Thursday 19 July, 2007
'Most Wanted' fugitive turns himself in
A Manchester man featured on the Most Wanted website of the Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) Centre has handed himself into a police station in Wigan, Greater Manchester.
He was immediately arrested, and has since been charged with failing to register a change of address and failing to inform police he was leaving the country.
44 year old David Parr disappeared in October 2004 after failing to comply with his notification requirements on the Sex Offenders Register.
Parr is the eighth offender to be located after being featured on the website, launched last November. He is also the second offender to have handed himself following his appearance on the Most Wanted website.
Jim Gamble, CEO of CEOP said:
I am delighted that exposure on the Most Wanted website has yet again persuaded an offender that he cannot evade his requirement to register. I urge members of the public to check the site to see if they can assist forces in locating the remaining offenders. By working together we can continue to monitor offenders and protect our communities from harm.
The Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) Centre joined forces with independent charity Crimestoppers to develop Most Wanted. It was launched last November as the UK’s first national website dedicated to locating convicted offenders who have failed to comply with notification requirements.
The Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre continues to appeal for information about outstanding offenders: Andrew Eden, John Murrell, Joshua Karney, Peter Wheatherley. They are sought for failing to comply with notification requirements under the Sexual Offences Act 2003.
Eden's last known address was in the Manchester area.
Murrell was last seen in the Worcestershire area. He is known to have links with Belfast, Aberystwyth and Blackpool.
Weatherley is missing from the South Yorkshire area but is known to have links in the north of England. Intelligence also indicates that he could be in Spain, or elsewhere in Europe.
Karney has connections in the Lancashire area but is known to travel throughout the United Kingdom.
Further information and photographs can been found at www.ceop.gov.uk/wanted.
Notes to Editors
Members of the public can safely help locate ‘missing’ offenders by viewing photos and descriptions via the CEOP and Crimestoppers websites. If they recognise someone they are urged to contact the local police force, or if they wish to remain anonymous they can call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Most Wanted was built in association with the independent charity Crimestoppers. Crimestoppers provide the 0800 555 111 number which enables people to give information about crime anonymously without fear of reprisals.
This initiative forms a key element of the Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) Centre’s approach to tracking and bringing offenders to account. All individuals published on the site have previously been convicted for an offence for which they have already served punishment within the criminal justice system. They are sought because they have subsequently failed to fulfil their requirements as part of their placement on the Sex Offenders Register. This is an arrestable offence, with a punishment of up to five years imprisonment.
Details of previous offences will not be disclosed to the media for the reasons stated above.
Photographs of offenders will only be published with the consent of the local police force. Individual forces are under no obligation to publish their offenders on the Most Wanted site. Further offenders will be considered for inclusion on the ‘Most Wanted’ site in consultation with local police forces.
The decision to publish the details of all offenders detailed on the site has been risk assessed by the CEOP Centre and relevant local forces.
The CEOP Centre works in both online and offline environments to protect children from sexual exploitation. Full information on all areas of work as well as online safety messages and access to online reporting can be found at www.ceop.gov.uk.
The organisation is affiliated to the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) and powers are derived from the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005. It is based in Pimlico, London with developing outreach channels to all areas of both domestic and international policing as well as industry and specialist support and educational faculties.