WIREDGOV

The G8 Wanted Child Sex Offender website, http://www.interpol.int/G8WCSO.asp was launched today by Home Office Minister Alan Campbell MP at the INTERPOL headquarters in Lyon.

The new site builds on the success of existing national ‘Most Wanted’ initiatives by bringing the individual concepts of these sites together on an international platform.

In the UK, CEOP’s Tracker Team has seen a 75% success rate in locating missing offenders posted on the ‘Most Wanted’ site since it was launched with Crimestoppers in November 2006. Of the twenty offenders to feature on the site, fifteen have been found.

Today, www.ceop.police.uk/wanted took on a new complexion following a redesign which will make it even easier for members of the public to safely help police locate offenders by viewing photographs and descriptions on the website. If somebody recognises an offender they are urged to contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or their local police force.

The initiative to publish details of some of the UK's child sex offenders forms a key element of CEOP’s Tracker Team’s approach to locating and bringing child sex offenders to account. All individuals published on the site are sought because they have subsequently failed to fulfil their requirements as part of their placement on the Sex Offenders Register.

In addition to the UK, the G8 site enables users to link to sites in the United States, Canada, France, Italy, Germany, Japan and Russia.

Home Secretary Alan Johnson said:

“The UK already has one of the most robust systems for the management of sex offenders in the world and welcomes any new ways of monitoring sex offenders to better ensure the safety of children.”

“This important new website will build on CEOP's successes which have seen 515 children safeguarded, 821 offenders arrested and 205 high risk sex offender networks disrupted and dismantled. The site will give the public in the UK, United States, Canada, France, Italy, Germany, Japan and Russia important access to information about how to report missing sex offenders ensuring greater protection for children and families.”

“In the UK we recently strengthened protection for children by launching the national rollout of the child sex offender disclosure scheme which gives the public the opportunity to make enquires about people who are in contact with children.”  

Gabrielle Shaw, Head of CEOP’s International and Relations, said:

“Since 2006, CEOP’s ‘Most Wanted’ site has demonstrated that the public will engage in a responsible and balanced way to support law enforcement in locating missing offenders. The G8 site takes CEOP’s work in tracking offenders overseas to an international platform and enables people across the world to make their communities safer. This is about using the power of the internet to make the world a smaller place for missing offenders.

We urge the public to visit CEOP’s ‘Most Wanted’ site to see if they recognise anyone and to register to receive updates on new offenders posted so that they can be the first to know when we need their assistance. Please visit www.ceop.police.uk/wanted. You can also now follow us on Twitter – look for CEOPUK.”

Offenders currently featured on CEOP’s ‘Most Wanted’ website are:

• Jason Elton John WALLER, 33, from Plymouth. Waller is described as 5’8” tall and overweight with light brown, short receding hair.  He has previously had a moustache and beard, and speaks with a West Country accent.  He is known to live a nomadic lifestyle across many parts of the UK including Cornwall, Devon, Basingstoke, Kent, Cardiff, Brighton, London, Bangor, Guildford and Cheltenham.  He has been missing from the Plymouth area since March 2009.  

• Dean Darren Vincent BARNES, 48, from Merseyside. Barnes has been missing since October 2008 and was last seen in Bury, Lancashire although has previously lived in the Merseyside area and has connections with London.  He is described as 5’10” tall, white, heavy set with light brown, short, receding hair. Barnes is wanted by Merseyside Police for failure to comply with the notifications as required under the Sexual Offences Act 2003 and also for breach of his licence conditions.
• 65 year old Keith Raymond VINCENT from Salisbury. Vincent is described a white European, 5’ 8” (1.73m) tall with grey hair although balding and with brown eyes.  He has a tattoo on his right arm and is known to wear glasses for reading.  He is believed to be travelling under the name James Andrew and he is also known to use other aliases of James Andrews, Stephen John White and a nickname of ‘Buck’.  Vincent may have travelled outside of the UK, possibly in South East Asia or Europe. He is a high-risk offender and is known to be violent.  He is wanted by Wiltshire Police.
• Peter WHEATHERLEY, 42, is 5’8’’ tall and has connections with South Yorkshire, north east England and Manchester.
• Stephen Mark CLARE, approx 40 years old. Clare was last known to have resided in the Newcastle upon Tyne area. He is 5' 10”, of slim build, brown hair, has a Midlands accent and a scar on the inside of his left shin. He has previously had connections with the Bromsgrove area of West Midlands and in Brighton, East Sussex. However it is assessed as likely that he could be abroad.