Monday June 25, 2007
International plea as new offender falls under most wanted spotlight
The Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre has issued an international plea for information as a new ‘Most Wanted’ offender is identified by Greater Manchester Police.
The latest addition to the ‘Most Wanted’ website is 44 year old David Parr, also known by the alias, David Cauldwell. He is sought for failing to comply with notification requirements under the Sexual Offences Act 2003. His photograph and details can now be seen on the Most Wanted site at www.ceop.gov.uk/wanted.
Extensive efforts have already been made to locate Parr who was last seen in the Wigan area, but is currently believed to be outside the UK. Members of the public are now being asked to support international law enforcement agencies in the search for him. Intelligence suggests Parr may have travelled in Europe and is also known to have spent time in Singapore and Malaysia.
Since the Most Wanted website was launched last November, public sightings have been instrumental in the location of six offenders. Two of these offenders were arrested abroad.
Offenders who believe they can evade management by travelling abroad underestimate our determination to ensure they comply with the terms of their conviction,
explains Jim Gamble, CEO at the CEOP Centre.
Alongside our partners, we will take every step within our power to track them down.
Thanks to Most Wanted, offenders who fail to comply with notification requirements are finding it harder to hide from the authorities. We believe that those who attempt to do so should 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 people to visit the site today and take a look at Parr’s profile. If they have information regarding his whereabouts, we’d encourage them to come forward. They can pass details directly to Greater Manchester Police, or they can give information anonymously through Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Public support has already proved invaluable to the Most Wanted initiative. By working together we can continue to monitor offenders and protect our communities from 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.
Detective Inspector Stephen Harlow said:
Greater Manchester Police's Sex Offender Management Unit is specially dedicated to protecting vulnerable people, and targeting those who seek to harm them.
David Parr is of serious concern to us. The inclusion of this case on CEOP's 'Most Wanted' site accesses a worldwide community of people previously difficult for us to reach, and could shed some new light on Parr's whereabouts.
We think he could be somewhere in South East Asia so having this case on a high-profile website is a great way of warning people anywhere about Parr, and hopefully getting information about exactly where he is.
Along with CEOP we are asking for the public's help trace this man and would urge anyone who thinks they might have seen him, wherever in the world they are, to get in touch.
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, John Murrell, Joshua Karney and Peter Wheatherley. They are sought for failing to comply with notification requirements under the Sexual Offences Act 2003.
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.
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.
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.
For further information please contact Sarah Shakespeare/ Miriam Rich/ Vicky Gillings at The Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre on 0870 000 3434.