Latest Offenders

Description

Gerald Peck of York Villas, Brighton, who described himself as a body and energy therapist, was sentenced to 11 years in prison for two counts of assault by penetration and three counts of sexual assault of a female.

He also received a restraining order and was ordered to pay the victim £9,730 in compensation for therapy costs within 10 months.

The victim, a woman in her 40s, reported that Peck, 77, sexually assaulted her multiple times over an extended period during therapy sessions.  

She sought Peck’s services after he advertised himself as a private body and energy therapist. He claimed his treatment would alleviate her depression and physical pain.

During therapy, Peck told the victim that skin-to-skin contact was necessary and claimed that such contact was part of her treatment for trauma. He further stated that penetration and intimate touching would be the only way to relieve her tension as part of the therapy. By presenting this as legitimate therapy, Peck used his position of trust to justify behaviour that was inappropriate, abusive, and entirely outside any acceptable professional boundaries.

Peck was arrested, charged, and on Wednesday, 4 February 2024, at Lewes Crown Court Peck was found guilty on all five counts of sexual assault of a female. On Thursday (12 March), he was sentenced at Lewes Crown Court, to 11 years in prison.

Detective Constable Jazz Gannon said:

“The victim’s courage and determination were central to securing the sentence for serious sexual offences committed by a therapist against his client.

“Her strength has brought accountability and highlighted the critical importance of maintaining clear, ethical boundaries between therapists and those they are entrusted to support.

“We hope her bravery encourages greater awareness, accountability, and stronger safeguarding within therapeutic environments. Her resilience throughout this process has been essential in revealing the truth, and her willingness to speak out has helped raise awareness across services, ensuring similar reports are recognised and addressed more effectively in the future.”

Description

A sexual predator was caught attempting to rape a woman on a Brighton beach.

Bereke Russom, 32, from Eritrea, stalked the victim before attacking her around 3am on August 27, 2022. He was stopped by a beach patrol on a quad bike.

Russom was sentenced in absentia to eight years at Lewes Crown Court after failing to appear for sentencing, having fled bail during his January trial upon seeing CCTV evidence disproving his lies to police.

Prosecutor Richard Sedgwick said efforts to locate Russom had failed.

The court heard Russom traveled from Gatwick to Brighton. The victim, separated from her group after a night out, called a friend when alone. Russom snatched her phone, continued talking, refused to reveal their location, and hung up.

He dragged her to the beach, pinned her down, forced himself on her, and exposed his penis while pulling open her clothes. She told him to stop.

The patrol spotted him on top of the distressed woman and called police.

In her victim impact statement, she said: "After that night, I lost a part of myself I’m no longer sure I will ever get back."

Russom claimed they talked all night after she approached him in a bar, but he needed a translator and admitted forgetting his ID, preventing bar entry. CCTV showed her alone when he grabbed her phone and him leading her to the beach.

A jury convicted him after a five-day trial.

Defense barrister Steve Wedd apologized:

"In mitigation, I have a handful of nothings. I have no client and no expectation of him attending court any time soon or surrendering for sentence."

Recorder James Hay said: "He must’ve identified she was very drunk and alone. Made clear by taking control of her phone, refusing to answer questions, he must’ve formed the intention to rape her. It was only by sheer chance this was spotted by beach patrol on a quad bike."

Russom received eight years for attempted rape and six concurrent for sexual assault by penetration. Last seen in Leeds, West Yorkshire, he must serve at least two-thirds in custody before parole eligibility if apprehended, and will be on the sex offenders' register for life.

Description

A registered sex offender has been jailed for asking a sexually explicit question to two girls under the age of 16 near Bath.

David Blackwood, 58, of Trinity Road, Combe Down, pleaded guilty to engaging in sexual communication with a child, for failing to comply with requirements of the Sex Offenders’ Register, and for breaching a sexual harm prevention order and was sentenced at Bristol Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday 3 March.

As well as the immediate 12-month custodial sentence, he will remain on the Sex Offenders’ Register for the next 10 years and must pay a £187 victim surcharge and £84 towards court costs.

On the afternoon of Wednesday 4 February, Blackwood approached two young girls who were walking home from school and asked them a question which was sexually explicit in nature, before running off.

The incident was then reported by the mother of one of the victims to police.

Following a swift investigation, led by acting Sergeant Cox, and PCs McFarlane, Osborne and Bush from the Bath Outers Neighbourhood Team, Blackwood was arrested, charged and remanded for court on Wednesday 11 February.

During his arrest, officers found Blackwood had not registered a new bank card in his possession and therefore breached supervision requirements which were already in place.

Neighbourhoods’ Inspector Dudley Bond said:

“This is an appalling incident involving two children, who bravely did the right thing by telling a responsible adult about what they experienced which was therefore reported to us.

“Our neighbourhood officers carried out a thorough investigation, which has resulted in a custodial sentence which will prevent harm to further young people in our community.

“We want to reassure victims that they will be listened to, believed, and supported. Reporting abuse is incredibly difficult, but nobody must face it alone. If you are worried about your safety, or the safety of a child, please reach out. We have dedicated teams who will act swiftly to protect you.”

Description

A man who sent explicit photos of himself to a child and arranged to meet her in Stafford has been jailed.

Paul Donaldson, 28, of Stafford, was arrested by officers at Stafford train station on 27 November last year when he arranged to meet what he believed to be a teenage girl there.

When we seized his phone, we found that he had been communicating with an online account of a teenage girl. Donaldson asked her for her age, which was 13, but he still persisted in sending an explicit photo of himself and arranging to meet her at the train station, where they would then go to a nearby hotel.

When he was brought into custody, Donaldson answered no comment to our questions. But, we still had all the evidence needed to charge him with a number of offences.

He pleaded guilty at an earlier court hearing to arranging the commission of a child sexual offence, attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child and sending a photograph of genitals to cause alarm, distress or humiliation. He was sentenced to two-years-and-six-months in prison at Stafford Crown Court yesterday (Tuesday 10 March).

He was also put on the Sex Offenders Register for life and given a 20-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Detective Constable Georgina Brotherhood, from our police online investigations team (POLIT), said:

“Donaldson was persistent in his pursuit of this person and has rightfully been brought to justice for his actions.

“We’re working extremely hard every single day in Staffordshire to build and action intelligence against those who pose a risk to children and vulnerable people in our communities, and this is another example of that.”

Description

A Margate man who subjected a child to repeated sexual abuse over a sevenyear period has been jailed.

Edward Watson, formerly of Garrard Avenue, Margate, began abusing his victim in 1990 when he was around 13 years old and they were much younger. Over seven years, he repeatedly assaulted them, often locking them in a room before carrying out the offences.

Investigation

The abuse came to light in September 2023 after the victim disclosed what had happened to a trusted relative, who encouraged them to report it to Kent Police. Detectives launched an immediate investigation, and Watson was arrested three days later.

He was later charged with 12 sexual offences including gross indecency, indecent assault and unlawful sexual intercourse.

Sentenced

Watson denied the offences but was convicted on all counts following a 10day trial at Canterbury Crown Court. On Thursday 5 March 2026, the 49yearold was sentenced to four years’ imprisonment. He will remain on the sex offenders register for life, and a restraining order has been imposed to protect the victim.

Investigating officer, Detective Constable Susan Kingsnorth, said:

‘Historic cases like this demonstrate that it is never too late to seek justice. Kent Police will always listen, we will always investigate, and we will do everything in our power to bring offenders before the courts.

‘I also want to commend the bravery shown by the victim. Coming forward after so many years, recounting traumatic experiences, and supporting a lengthy investigation has ensured that this offender has been held accountable.’

Description

A Craven man has been jailed for more than 18 years after being found guilty of sexually abusing four girls.
 
Herning Thompson, 82, of Victoria Street, Skipton was arrested in January 2024 after the abuse was reported to North Yorkshire Police.
 
His heinous offending spanned four decades, between 1981 and 2020, when the victims were aged between five and 12, causing immeasurable harm to those he targeted.
 
Following an investigation led by the our Harrogate & Craven Safeguarding Investigation Team, Thompson was charged.
 
He stood trial at Leeds Crown Court , where a jury found him guilty of six counts of indecent assault on a girl under 16; four counts of assaulting a girl under 13 by touching; four counts of assaulting a girl under 13 by penetration with a part of the body or an object; and two counts of attempted rape of a girl under 13.
 
He was found not guilty of three counts of assaulting a girl under 13 by touching, and one count of assaulting a boy under 13 by touching.
 
Thompson appeared at Leeds Crown Court for sentencing today (11 March 2026) where he was ordered by a judge to serve an 18-year jail term, with an extended licence period of 12 months on release. He was also given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) for life.
 
In her victim impact statement, one of the victims described how the sexual abuse has had a profound and lifelong impact on her, causing significant emotional distress and trauma.
 
She explained that what happened to her has deeply undermined her ability to trust others and feel safe around people. She said:

“Although many years have passed, the trauma of what happened has never left me.”

She went on to explain that the impact of the abuse did not end when the incidents stopped, but has continued for decades, affecting her ability to live without fear and anxiety, and still affecting her to this day.
 
Detective Constable Nicky Wareham of North Yorkshire Police’s Safeguarding Investigation Team, who led on the investigation, said:

“This case has been harrowing for everyone involved, and I want to pay tribute to the extraordinary bravery of the victims.
 
“Despite the trauma Thompson inflicted, and his attempts to deny his actions and force them through the ordeal of a trial, they stood firm and found the courage to speak out.
 
“Their strength has ensured that a dangerous and predatory individual has finally been held to account and is now exactly where he belongs. I hope that, in seeing justice be served, the victims are able to move forwards with their lives and begin a process of healing.
 
“We will always treat reports of child sexual abuse with the utmost seriousness, no matter when they happened, and we remain unwavering in our commitment to protecting vulnerable children and relentlessly pursuing those who cause them harm.”

Description

A man who secretly took intimate photos and videos of two women and a child has been jailed.

Sean Eaves’ crimes first came to light in September 2023 when the 41-year-old sent a screenshot of an intimate video of himself with the first victim to her through Instagram messenger.  

He was arrested in 2024, and officers found the video as well as evidence linking him to the Instagram account on his mobile phone.  

The phone also had intimate photos of another woman, taken without her knowledge, stored on it.

Eaves was released on bail but a few months later, officers received an anonymous tip-off he had another mobile phone and indecent images of children.

A warrant was carried out at a home in Chatteris in January where officers found a memory card containing 18 indecent videos of a child, taken secretly by Eaves.

The second phone was found in his car and contained a further eight indecent videos and 72 photos, all of the same child. 

On Friday (6 March), at Peterborough Magistrates’ Court, acting as a crown court, Eaves, of Hawthorne Road, Finedon, near Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, was jailed for two years, having pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to three counts of voyeurism and one count each of disclosing private sexual photographs and films with intent to cause distress and taking an indecent image of a child.

He was also handed a seven-year restraining order for all the victims, a ten-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order and also required to register monthly at a police station for ten years. 

DC Amberlie Ford, who investigated, said:

“Eaves shamefully took photos of these women and the child without their knowledge, which violated their dignity and privacy, so I welcome the sentence passed down by the courts.

“I would also like to pay tribute to the victims, whose strength in coming forward and supporting us with a prosecution has led to this result.”

Description

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

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

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

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

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

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

Detective Sergeant Chris Jackson said:

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

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

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

Description

A man is set to be sentenced after he was found guilty of multiple counts of rape.

Aaron Furnival, of Hunter Street, Chester, was convicted of four counts of rape at Chester Crown Court on Monday 9 March.

The 31-year-old had previously pleaded guilty to one count of controlling and coercive behaviour.

He will be sentenced at Chester Crown Court on Friday 1 May.

The female victim in this case contacted police to report violent behaviour, emotional abuse and sexual abuse committed by Furnival.

The woman reported Furnival would take advantage of her while she was asleep, and she would awake to find him raping her.

He would also ignore the victim whenever they were having consensual sex and she withdrew her consent. She would ask him to stop and he would refuse.

Furnival was controlling and jealous. He transferred money from the victim’s bank account, threw water over her while she was asleep, and monitored her movements with constant phone calls and messages.

Furnival used foul and abusive language towards her, made threats to kill her and even wrote degrading words on her skin in marker pen.

Offices arrested Furnival on suspicion of the offences but during interview he denied the allegations against him.

Following an investigation, he was charged.

Detective Sergeant Andy Manson said:

“Firstly, we would like to recognise the bravery of the victim in this case for reporting what happened to her. We hope the conclusion of this trial will provide her with some sense of closure, knowing that the jury saw through his lies.

“Furnival’s cruel and abusive behaviour showed how he clearly had no regard for the welfare of his victim, instead doing whatever he wanted, no matter the consequences to her.

“He then put the victim through the stress of a trial after he refused to accept what he had done. Thankfully, he was found guilty of these crimes, and he will no doubt be facing a considerable length of time behind bars.”

Description

A rapist who sexually assaulted two teenage girls after befriending and grooming them has been jailed.

Peter Whetstone abused the two victims during the spring and summer of 2020 after meeting them at a skate park in Mansfield.

He repeatedly messaged them, persuaded them to send him intimate images and videos and went on to sexually assault both girls.

Whetstone, who was aged 23 at the time of the offences, then raped one of the girls on 5 September 2020 at his home in Mansfield.

Police were made aware following a social media post and began an investigation while the victims were interviewed and supported by specialist officers.

Both victims had vulnerabilities and were targeted by Whetstone.

They later described in victim statements how Whetstone was part of an older group and was a ‘talented skater’ who tried to impress them.

They also spoke of how the abuse continues to impact upon their lives half a decade later and how they felt their teenage years had been stolen from them.

Following his arrest, Whetstone gave a ‘no comment’ interview to officers.

The 29-year-old, of Mansfield, eventually pleaded guilty almost five years later to inciting sexual activity, sexual communications with a child, two counts of meeting a child following grooming and four counts of sexual activity with a child.

He continued to deny rape and two counts of sexual assault but was found guilty following a trial in September 2025.

At Nottingham Crown Court on Tuesday (10 March) he was jailed for a total of 10 years.

He was also made the subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order until further notice and will remain on the Sex Offenders' Register for life.

Detective Constable Kerry Stringfellow, of Nottinghamshire Police, said:

“Whetstone’s behaviour was predatory and manipulative with evidence he had targeted these victims because of their vulnerabilities.

“He knew perfectly well that what he was doing was illegal and would have a profound impact on his victims and their families.

“As he begins a jail sentence I would like to pay tribute to the two victims at the centre of this case for the bravery they have shown during the legal process and Whetstone’s repeated denials.

“I would also like to send a very clear warning to other adults thinking of committing similar offences against children – you will be caught and go to prison.”

Description

A man has been jailed for nine-and-a-half-years after being found guilty of the rape of a vulnerable girl in Stockport.

Mohsen Farjam (02/05/1982), of no fixed abode, was jailed for five offences at Manchester Crown Court on 5 March – two counts of rape, two counts of sexual assault, and one of sexual assault by penetration.

Due to the nature of the case – which occurred in July 2018 – considerable time and effort has been put in by officers to achieve the end result.

This includes extensive work by detectives and continued support and engagement with the victim.The case required comprehensive reviews as officers worked closely with both her and necessary partners.

The girl, who has a neurodevelopmental condition and was 15-years-old at the time, was on her own in Stockport, when she was approached by Farjam, who had seen that the victim was upset and in need of help.

Farjam then convinced the girl to get food nearby and charge her devices, telling her that he was currently homeless and pretended to offer her sympathy and support. He was in fact grooming and exploiting her.

After leaving, Farjam plied the girl with vodka at a tent in which he was living in on the outskirt of centre, at which point he began to inappropriately touch her – even stating to her that she looked nervous.

Farjam then sexually assaulted and raped the girl.

The girl was able to leave the tent following the attack and bravely told a relative, who then informed the police. Farjam was arrested just hours later.

Farjam completely denied the allegations put to him and showed no remorse. 

He told police that he saw the victim in a vulnerable state and had taken her back to the tent for a massage. He additionally claimed to be seeking help for the homeless community.

Officers have worked through tens of thousands of pages of relevant material as part of their investigation which saw Farjam finally sentenced on Thursday 5 March. 

In addition to his sentencing, he has been placed on the sex offender's register for life.

Detective Sergeant Rob Griffiths, from GMP’s Stockport Complex safeguarding team, said:

“I firstly want to commend the victim in this case, who endured this horrific crime aged just 15-years-old. They have been incredibly brave throughout the court process and are getting continual support by professionals – I hope that they can continue to heal following this awful ordeal.

“Farjam exploited vulnerabilities for his own sickening gratification, and it is utterly grim that he tried to disguise his intentions by pretending to want to help a child in need. Instead, he got her drunk and exploited her as part of his vile actions.

“I am glad that he is now finally behind bars for his crimes."

Description

A man has been given a 14-year sentence for committing a rape in Lancaster.  

Andrew Morris (pictured) attacked a man aged in his 30s in March last year and had twice previously sexually assaulted him.

Morris’ victim was described as vulnerable, with him suffering from anxiety and depression, and being easily manipulated.

They were known to one another, with the victim reporting to a care support worker that on the weekend of 8th/9th March 2025, Morris had raped him at a property in Lancaster.

Morris had been living in Lancaster since February 2017, having served a prison sentence for raping a man in Nottingham.

Officers arrested Morris on 12th March on suspicion of rape, and he was charged following consultation with the Crown Prosecution Service.

Morris, 63, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to a charge of raping a man aged over 16 and two offences of sexual assault on a male.

Appearing at Preston Crown Court last Friday (6th March), Morris was given a 14-year sentence – comprising of eight years in prison and a six-year extended licence period.

In his Victim Personal statement, the man said:

“I was extremely upset after the rape happened, it was not something that I wanted to happen. I have no sexual attraction to males.

“I thought that he was being friendly but that was all lies.

“I am very careful now and do not make friends with anyone. Therefore, I feel more isolated than before.

“He knew I have a learning disability, and he took advantage of me.”

He continued:

“When I think about what happened, I cannot sleep and stay awake a lot at night.

“I have told some of my family, but I feel ashamed and embarrassed by what has happened to me.”

Det Con Kirsten Bell, of our West Vulnerable Adult Team, said:

“Andrew Morris took advantage of a vulnerable man for his own sexual gratification. The rape had a profound effect on his victim.

“The victim showed a great deal of bravery by telling a support worker what happened and reporting it to the police.

“Lancashire Police take reports of sexual offences extremely seriously, we will thoroughly investigate them in order to bring offenders to justice.”

Description

A paedophile drug dealer has been banned for life from any unsupervised contact with children unless their parents know he is a sex offender and grant permission.

Terry Park, 31, from Basildon, was jailed for 12 years in December after a jury at Southend Crown Court convicted him of five child sexual offences: one count of rape and four of assault by penetration.

The cannabis dealer had plied a teenage girl with his stash and repeatedly assaulted her.

The court heard he received a caution in 2013, at age 18, for possessing indecent images of children of both genders, found on his Blackberry by his then-girlfriend, who reported him to Essex Police.

Judge Samantha Cohen said it was clear Park—who claimed at trial he was being framed—"harboured a sexual attraction to children for many years."

Police searching his phone for the recent offences found images of the victim in bed, which he said were planted, plus over 100 images of children and babies, which he insisted were innocent photos of friends' children.

Judge Cohen postponed a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) for further investigation.

Park appeared via video link at Basildon Crown Court on Monday for the resumed hearing, where prosecutor Dharmendra Toor said: “The phone review showed many images of female and male children.”

After reading a witness statement from the case officer—not read aloud—Judge Cohen said:

“That does, I have to say, make a good case for the proposed order restricting contact with any child under 18.”

She imposed a lifelong SHPO banning Park from supervised or unsupervised contact with any child under 18 unless their parent or guardian knows of his convictions and SHPO and consents, and a local sex offender monitoring officer also consents.

Other terms include a lifelong ban on owning any internet-capable device unless he makes it available for police inspection on request and allows monitoring software installation.

He is also banned from communicating with any other convicted sex offender unless approved by police.

“They all seem to me to be necessary to monitor Mr Park’s activities and are proportionate to the risk that he presents,” said Judge Cohen.

Description

An online sexual predator who distributed sickening images of children to 374 members of seedy internet groups fell foul of the police when he started exchanging intimate messages with a decoy 13-year-old girl.

Andrew Whitelam boasted in other online chats that young girls "turn me on so much" and he had a large collection of indecent images of children, Hull Crown Court heard.

Whitelam, 39, of Sutton Park, Hull, admitted attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child and attempting to cause a child to watch or look at sexual activity between April 20 and May 4, 2023. He also admitted distributing and making indecent images of children, possessing extreme pornography and possessing prohibited images of children.

Stephen Welch, prosecuting, said that Whitelam exchanged messages online with a decoy 13-year-old girl and he repeatedly sent highly sexualised images and a video of sexual behaviour. He asked for images of the girl and he made it clear that he wanted sexual contact with her.

The police arrested him at his home on July 14, 2023 and seized a mobile phone and other equipment. He had 114 images and 209 videos of children in the most serious Category A as well as 54 images and 86 videos in Category B and 356 images and 42 videos in Category C.

There were 21 prohibited images and one movie of children as well as 11 extreme pornography images of bestiality and 16 videos. A total of 143 images of children, including 49 in Category A, had been distributed to 374 other people in various groups.

Four conversations with girls aged 14, 13 and 11, were discovered, although there were no charges involving these. One chatroom was called "School girls ready to love."

Whitelam said of young girls: "They turn me on so much." Grooming behaviour was used by him. He had no previous convictions.

Catherine Silverton, mitigating, said that Whitelam had completed a course aimed at changing his behaviour and he had paid for a further seven months of treatment. He had "done remarkably well" through the work he had completed and he had made "very considerable progress".

Whitelam had made a clear decision to learn from his past lifestyle. A prison sentence would put him back among drug users and would be "very counter-productive" to his rehabilitation, a course official had said.

The offences were serious:

"He is deeply remorseful," said Miss Silverton. "He is, frankly, horrified by what he has done. He can't fathom how he could, in his words, have sunk to such depths.

"He is in no doubt about the seriousness of his conduct. He is in no doubt that he only has himself to blame. He is disgusted. He is deeply ashamed of his behaviour.

"There has been no repetition in the time since." Whitelam had a drug addiction at the time of the offences but he was now clear of this. He worked as a joiner.

Judge Alexander Menary told Whitelam:

"The offences are so serious, the number and nature of them, that I am simply unable to impose a community order."

Whitelam, who had been on bail, was jailed for two years and five months. He was given a 10-year sexual harm prevention order and he must register as a sex offender for 10 years.

Description

In January 2022, Stephen Greg Scollard drove a 15-year-old girl to an isolated location in Seaham and asked her to have sex with him.

Despite her refusal, the 42-year-old lifted her out of the passenger seat and violently raped her.

A police investigation was launched and Scollard, of Wingate, was charged with sexual assault and rape.

Whilst awaiting his day in court, Scollard was also investigated by Cleveland Police and found guilty of the rape of another 15-year-old girl in Hartlepool.

He was remanded in custody while the Durham Constabulary investigation continued.

Although he initially denied the Seaham offence when interviewed, Scollard pleaded guilty at Teesside Crown Court in December 2025 due to the weight of evidence against him.

Last month he was sentenced to 19 years in prison with an extension period of 4 years due to the nature of the offences.

A detective involved in the investigation said:

“Scollard has an obvious interest in girls who he can manipulate, control and intimidate.

“It took incredible bravery for his victim to come forward and report to us what had happened, but her courage has ensured that Scollard will spend a long period behind bars where he is unable to continue his actions.

“Throughout the investigation, he has attempted to deceive police at every opportunity. This has been a long and complex journey, and I thank the victim and their family for their support throughout.

“I hope that she is able to take some form of closure from this outcome and is able to now move forward with rebuilding her life.”