Tuesday February 20, 2007
Sought – John Richard Murrell
The Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre's Latest 'Most Wanted' Offender
Members of the public are being urged to visit The Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre’s Most Wanted website as a new offender is identified by West Mercia Constabulary.
The latest addition to the site is 38 year old John Richard Murrell. He is sought for failing to comply with notification requirements under the Sexual Offences Act 2003.
People are being asked to support the search for Murrell who was last seen in the Worcestershire area. He is known to have links with Belfast, Aberystwyth and Blackpool. His photograph and details can now be seen on the Most Wanted site at www.ceop.gov.uk/wanted.
Thanks to Most Wanted, offenders who fail to comply with notification requirements are finding it harder to hide from the authorities.” explains the Centre’s CEO Jim Gamble. “We believe that by attempting to evade management, these offenders lose their right to anonymity. We will therefore maximise every available opportunity to locate them, including posting their details on the Most Wanted website.
We’re asking members of the public to visit the site today and take a look at Murrell’s profile. If they have information regarding his whereabouts, we’d encourage them to come forward. They can pass details directly to West Mercia Constabulary, or they can give information anonymously through Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Public support has already proved invaluable to the Most Wanted initiative. With their help we have already located four missing offenders. By working together we can continue to track those offenders who try to avoid being managed by the authorities and protect our communities to harm.
It is vital that people act responsibly if they believe they know the location of a sought offender. They must immediately report sightings so that the police can take appropriate action. Any vigilante activity would undermine what we are trying to achieve and could result in arrest and prosecution.
The Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) Centre joined forces with the charity Crimestoppers to develop Most Wanted. It was launched last November as the UK’s first national website dedicated to locating child sex offenders who have failed to comply with notification requirements. This is an arrestable offence, with a punishment of up to five years imprisonment.
The Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre continues to appeal for information about outstanding offenders, Colin Taylor, Joshua Karney and Peter Wheatherley. They are sought for failing to comply with notification requirements under the Sexual Offences Act 2003.
Taylor was last seen in the Northumbria area. Intelligence suggests he may have travelled abroad and could be somewhere in Europe. In the past he has also made visits to the Indian Subcontinent and the Far East.
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.
Ends
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.
The initiative to publish details of some of the UK’s child sex offenders forms a key element of the Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) Centre’s approach to tracking and bringing child sex 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.
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.
For further information please contact Clive Michel / Sarah Shakespeare at : The Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre on 0870 000 3434 or 0207 238 2312.