Sex fiends living among us in Wigan

Ministry of Justice figures show there were 3,411 registered sexual offenders living in Greater Manchester as of March this year - a rate of 138 per 100,000 people and well above the England and Wales average of 119.

Sex offenders sentenced to at least 30 months in prison remain on the register indefinitely – although some can apply to be removed after 15 years, following a change to the law in 2012. Greater Manchester Police removed 14 people from the register following an application last year, with the number of sex offenders growing by three per cent from 2018-19.

The MoJ said this rise was because of increases in average custodial sentence length and the requirement for many sexual offenders to register for long periods of time.

The vast majority in Greater Manchester are classed as level one offenders, which means police and other agencies share information about them, but no special measures are required. But offenders in Greater Manchester were placed in the level two category eight times during 2019-20, meaning agencies have to hold regular meetings to discuss them, while two were deemed to be level three, the most serious kind.

These pose such a risk that additional resources such as specialised accommodation may be needed to manage them.

Registered sex offenders have to tell police of any changes to their circumstances, such as their address, foreign travel plans, and potential contact with children. In Greater Manchester, 295 offenders were cautioned or convicted for failing to do so last year.

The figures also show that 1,468 violent offenders – those who have committed crimes such as murder, kidnapping and grievous bodily harm – were living in Greater Manchester in March. But this could also include other sexual offenders who are not required to be on the register.

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