Latest Offenders

Description

A PERVERT who filmed videos of naked women in the changing room cubicles at a leisure centre has been jailed.

Richard Halck, formerly of Winsford, was caught on August 22, 2023, filming one of his victims on his mobile phone.

The woman, at Winsford Lifestyle Centre, calmly got dressed before alerting staff to the 38-year-old's offence. 

She also asked a member of the public to prevent Halck, now of Landor Way, Stafford, from leaving before police arrived.

Halck was arrested before his phone was seized and analysed, revealing several other videos of women filmed without their knowledge.

The videos were all filmed between July 7, 2022, and August 22, 2023, at various locations across Winsford.

Police officers were able to identify three of the victims, however a number of others have never been identified.

Halck was charged with eight counts of voyeurism, which he pleaded guilty to at Chester Magistrates Court on March 25.

After the lower court decided it did not have the necessary sentencing powers, the case was sent to Chester Crown Court.

Halck appeared at the crown court on Thursday, April 24, where His Honour Judge Simon Berkson jailed him for 55 weeks.

Judge Berkson also ordered Halck to sign the sex offenders register for 10 years, as well as handing him a 10-year sexual harm prevention order and restraining order to prevent him contacting his victims.

Detective Constable Sarah Ollier, who led the investigation for Cheshire Police, said: "Firstly, I would like to praise the courage of the victims in this case.

"To discover that someone has filmed you without your consent must have been terrifying, but thanks to their bravery he has now been held accountable.

"Halck’s actions have had a lasting impact on his victims, who were simply going about their daily business.

"He violated his victims’ personal space and privacy, filming them without their consent in places that they should be able to feel safe.

"This result reinforces our commitment to tackling violence against women and girls, we will prevent, deter and take action against anyone who preys on women and girls."

Description

A man deemed to be a danger to teenage girls has been handed a strict court order that restricts his behaviour for five years.

The sexual risk order (SRO) was placed on Amadu Tavares, 23, of Watergall, Bretton, Peterborough at Peterborough Magistrates’ Court today (Thursday, April 24).

An SRO is a civil order which can be sought by the police against someone who has not been convicted or cautioned of any offence but is thought to pose a risk of harm.

The conditions state Tavares must not:

• Contact or attempt to contact any girl under the age of 18, directly or indirectly, except as is an unavoidable part of daily life, or unless supervised by an adult with knowledge of the SRO
• Be present in any premises at which any girl under the age of 18 resides for more than 12 hours within any 24-hour period, save with family members previously notified to police and the supervision of an adult with knowledge of the order
• Follow or loiter near any girl under the age of 18 in a public place
• Be in any road vehicle (not including buses) with a girl under the age of 18

Tavares is also further required to make any device capable of accessing the internet in his possession available for examination on request by police. This includes giving relevant PINs and passwords.

He must also:

• Stop immediately for a police officer when requested whether in a vehicle, any other mode of transport or on foot
• Disclose all social media handles, accounts and ‘apps’ to police

PC Adriana Leaver Hernandez, from the force’s Child Exploitation Hub, said: “Tavares has shown he is a high-risk sexual predator who targets and exploits girls, with a significant number of reports made against him.

“He takes advantage of the fact he is older and uses alcohol and drugs to entice his victims – all young teenage girls - and then exploits them.

“Tavares targets vulnerable teenagers who often go missing and are at high risk of child sexual exploitation (CSE) and has shown he is sexually attracted to them.

“This order is necessary to prevent further sexual harm to children and protect women and girls.

“Sexual risk orders do not place the burden on the victim to provide an evidential account and create a safer place for victims, especially children, to speak to police.

“We would strongly encourage anyone with any concerns that a child may be being exploited to report this to us and the local authority.”

Description

A paedophile who carried out a sequence of sex offences against a schoolgirl has been jailed for 16 years.

Peter Dellbridge raped and sexually abused his victim in the early 2000s ago at an address in the Northumberland area.

Two decades later, the brave woman reported the abuse to Northumbria Police, and, in 2022, an investigation was launched by the Force’s Safeguarding Department.

Dellbridge, now 64, attended a police station to be interviewed but denied the allegations of abuse.

However, following a complex investigation, in November 2023, Dellbridge was charged with a string of offences in connection with the report.

He continued to deny the allegations and went on trial at Newcastle Crown Court.

In January, a jury at Newcastle Crown Court found Dellbridge guilty of 19 offences including rape, assault by penetration, inciting a female under 13 to engage in a sexual act, sexual assault by touching and causing a child to watch a sexual act.

And today (Thursday) Dellbridge, of Western Avenue, Seaton Delaval, was handed a 16-year sentence behind bars at the same court. He will also serve a further year on an extended licence once he is released from prison.

He will also spend the rest of his life on the Sex Offenders’ Register and was handed a lifelong and Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) and restraining order to protect the victim.

Description

A children’s book author from Swindon collected child abuse images, a court heard.

Philip Brown, who also goes by the names Will Elmore and Wilbur Elmo on social media, pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent photos and videos of children.

On 4 April, Swindon Crown Court heard that the defendant, of Dixon Street, was using the web to seek out abhorrent images of young victims being abused.

Police attended his home and seized digital devices. Forensic examination work later revealed a stash of 46 images in Category A, showing penetration. He also had 59 Category B images, and 45 in Category C.

In 2020, Brown published a children’s book on Amazon under the name “Willo The Wisp”. It’s called “The Troll & The Fairy and Other Poems” and costs £2.22.

Judge Jason Taylor KC told the defendant that it was ‘hard to see genuine remorse’, but accepted that the offender was ashamed and regretful.

He sentenced Brown to a 20-month prison sentence suspended for two years.

As part of the order, he must complete 20 rehabilitation activity days with the probation service.

Brown must register has a sex offender for ten years, and a Sexual Harm Prevention Order was put in place for the same lengthy of time.

Description

A hotel manager who raped a woman and sexually assaulted three others has been sentenced as part of an investigation by Metropolitan Police Service detectives.

The Met is now appealing for any other potential victim-survivors who have not yet come forward.

Ahmed Fahmy, 46 (17.01.79), was sentenced to 10 years' imprisonment, with another three years on extended licence, at Harrow Crown Court, sitting at Hendon Magistrates' Court, on Wednesday, 23 April for four offences committed while working in hotels across London.

He was also placed on the sex offenders' register and was prohibited from being employed in the hospitality industry.

It follows Fahmy, of West Heath Drive, Barnet, being found guilty of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault by a jury on Thursday, 25 July 2024 after a two-week trial at the same court.

Detectives are now appealing to further victim-survivors, as they believe Fahmy’s offending was more widespread.

Detective Constable James Gomm from the Metropolitan Police, who led the investigation, said: “Fahmy used manipulation to abuse his position as a hotel worker and get close to his victims. He demonstrated a clear pattern of offending and abuse.

“I would also like to commend the victim-survivors who have shared their experience to date for the bravery they have shown throughout the investigation and the court proceedings.

“We believe there may be other victims and I would encourage anyone affected to get in contact with us – you will be listened to and receive specialist support and guidance, not only from the police but independent charities and services."

The offending

The Met’s investigation was launched in January 2024 after officers received reports of rape and sexual assault by two women who had been staying at the hotel in West Heath Drive, Barnet where Fahmy was working at the time.

Fahmy was a hotel worker in many hotels across London. He abused his position to enter guest rooms without permission, where he made sexual advances.

The investigation unearthed allegations against Fahmy which date back to 2008 and as recent as 2024.

Fahmy was arrested and an investigation launched on 21 January 2024 after officers received reports of rape and sexual assault by two women who had been staying with friends at the hotel Fahmy was employed at.

After the group of friends had become separated on a night out, three women had returned to the hotel in Barnet without a room key. After paying Fahmy £80 for another room, the women went to bed, but one woke up to find Fahmy licking her feet.

Later, two of the group returned from the night out and also misplaced their room key. Instead of offering her a new room, Fahmy coerced one woman into sharing his room, where he raped her.

During the investigation detectives uncovered and linked him to two other non-recent sexual assaults, which largely centred on Fahmy touching women’s feet. These offences took place in a hotel on Western Gateway, E16, and at a residential address in Alliance Close, Wembley.

The appeal

Following Fahmy’s sentencing, detectives are appealing for any other potential victim-survivors to come forward.

They are particularly keen to speak to anyone who may have met Fahmy while he was working at various hotels across London. As part of his modus operandi, detectives know that Fahmy abused the trust of his employers and hotel guests to manipulate and gain access to the guest rooms where women were staying, even encouraging some to stay in his room.

Fahmy is confirmed to have worked in five hotels across the city, though detectives believe there could have been more. The hotels did not belong to the same brand and were all situated in different locations across London.

These were -

• West Heath Drive in Barnet
• Royal Victoria Dock in E16
• Alliance Close in Wembley
• South Way in Wembley
• Bridge in Marlow.

Detectives are sharing this information in the hope that it may prompt other potential victim-survivors to come forward.

Description

A 44-year-old man who groomed a schoolgirl on Snapchat before drugging and then engaging her in sexual activity has been jailed for 17 years. 

Gregg Riley (pictured) took naked photographs of his 15-year-old victim while she lay dipping in and out of consciousness in his Blackburn home.

Riley also targeted other girls who attended the same high school in East Lancashire as the victim by paying for their Snapchat Premium subscriptions and asking some for naked photographs or telling them about his sexual fantasies.

On 5th July 2024 our officers were contacted by the safeguarding lead at the school who reported concerns for a number of students in year 8 and year 10 regarding a man the students had been in contact with via Snapchat.

The victim was spoken to and outlined how Riley had picked her up, gave her ketamine and while kissing her said: “I only want you. I want you forever.”

While driving her to Blackpool and knowing she was 15-years-old Riley told her: “We are going to move away to Scotland so that we can get married, because you can get married at 16.”

Riley later took her back to his Blackburn home but such was the impact of the ketamine, the victim lost consciousness several times on the journey and to be carried into the house.

It was then that Riley engaged her in sexual activity and took naked images without her knowledge.

The victim later blocked Riley on Snapchat.

Further enquiries found that after buying another victim Snapchat Premium, Riley turned the conversation with her sexual and made comments about her hair and her school uniform.

Riley later asked to meet up with her, said he wanted to have sex with her and that he wanted to hurt her as this was his fantasy. He then went on to talk about necrophilia and doing sexual stuff when she was passed out.

Riley also said that he loved the girl and sent her between £200 and £260 via PayPal.

The victim had sent Riley sexualised images and a video of herself.

Riley bought another girl Snapchat Premium for her 15th birthday and later told her that he had a dream about her which involved chains and whips.

After his arrest, Riley’s phone was seized and we found 294 indecent images of children and four prohibited images.

Within this download there was a large number of photographs, these included children who Riley did not know and appear to be screenshots taken from social media. Some of the images of children which initially were clothed and everyday images have been doctored using a nudify programme. This uses the initial image taken, taking the face of the person putting this onto a nude body, therefore making the image indecent if the person is under 18.

Riley, previously from Blackburn but now of no fixed address, was charged with causing/ inciting a girl 13 to 15 to engage in sexual activity, making indecent photographs / pseudo-photographs of a child, possessing a prohibited image of a child.

He pleaded guilty to all the offences when he appeared at Preston Crown Court at a hearing last year.

Riley returned to the same court today (23rd April) where he was sentenced to 17 years imprisonment and given an extended seven-year licence period after being deemed as a dangerous offender by the judge.

He was made subject of an indefinite sexual harm prevention order and ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register for life. A lifetime restraining order was also put in place in relation to Riley contacting his victims.

Description

A Norwich man caught with more than 7,500 indecent images of children has escaped a prison sentence. 

When police seized his devices Jamie Brand was found to have 5,100 images and 11 videos in category A, the most serious. 

One video showed a baby, aged between six months and a year, being raped by an adult male in a balaclava.

The images were found on three mobiles, two laptops and an Apple MacBook. Among them there were also 2,265 category B images and 11 category B videos.

Norwich Crown Court heard police went on to find 173 category C images and eight extreme pornographic images in the 2022 raid.

Laura Kenyon, prosecuting, said images found on the seized devices featured male and female children from as young as six-months old, up to 14 or 15 years of age.

Miss Kenyon said Brand had also been conversing online with a 14-year-old boy, who the 39-year-old discussed sexual activity with. 

Brand, of Cannon Wharf, King Street, Norwich, appeared for sentence on Tuesday (April 22) having admitted causing or inciting a boy to engage in sexual activity.

He also admitted making indecent photographs of a child and possessing extreme pornographic images.

Thomas Daniel, mitigating, said these were very serious matters.

But he said they were committed against the backdrop of Brand having suffered serious sexual abuse himself when he was younger.

He said Brand had made efforts to address his behaviour, having engaged with a therapist and psychologist.

Mr Daniel said the offences dated back to 2022, since when he had not offended.

Judge Andrew Shaw, who recognised the "very real efforts" Brand had made to address his offending, imposed a three year community order.

Brand must also complete 40 days Rehabilitation Activity Requirement (RAR), 200 hours of unpaid work and an accredited programme requirement.

He was also ordered to pay £1,000 costs, put on the sex offenders' register for five years and made the subject of a five year sexual harm prevention order (SHPO).

Description

A pensioner who made explicit sexual remarks to what he believed was a 14-year-old girl was snared by an adult from a paedophile hunter group who was posing as a teenager.

Inverness Sheriff Court was told that Duncan Moir, from Buckie, contacted the 'girl' calling herself 'Molly' on December 17, 2023.

The 72-year-old told the ‘girl’ his age and was informed that his contact was 14.

Fiscal depute Pauline Gair told Sheriff Eilidh Macdonald that Moir, of Bede Road, called the girl “baby, gorgeous, my dear girl, my beautiful gorgeous girl”.

Mrs Gair went on: "He asked her if she had a boyfriend and asked her for photographs of herself.

“The conversation became more sexualised."

The court heard that Moir said the girl made him "horny", asked about her private parts and what sex acts she knew about.

He also told her what acts he would like her to do to him, adding that he would keep her safe.

Moir also told her: "By the way, don’t tell anyone what I have been talking about or I would be in trouble."

At that stage, the decoy from online child abuse activist group 'Elite' informed another similar group in Scotland called 'Protecting Kids Scotland'.

They identified from screenshots where Moir lived and confronted him while live-streaming it online.

Moir admitted sexually communicating with what he thought was a 14-year-old girl between December 17, 2023, and March 16 last year.

Sentence was deferred until June 3 for a background report and an assessment for the sex offender's rehabilitation programme, 'Moving Forward to Change.'

Moir was also immediately placed on the Sex Offender's Register and his bail was continued.

However, Sheriff Macdonald warned him “all sentencing options are open to the court”.

Description

A former Ayrshire nurse who stalked a terrified woman after matching with her on a dating app is back in jail after she contacted the victim just ten days after being released from prison.

Adele Rennie, 34, from Kilmarnock, was jailed in September 2024 for an elaborate catfishing scam. She was also handed a five-year non-harassment order that banned her from contacting the woman, who she had targeted with the scam.

Rennie was released from jail on 13 January this year but remained registered as a sex offender and subject to monitoring and restrictions. But, just ten days after her release, Rennie sent text messages to her victim.

Rennie was found to have flouted the non-harassment order on January 23 when a social worker was made aware of messages sent to the previous victim. The phone number of the woman had been stored in Rennies phone under the name Gord - but actually belonged to her previous victim whom Rennie was prohibited by court order from contacting.

Rennie pled guilty at the Kilmarnock Sheriff Court on Tuesday (April 22). Rennie, dubbed Scotlands most prolific catfish, was previously jailed in 2017 for a decade-long stalking campaign.

She is to be the subject of a BBC Three and BBC Scotland documentary titled The Catfish Next Door, charting the campaign. Rennie targeted a number of women with stalking campaigns, which all began online but had far-reaching consequences for her victims.

Rennie pretended to be a man, using a voice-changing app and a number of aliases including David Graham, David Crolla, Davie, Marco and Matthew Mancini.

David Bernard, Procurator Fiscal for North Strathclyde, said: The law will not tolerate Adele Rennies refusal to abide by the strict restrictions placed upon her. Prosecutors at COPFS will respond robustly to keep the community safe from distressing and damaging behaviour like stalking.

We recognise the trauma suffered by some victims of this insidious crime and court orders will be enforced at the earliest opportunity should a perpetrator such as Rennie attempt to reoffend.

Description

A sexual predator who attacked two women when he was manager at a popular music venue has been jailed.

Daniel Knowles, 37, was convicted of attacking two women in 2019 when he was a manager at Concorde 2, a nightclub in Brighton. 

He raped one woman and sexually assaulted another as she slept at different addresses in Brighton.

He was jailed for six-and-a-half years following a trial at Lewes Crown Court.

Knowles was described as a daily cocaine user when he was working at the music venue.

Sarah Lindop for the crown said Knowles was a predator who continues to deny his guilt.

"Daniel Knowles is a sexual predator and he has taken advantage of circumstances where he is close to them to sexually assault these young women," she said.

His Honour Judge Mark Van Der Zwart said the jury rejected his claims and described Knowles as a predator who took advantage of vulnerable women for his own sexual gratification.

He said: "You've shown little remorse.

"You were overtaken by your desire for sexual gratification.

"You are wholly to blame."

His victims said they had suffered ongoing trauma after being attacked by Knowles.

The woman Knowles raped said she is living with flashbacks and a constant level of fear and mistrust.

"These past six years, I've spent frozen in time", she said.

"I have to constantly remind myself that I am safe and it's over.

"I will never understand why what happened happened."

The woman who was sexually assaulted by Knowles when he got into bed with her as she slept said her life was changed forever.

She forced him out of her room and barricaded the door.

She said: "I find it difficult to trust people.

"Your gaslighting has destroyed friendships and relationships.

"I was in my own room with my door shut, asleep in my own bed.

"Men like you behave like this of your own volition.

"I hope you will one day be able to understand the harm you've caused."

Knowles was jailed for four-and-a-half years for one count of rape and another two years to be served consecutively for the sexual assault.

He will spend at least two thirds in custody before he is eligible for release and will be on the sex offender register for life.

Description

A serial child abuser who fled the country while he was on trial is now beginning a prison sentence.

Jibrhan Khan’s four young victims, who must not be identified for legal reasons, were denied justice back in February 2023 when the drug-user went on the run after his trial had started at Bradford Crown Court.

His barrister Jeremy Hill-Baker told a judge on Thursday that at the time Khan was living in shared accommodation and had been attacked by other residents after they “got wind” of his alleged offending. Mr Hill-Baker said: “Someone lent him some money and he got a flight to Pakistan. At the time he had a significant drug addiction to both heroin and crack cocaine.”

Mr Hill-Baker said his client spent five months in hospital getting psychiatric help and after getting off drugs he started to reflect on his previous conduct.

“He had begun to pray in earnest and made the decision himself, knowing that in respect of all but one of the counts the jury had failed to agree, to come home and to face the music and sort out what he had done,” said Mr Hill-Baker.

Khan, 41, flew back to this country last September and was arrested on the bench warrant and put before the court.

The court heard that Khan had been convicted in his absence by the jury of one sexual offence, but in January this year he pleaded guilty to seven other similar allegations. The non-recent abuse involving the four girls ended in 2014 and included offences of indecent assault, sexual assault and sexual assault of a girl under 13.

One of his victims described in a statement how the abuse left her with feelings of anxiety and self-loathing and she felt guilty about not disclosing the abuse sooner.

Mr Hill-Baker said Khan, formerly of Mannville Terrace, Great Horton, Bradford, wanted to give the victims justice because he knew that they felt thwarted when he fled his trial. The barrister said: “He does not instruct me to seek to excuse his behaviour and gives all the outward impression of being deeply remorseful, wanting to face the inevitable punishment and be at peace himself with what he has done and for his victims to have closure."

Jailing Khan for 12-and-a-half years, Deputy Circuit Judge Timothy Clayson said his offending had been extensive and an extended sentence as a “dangerous offender” was clearly justified. The judge imposed an extended licence period of three years on top of the defendant’s jail term.

Khan will now have to serve at least two-thirds of his 12-and-a-half year sentence before being considered for release by the Parole Board. He will also have to register as a sex offender for life with the police and must comply with an indefinite sexual harm prevention order.

Judge Clayson also imposed an indefinite restraining order which bans the defendant from contacting any of the complainants.

Description

A Fife man blindfolded an eight-year-old girl for a “tasting game” which turned into a sexual assault.

James Ross pretended it would be harmless fun with the girl trying to name household items without seeing them.

Description

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.

Description

The Congolese national has been charged for multiple sex attacks while already serving a prison sentence for rape.

An asylum seeker who was once pictured carrying a sign saying “migrants are not criminals” has admitted three more serious sex offences. The Congolese national was jailed for nearly 11 years in 2024 after he raped a 15-year-old girl in Oxford, resulting in her becoming pregnant. On Tuesday, Anicet Mayela pleaded guilty to one count of rape and two counts of sexual activity with a child.

The new charges are related to attacks which took place in the same city as the first offence, between June 2016 and June 2017. Mayela, 41, originally tried to revoke his first guilty plea of rape, yet a judge refused. After arriving in Britain illegally in 2004, he has since fought against multiple deportation attempts, The Sun revealed. 

One bid to stay included the sex offender claiming his hand was broken by Home Office staff, therefore he was unfit to travel on a flight to Congo. Attendants on the Air France plane then refused to take off with him onboard.

When Mayela first arrived in the UK, the Home Office denied his asylum claim. After challenging this decision at an immigration tribunal, the rapist, who worked as a porter at the John Radcliffe Hospital, was granted leave to remain on appeal in 2010.

The asylum seeker was previously photographed protesting outside a detention centre in Oxford, wearing a sign around his neck which read “migrants are not criminals”. 

Mayela will be sentenced at Oxford crown court on June 6. 

Description

A Nuneaton man who denied raping two women has been jailed for 13 years.

When we interviewed 18-year-old Joshua Fletcher, of Milby Drive, he denied any wrongdoing.

But thanks to the bravery of the women, Fletcher’s lies didn’t stop him from being charged with one count of sexual assault and five counts of rape.

After an eight-day trial at Warwick Crown Court in February, the jury unanimously found Fletcher guilty.

And on Tuesday, 15 April, he was sentenced to 13 years in prison with five years after that to be a licence period with conditions.

He will also remain a registered sex offender for the rest of his life.