Police publish 'aged' pictures of wanted child sex attackers

Stephen Mark Clare pictured on the left and the two pictures on the right as he could look today

A police website that has led to the capture of nine high-risk child sex attackers has marked its first anniversary by publishing “age progressed” photographs of paedophiles still at large.

The images of two offenders have been digitally aged and posted on the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre’s (Ceop) website in the hope that the public can help trace them.

The ‘Most Wanted’ section of the site contains detailed descriptions of offenders who have vanished after failing to meet the registration requirements of the Sexual Offences Act.

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Pictures of Peter Weatherley and Stephen Mark Clare were “age progressed” by the charity Missing People, the first time in Britain that pictures missing offenders have been altered in such a way.

The technique is often used to boost public interest in the cases of missing people such as Essex teenager Dinah McNicol who vanished in 1991.

The site’s 14th target, Clare, 35, who is wanted by Northumbria Police since 2002, was added today. Police said that Clare, a photographer, has undertaken qualifications to teach English as a foreign language and may have travelled abroad. Weatherley is said to be adept at changing his appearance and has a northern accent and occasionally uses aliases including Jackson, Hudson and Kennelly.

More than seven million people visited the Ceop website on the first day of its launch and it has since been viewed by 72 million people worldwide.

Jim Gamble, from Ceop – which is linked to the Serious Organised Crime Agency – said the high-profile site acts as a deterrent to paedophiles who may be tempted to skip their registration requirements.

He said: “Last year we asked members of the public everywhere to work with us. Register on this site, have a look at these offenders and together let’s locate them and bring them back to justice.

“Thanks to their efforts and that partnership, nine offenders now know the true power of this new approach, nine offenders now know that they cannot escape the consequences of their crime.”

Natalie Cronin, of the NSPCC, said: “In its first year this website has proved to be an invaluable resource in helping to track down and catch child sex offenders who have flouted the sex offender register and disappeared off the radar.

“Child sex offenders who go underground pose a very real risk to children. We urge the public: if you know where they are, tell the police. They must be found to stop them striking again.”

The Most Wanted website can be viewed here .

Adapted from Times Online

November 16, 2007

Steve Bird