the ages of 13 and 16.

The investigation found that Noonan met and groomed the victims after approaching them via social media, going on to commit further offences, including rape, sexual assault and disclosing private images.

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A former Liverpool primary school teacher has been banned from the classroom for life after being convicted of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child.

Prior to being caught up in a police sting, Alan Harbottle spent 12 years working at Mosspits Lane Primary School in Wavertree.

The 52-year-old will now never set foot in a school again after a teacher regulation agency panel felt his conviction was so severe he may not be allowed to work with young people for the rest of his life. Documents released from a hearing held in private have revealed how the former PSHE lead was caught by officers pretending to be a 14-year-old boy online.

Harbottle, who taught at Mosspits from September 2011, was arrested on suspicion of sexual communication with a child in May 2023. He appeared in court a month later and was subsequently suspended by the school.

Following a disciplinary hearing held in September 2023, Harbottle - who had led the school’s drama club, was dismissed. On June 1, 2023, he appeared at Southend on Sea Magistrates Court and was convicted of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child and attempting to meet a child under 16 after grooming them online.

The ex-teacher admitted that he had been contacted by Essex Police following a police sting operation whereby Harbottle communicated with officers posing as a 14-year-old boy. He admitted that this had involved the exchange of sexualised nude images and discussion of sexual acts.

Harbottle also admitted that he organised a meeting with the boy as he believed. He was subsequently sentenced to 10 months’ imprisonment suspended for 24 months, ordered to participate in a sexual offender programme for 30 days, undertake a rehabilitation activity requirement for 25 days and was barred from working with children.

The former teacher was also given a sexual harm prevention order for a decade. The court was told how in May 2023, Harbottle began speaking to someone on a legal dating app with someone he believed to be over 18.

The person was in fact a decoy police officer, who purported to be 14. The documents set out how sexualised photographs were exchanged at Harbottle’s behest and the conversation led swiftly to discussions about “specific and highly intimate sexual behaviour.”

The judge said: “It’s clear that you knew what you were doing, you made that obvious by the sense of some form of self-awareness during the course of those exchanges, and obviously that what you were doing was wholly wrong…” The Judge added how “nonetheless, you persisted, and so it was that you went to meet, what you believed to be, a 14-year-old boy… It must have been in your head, that there was a possibility you might have sexual activity with him…”

The court was told how Harbottle had written a letter in which he had “expressed, unusually but perceptively, [his] own relief at being caught”. The Judge said that it seemed to him that Harbottle had had time to reflect and to “appreciate that the actions of the police in trapping [him]… has perhaps saved you and indeed some other young person, from the reality of what this criminal offence would otherwise mean.”

It was accepted Harbottle had expressed genuine remorse and nothing else was discovered that suggested the former teacher was predatory in any other way. He was given full credit for his guilty pleas and was said to have a significant prospect of rehabilitation.

However, this was not enough for the Teacher Regulation Agency to permit him to return to the classroom. A three person panel found he had acted deliberately and he had fully expected to be suspended from the profession as a result.

The seriousness of the offending meant a lifetime ban was imposed on Harbottle. This means he is prohibited from teaching indefinitely and cannot teach in any school, sixth form college, relevant youth accommodation or children’s home in England.

He will not be permitted to apply to have his eligibility restored.

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A man from Tuebrook has been jailed for five years after sexually assaulting a girl under 13.
 
John Thompson, 46 years, of Pennsylvania Road was convicted of three offences of sexual assault against a child under 13 and one of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child.

Thompson was arrested in March 2022 after the victim came forward and reported his actions.

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A prolific sex offender who stole an innocent man’s identity and spent almost three decades on the run has been found guilty of numerous sexual offences against young boys.

Richard Burrows was found guilty of 54 offences on Monday 17 March 2025 at Chester Crown Court, including indecent assault of boys, buggery, attempted buggery and indecency with a child.

The 80-year-old, of HMP Altcourse, had already pleaded guilty to 43 offences, including indecent assault of boys,  making indecent images of children, possession of indecent images of children and four counts of possession of false identity documents with intent, at an earlier hearing.

Burrows has been remanded in custody and will be sentenced on Monday 7 April for a total of 97 offences.

The court heard how between 1968 and 1995 Burrows systematically abused 24 young boys across the Cheshire, West Midlands and West Mercia areas. 

The offences in Cheshire occurred between 1969 and 1971 while he was working as a Housemaster, looking after vulnerable children at Danesford Children’s Home in Congleton.

His victims in the West Midlands and West Mercia areas were also all young boys who were abused between 1968 and 1995, the majority through local Scout groups where Burrows worked as a leader.

In each case, he befriended the victims by using his position of trust over them and their personal interests, such as radio communications or boating. After gaining their trust, and in many cases the trust of their families, Burrows then went on to sexually abuse the boys.

While some of his victims attempted to speak out at the time, many simply did not feel that they would be believed.

It was not until the 1990s, following revelations in relation to offences at other children's homes and institutions, that many of the victims had the confidence to come forward.

Following the allegations in relation to the offences at Danesford Children’s Home, a large-scale investigation was launched by detectives from Cheshire Police in 1994.

Burrows was initially arrested in April 1997 and was subsequently charged in May 1997 with two counts of buggery and 11 counts of indecent assault in relation to the offences in Cheshire and some in the West Midlands. 

After his initial appearance in magistrates’ courts, he was released on bail by the court and was due to attend a further hearing at Chester Crown Court on Monday 8 December 1997. 

However, Burrows failed to attend and officers subsequently discovered that he had disappeared.

Over the past 27 years detectives from Cheshire Police have been carrying out multiple enquiries to locate him. This included several wanted appeals and four Crimewatch appeals on national television as well as following up numerous leads, none of which indicated Burrows had left the country.

The investigation also included enquiries with various agencies and institutions within the UK as well as border and international checks, however there was no trace of him either within or outside of the UK.

Burrows remained on the Cheshire Police wanted list throughout the 27-year period and his case was regularly reviewed.

Despite the officers’ best efforts, there was no trace until April 2023 when detectives from the force's Serious and Organised Crime Unit used specialist software to search for any possible images of Burrows online.

After searching through billions of images, the system came back with a match for a man using the name of Peter Smith who was living in Chalong in Phuket, Thailand.

‘Peter’ had an active interest in sailing and had previously been working at an advertising company in Phuket. He had even featured in the local news in 2019 when he retired from his job.

Following further enquiries, officers discovered that Burrows had stolen the name Peter Smith from an acquaintance who was terminally ill. This allowed him to fraudulently obtain a 'genuine' passport in 1997 and so leave the country without detection.

After confirming that ‘Peter’ was in fact Burrows, officers contacted the National Crime Agency (NCA) and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and began the process to extradite him to the UK.

Before that process was formally commenced, officers became aware of Burrows’ intention to return to the UK travelling under the alias of Peter Smith. The NCA informed Thai authorities and monitored his travel back to the UK. He was arrested as soon as he landed at Heathrow.

Following his arrest, Burrows was subsequently charged in relation to further offences in Cheshire, the West Midlands and West Mercia which had been reported since his disappearance.

A number of victims had come forward at different times to different police forces over the years as a result of media and Crimewatch appeals and because they felt the time was right for them to tell their story. Some victims also came forward on seeing that Burrows had been arrested.

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Daniel Albertina was caught in the act filming a teenager on his mobile phone underneath the walls of a cubicle.

A lad was left 'feeling sickened' after spotting a taxi driver filming him in the toilets at an Odeon cinema.

The police unravelled a series of heinous offences by Daniel Albertina following his capture on camera as he recorded the young lad on his mobile from under the toilet cubicle partition.

The sordid list of crimes included covertly capturing footage of a girl showering and hoarding a disgusting collection of indecent child images. In court yesterday, the paedophile hung his head in shame as his true nature as a "monster" with a "secret life" filled with wicked acts was laid bare.

Liverpool Crown Court was told on Tuesday that a 16 year old boy had gone to Odeon Switch Island last year and popped to the gents during his film. It was there he clocked a mobile phone poking out from under the wall of the next stall.

Prosecutor Paul Becker recounted how the teenager confronted Albertina, from Eastbourne Road in Aintree, in the restroom before alerting staff. The 39 year old, who had driven to the flicks in his Delta cab, was later identified through the taxi firm.

This led to the confiscation of a laptop and two mobiles from Albertina. On these devices, cops found 165 indecent snaps of kids, some of which were videos Albertina had taken of a teenage girl in the shower, reports the Liverpool Echo.

Officers also discovered a number of extreme pornographic images depicting sexual acts involving cows and mice. During questioning, he confessed to detectives that he had "committed offences of voyeurism over six weeks on about six occasions" at the same cinema and "stated that he had an attraction to young males and females".

In a statement read out in court on his behalf, the boy said: "Following the incident, I didn't leave the house for a couple of weeks on my own. I used to go the the cinema on a regular basis, but I no longer feel safe.

"I'm now worried about using public toilets. It still makes me feel sick knowing what this monster did to me. I feel like this was an invasion of privacy. I should be able to use them without something like this happening to me. This should have been a private area where I should have been able to use the toilet in privacy."

Albertina has no previous convictions. Ken Heckle, defending, told the court: "He understands that he has destroyed many lives. He is, however, a man of 39 years of previous good character.

"While he sits in your lordship's court full of guilt, shame and embarrassment, he wants assistance with regards to these matters. This defendant has been brutally honest in not only accepting the case against him but saying that his sexual issues and problems have been there for some considerable length of time, effectively a secret to all concerned - a secret life separate from his family, who he was providing for in full time employment.

"He is not full of self pity. He is an intelligent person. This was previously his dark secret. It is no longer secret. It is out in the open. He can discuss it with people rather than harbouring these terrible thoughts. He wants to get help so that he does not find himself in this position."

Albertina admitted two counts of voyeurism, four charges of possession of indecent images of children, nine offences of making indecent images and four matters of possession of extreme pornographic images. Appearing in the dock wearing a turquoise jumper, he was seen with his head in his hands at times during the hearing before he was jailed for 18 months.

The Honorary Recorder of Liverpool, Judge Andrew Menary KC, delivered a scathing rebuke during the sentencing and said: "All of this came to light as a consequence of an incident which happened at the Odeon cinema at Switch Island. What came to light was a quite disgraceful, appalling catalogue of conduct, committed by you and arising out of your obsession, which you have had for many years, in relation to sexual gratification in relation to young children.

"This was not the first time that you had done this. It is clear from what you said to the police that you had got into the habit, having used the toilet after dropping off a customer and realised that it was possible for you to go into the toilets and use your telephone to take a picture or record what was happening in the adjacent cubicle.

"This is outrageous conduct. It is not often that this court is shocked. Sadly, we have seen it all. But these are really bad images of their type."

Alongside the condemnation, Albertina received a five-year restraining order and a 10-year sexual harm prevention order. Additionally, he must sign the sex offenders' register for a decade.