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Description

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

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

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

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

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

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

Description

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

BTP Detective Sargeant Mark Haviland said:

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

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

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

Description

A man who raped a woman in Stoke-on-Trent has been jailed for more than a decade.

Shaun Daniels, 38, of no fixed address, was sentenced to ten-years-and-six-months imprisonment at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court yesterday (Tuesday 29 September).

Following a trial, Daniels was found guilty of two counts of rape, assault by beating and assaulting a person thereby occasioning actual bodily harm.

He had previously pleaded guilty to criminal damage to property valued under £5,000.

On 22 January this year, Daniels raped and assaulted the victim inside an address in Stoke-on-Trent.

Two days later, on 24 January, Daniels assaulted the victim again while they were at Fenton Park.

Members of the public who witnessed the incident reported it to us, prompting an immediate investigation.

As part of his sentence, Daniels was also made subject to the Sex Offenders Register and an indefinite restraining order was imposed to protect the victim.

Detective Constable Jessica Hill, of the public protection unit, led the investigation. She said:

"Daniels denied these offences when he was arrested, but through a thorough investigation we were able to gather compelling evidence that ultimately led to a jury finding him guilty.

"The impact of these violent and sexual offences on the victim should not be underestimated.

“I would like to recognise the courage shown by the victim throughout the investigation and trial process.

“We remain committed to supporting victims of sexual offences and bringing offenders before the courts."

Description

A man who shared explicit messages and images with what he thought was a 13-year-old girl has been jailed.

David Clark, 52, contacted an account in September 2025 on Snapchat, unaware it was a decoy run by an online child abuse activist group.

The “girl” told Clark she was only 13 years old multiple times, but he continued sexual conversations with her, asking about her sexual experiences and describing sexual acts to her.

Clark sent an explicit photograph of himself and asked her to send indecent images to him in return.

He also sent the victim an image of two adults engaging in sexual intercourse.

When Clark was arrested in November 2025, officers seized multiple devices but found that he had attempted to delete any evidence of the offending chat history.

At Huntingdon Law Courts on Friday (25 September), Clark, of Akeman Street, Cambridge, was jailed for three years and two months after admitting one count of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child, one count of causing a child to look at an image of sexual activity, and one count of attempting to cause / incite a girl to engage in sexual activity.

DC Bethany Reynolds, from the Online Child Abuse Safeguarding Team (OCAST), said:

“Clark is clearly a risk to children.

“He advised the ‘child’ in this case to delete the messages in case her parents found them, proving he knew what he was doing was wrong.

“Although thankfully a decoy account, Clark still attempted to prey on and groom what he believed was a child.

“Protecting young people from harm is one of our top priorities and we will do all we can to bring offenders to justice.”

Description

A former North Wales Police officer has admitted to committing a sexual offence in Old Colwyn earlier this year.

Detective Constable Lee Harshey-Jones, who has now resigned from the force, appeared at Chester Crown Court this morning (Wednesday, 30 September).

During the hearing, he pleaded guilty to recording an image under clothing to observe another without consent, contrary to S.67A(1) and (4) of the Sexual Offences Act 2003.

The charge related to an incident involving two juvenile females, which occurred on Thursday, 11 June.

Harshey-Jones was quickly arrested and later charged by North Wales Police officers.

His suspension from duty was imposed immediately.

At court, the 45-year-old also pleaded guilty to corrupt or other improper exercise of police powers and privileges, and to a charge of perverting the course of justice.

After being granted bail, he will now be sentenced on Thursday, 19 November.

Criminal proceedings and North Wales Police misconduct protocols remain active and the force is unable to provide comment at this time.

Description

Ben Goodier, 32, of Fletcher Street, Latchford, has been sentenced at Warrington Magistrates’ Court after sexually assaulting a woman and harassing her for nine years, and after sending threatening messages to his former landlord.

Between 2012 and 2013, while still a teenager, Goodier sent messages to a pregnant woman in which he suggested a “pregnancy fetish,” asking how her nipples felt and what giving birth would feel like. She blocked him after the messages made her uncomfortable.

In 2014 he sexually assaulted a woman at a party. He grabbed her in a corridor, pushed her and held her shoulders as she told him “no” and to “get off.” He grabbed her breasts and touched her genitals before another guest intervened. The woman later said the attack left her feeling “absolutely horrific” and that she “blamed herself” because she was “made to feel like it was her own fault.” Goodier told her he “didn’t mean to sexually assault her.” The assault was not reported at the time.

He then contacted her repeatedly over the next nine years from different social media accounts, including offers of money to touch her breasts, despite her making clear she did not want contact. In a victim impact statement she said she felt “unsafe” after he claimed to know where she lived. She has since moved and changed her routes around the town to avoid him.

Goodier was also convicted of harassing his former landlord after being evicted over £3,000 in rent arrears. On 17 September, while in Newton-le-Willows, he sent messages including: “You are going to be the reason I kill myself when I get evicted,” “I hope all of your kids and your blubber-framed wife die of an aggressive and uncurable cancer you sick disgusting f**k,” “I am going to turn up at your office and f**k you into oblivion with a claw hammer and I will s***k over your lifeless body,” and “I hate your pathetic face.”

The court heard he has mental health issues that “would not be helped in a custodial setting.” He was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment, suspended for 16 months, with a nine-month treatment requirement, 20 rehabilitation activity days, and £454 in costs. A 10-year restraining order protects the woman he assaulted and harassed. He must sign the sex offenders register for seven years.

Description

A man who was discovered to have had over 110,000 indecent images of children across 76 devices has pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images of children and has been sentenced following his appearance at Hull Crown Court yesterday (Monday, 28 September 2026).

Daniel Greaves, 35-years-old, Station Road in Patrington, East Riding of Yorkshire, will be on the Sex Offenders Register for ten years, and has also been handed a ten-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order. He has been given a two-year suspended sentence, and ordered to conduct 200 hours' unpaid work, and 20 days rehabilitation.

An investigation was launched by our Police Online Investigation Team (POLIT) back in March 2024, after the team received information that a man called Daniel Greaves was suspected to be in possession of multiple indecent images of children.

He was subsequently arrested at his home address in March 2024 on suspicion of indecent images of children, and specialist officers from POLIT alongside our Digital Forensics Unit, got to work examining the 76 devices that were found during a search of Greaves' address.

Devices including phones, computers, hard drives and servers were seized, which uncovered over 110,000 videos and images of children, having been collected over nine and a half years.

Due to the sheer volume of videos and photos discovered across Greaves' devices, the POLIT and Digital Forensics Team had to derive a digital strategy, prioritising the devices for examination. On the seven devices that were examined, over 100,000 images and videos were submitted to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) for review and charges to be brought against him.

Police Constable Sophie Newbon from our Police Online Investigation Team, leading the investigation said:

"The sheer volume of images and videos that Greaves had collected of young children using the dark web in an attempt to get away with his disgusting behaviour, was absolutely appalling.

“Greaves went out of his way to scour the internet and download thousands of indecent images from across the web all for his own perverse gratification.

"Investigations of this nature are extremely complex, and I commend the POLIT and DFU officers for their patience and determination in developing the most comprehensive digital strategy to put a stark amount of evidence before the courts, leading Greaves to decide to plead guilty. The extremities the team were exposed to whilst reviewing them all cannot be underestimated.”

Description

A woman has been commended for her courage after helping convict a man who seriously sexually abused her as a child in Kirklees.

Safeguarding officers from Kirklees Police thanked the victim for coming forward, following the sentencing at Leeds Crown Court today of Richard Day for rape.

Day, aged 30 of Jubilee Terrace, Morley, was sentenced to 12 years in prison after being found guilty by a jury of rape of a child under 13.

He was also given a restraining order and put on the Sex Offenders Register. 

The offences took place between 2014 and 2017 and were first reported by the victim in March 2021.

Dedicated safeguarding officers began a full investigation into the report, while offering support to the victim. 

The investigation resulted in Day being summonsed to court in October 2023.

He pleaded not guilty to the offences but was found guilty by a jury in a unanimous verdict at a trial this June.

Detective Sergeant Olivia Connor who led the investigation, said: 

“We fully appreciate just how difficult it can be for victims of such dreadful offending to come forward and report what they have suffered, and I want to commend the bravery of the survivor in this case.

"Day subjected her to appalling abuse over a prolonged period of time and then put her through the ordeal of a trial.  A jury has unanimously convicted him for these offences, and we hope the victim can take comfort from that and seeing him sentenced.

"We do continue to encourage survivors of sexual offences who may not have come forwards, for whatever reason, to do so. Dedicated safeguarding detectives will do all they can to support you and help you secure justice."

Description

Graeme Dott, 49, jailed for seven years and placed on the Sex Offenders Register for life

Former world snooker champion Graeme Dott has been sentenced to seven years in prison after being convicted of sexually abusing two children. The 49-year-old, from Glasgow, will remain on the Sex Offenders Register for the rest of his life.

Dott denied two charges of lewd and libidinous behaviour towards a girl and a boy between 1993 and 2010. A jury at the High Court in Glasgow found him guilty in August 2026 after a five-day trial. Lord Harrower sentenced him on 29 September 2026 at the High Court in Edinburgh. The term was backdated to 24 August, when he was remanded in custody.

He showed no emotion as sentence was passed, nodding to someone in the public gallery as he was led away. During the judge’s remarks he repeatedly shook his head.

The offences

The first victim was a girl of about nine. The abuse began in 1993, when Dott was 16 or 17, and continued until 1996. Police contacted him about those allegations in 2001, but no charges followed. The woman, now in her 40s, gave a further statement in 2025.

The second victim was a boy of about eight. That abuse began around 2006 — the year Dott won the World Snooker Championship — and continued until 2010. The boy is now a man in his 20s.

The offence of lewd and libidinous practices covers sexual crimes against children committed before 1 December 2010. It was abolished in 2009 but remains the correct charge for earlier conduct.

The court heard that Dott warned both children they would not be believed if they told anyone. He denied the allegations at trial and described them as “disgusting.”

Judge’s remarks

Lord Harrower said each victim was vulnerable for reasons beyond their age. Dott’s conduct, he said, “bore the hallmarks of grooming”: he rewarded the children with treats and presented the abuse as a game. The judge said Dott had robbed them of “a significant part of their childhood” and that the abuse was “a gross violation of trust.”

The victims, the court was told, had lived with “overwhelming emotions of fear, shame and anger,” with effects on their mental health into adulthood.

Social work reports assessed Dott as posing a “below average risk of reoffending.” Because he maintains his innocence, the judge said he could not treat remorse as a mitigating factor. The court also heard that Dott has already faced threats in prison and has been moved as a result.

Mitigation and previous record

Euan Dow, representing Dott, said the father of two is now separated from his wife but “continues to enjoy the support of his family and friends.” He said Dott has “long-standing mental health issues” and that his personal and professional reputations had been destroyed.

Dott has two previous convictions, both minor road traffic offences, from 2013 and 2015.

Prosecution comment

Procurator Fiscal Faye Cook, of the Crown Office, said: “Graeme Dott achieved success and public admiration but, in private, he exploited the trust of two children to abuse and coerce them. Dott’s criminal behaviour has been his downfall and he now faces the consequences of his actions.”

She added that “justice has no time limit” and urged other victims of historical abuse to come forward.

Sporting sanctions

The World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association suspended Dott from all professional activity on 9 April 2025. After the conviction it permanently revoked his membership. He was removed from the World Snooker Tour Hall of Fame and relegated from the professional ranking list at the end of the 2025/26 season.

Dott won the world title in 2006 by beating Peter Ebdon at the Crucible. He was also a finalist in 2004 and 2010.

Description

A registered sex offender has been jailed for nine years for the sexual assault of a vulnerable woman in Bridgwater.

Darren Bradley, 61, of no fixed abode, Bridgwater, pleaded guilty to sexual assault by penetration and the breach of an interim Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) and was sentenced at Taunton Crown Court on Tuesday 15 September.

Bradley committed his offences against a woman who was alone and vulnerable in Bridgwater town centre at around 11.30pm on Saturday 4 April.

He then proceeded to walk his victim through the town before she was able to gain the attention of a member of the public, who intervened and alerted the police. Bradley was later arrested, charged and remanded into custody on Thursday 9 April.

The custodial sentence handed to Bradley includes an extended period in prison with the judge acknowledging the significant risk he poses to members of the public. He has an extensive history in sexual offending, with a pattern of targeting lone women.

His victim thankfully did not suffer serious injury, but she was supported throughout the investigation and has been offered access to specialist support services she may benefit from. 

DIO Sophie Lovell, officer in the case from our Criminal Investigations Department, said:

“I would like to acknowledge the courage and strength shown by the victim in coming forward and reporting Bradley’s offending, and supporting the subsequent investigation and prosecution.

“This bravery has played a significant role in securing this conviction and ensuring that a dangerous individual has been removed from the community for a substantial period of time.

“I would also like to express my sincere thanks to the member of the public who assisted the victim on the night of the incident. Their willingness to step in and offer support made a real difference, and it is something for which the victim remains very grateful for.”

Description

A man has been jailed for more than 20 years after sexually abusing two girls and a woman.

Jawhir Kasir from Coventry sexually assaulted two girls between 2006 and 2008, and in 2010 he attempted to rape a third woman.

By last year, all three women had bravely come forward to speak to police about the abuse Kasir has subjected them to.

We launched an investigation and to capture the best evidence possible we video recorded our interviews with the women.

This meant that when Kasir stood trial, the videos were played to the court instead of the women repeating their statements in person.

Following the video-recorded interviews (VRI), we had enough evidence to arrest Kasir on suspicion of a string of sexual offences.

The 47-year-old was arrested at Birmingham Airport on 26 November last year and was subsequently charged.

Kasir of no fixed address was convicted of seven sexual offences including attempted rape following a trial earlier this year.

On 22 September at Warwick Crown Court, he was sentenced to 22 years in prison.

Description

A paedophile who preyed on a child in Hereford and Leeds has been sentenced to eight years and six months in prison.

Samuel Sutcliffe, 29, of Rothwell, Leeds, was convicted at Worcester Crown Court on Friday (25 September) of the following offences: -

• Two counts of penetrative sexual activity with a child aged 13 to 15
• One count of non-penetrative sexual activity with a child aged 13 to 15
• Two counts of causing/inciting non-penetrative sexual activity with a child aged 13 to 15
• Two counts of taking an indecent photo or pseudo photo of a child

Sutcliffe was sentenced to a total of eight years and six months in prison, ordered to register as a sex offender for ten years, made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) for ten years and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £190.

He began contacting his victim in 2021 via an online gaming platform before adding him as a friend on Facebook and then progressing the conversation on to a WhatsApp chat using pseudonyms.

Sutcliffe (pictured) began sending her indecent images of himself and put pressure on her to meet him which she did. He then made her perform sexual acts on him, which he also did to the victim, that eventually led to sexual intercourse on several occasions. 

Alarm bells were raised by the victim’s carers after she went missing to meet Sutcliffe and police were alerted. He was subsequently arrested by South Yorkshire Police in Leeds.  

Detective Constable Lia Williams of Hereford CID said:

“We are pleased to get this custodial term for Sutcliffe, who preyed on a vulnerable teenage girl for his own perverted gratification.

“We hope this shows we take reports of child sexual exploitation seriously and will always act when such incidents are reported to us.

“This case also highlights the need for responsible adults to monitor their children’s online activities and report any concerns to us if they feel something is not right or they may be being exploited.”

Description

A Rochester man who sexually abused a child has been jailed for more than 20 years.

Marty Hunter committed the offences over 3 years, often threatening the victim they would get into trouble if anyone was told what was happening.

The victim reported the abuse in 2021 after listening to advice in an NSPCC presentation.

Hunter was interviewed, denied the allegations, and was subsequently charged with 13 offences including rape and sexual assault.

The 56 year old of Sir Evelyn Road pleaded not guilty and was convicted on all counts following a trial at Maidstone Crown Court.

On Friday 25 September 2026, Hunter was jailed for 21 years and will serve another year on licence upon his release. He was also made subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).

Investigating officer Detective Constable Thabi Hollingsworth said:

‘Hunter targeted the victim over a period of years. He subjected them to the most appalling and terrifying campaign of abuse, using threats to stop them reporting it.

‘The victim has been incredibly brave in coming forward and giving evidence, having to relive their ordeal. I hope that they can now move forward knowing Hunter will be serving a lengthy prison sentence.’

Description

Detectives have praised a victim for her courage in coming forward after she was sexually assaulted by a nurse while unwell in hospital.

A woman aged in her 30s was taken for treatment at the Royal Bournemouth Hospital after becoming unwell during the early hours of Sunday 30 July 2023.

When she arrived at the hospital she was assessed in the emergency department before being moved to another room.

As she was alone in the room with nurse Ernest Paul Cruz, he said that she needed to change and he assisted taking her clothes off.

During this he began touching her inappropriately and proceeded to sexually assault her.

The victim disclosed what had happened to a female nurse the following morning and police were notified.

Officers attended the defendants home address, and the 38-year-old was arrested later that same day.

A full investigation was launched by detectives to compile evidence and Cruz was subsequently charged.

After the victim bravely gave evidence at trial, he was found guilty of sexual assault and assault by penetration. He was sentenced at Bournemouth Crown Court on Monday 28 September 2026 to seven years in prison. He was also made the subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order, a restraining order and placed on the sex offenders register.

Detective Constable Jordan Hopkins, of Dorset Police, said:

The victim was in a vulnerable position, having been admitted to hospital when unwell, at the time she was sexually assaulted by Ernest Cruz.

She has shown immense courage in coming forward to disclose what happened to her, support our investigation and give evidence during the trial.

I hope the bravery has shown gives strength to other victims of sexual offences and encourages them to come forward in the knowledge that we will take them seriously, victims will be supported and we will do all we can to ensure perpetrators are held to account.

Description

Connor Temple, 28, of Whitehope Close, Bransholme, Hull, admitted distributing indecent images of children and failing to register devices he was required to declare under a sexual harm prevention order.

Hull Crown Court heard that police received information Temple had indecent images of children. Officers seized his devices and found a mobile phone containing 10 videos or images: four in Category A, five in Category B and one in Category C. The material had been shared on WhatsApp between 7 and 11 November 2024.

Temple also admitted three breaches of a sexual harm prevention order on 16 July this year. The devices he should have registered were a tablet, a mobile phone and a PlayStation.

Prosecutor Natalie Dean said: “He had not registered them within the required time frame.” In interview, Temple accepted that. “He did not give a reason in interview,” Miss Dean said. She told the court: “There is a risk of very serious harm to children.”

Temple had been in custody since 17 July.

Previous conviction

On 14 January 2025, Temple received a 12-month suspended prison sentence, 80 hours’ unpaid work and 30 days’ rehabilitation after admitting three offences of making indecent images of children and possessing extreme pornography on 10 August 2022. He was made subject to a 10-year sexual harm prevention order and required to register as a sex offender for 10 years.

That case began after police searched his home following information about online activity. Two mobile phones contained 49 Category A images and 46 videos, 35 Category B images and four videos, and 36 Category C images. The court was told the files showed the abuse of very young children, including victims aged three or four who were in “pain and distress.” Police also found an extreme image of bestiality involving a woman and a dog. Temple had used search terms to find the material. He first denied sharing images, then admitted that was untrue and pleaded guilty. The earlier hearing described the material as “disgusting and outrageous.”

Mitigation and sentence

Holly Thompson, mitigating, said custody had been “a severe wake-up call for this defendant.” She said Temple had relapsed into a cocaine addiction he had previously managed and forgot to register the three devices. “He knows that he should have done better but it simply slipped his mind,” she said.

“There is no suggestion of any offences being committed on the devices or the phone. He has been very candid. His time in custody has allowed him to reflect. He has now come to an acceptance that it is something that he needs to work on. He has an interest in children.”

Before remand, Temple had been working as a chef in a Japanese restaurant and had a trial for another chef job.

The court imposed 20 days’ rehabilitation. Temple must register as a sex offender for five years, pay a £114 victim surcharge, and the seized devices will be forfeited.