January 2012

The Gazette readers help catch pervert

A TOP detective has thanked Gazette readers for their help in putting a dangerous paedophile back behind bars.

Missing sex offender Dean Barnes disappeared from his address on Layton Road, Layton, in November last year – prompting police to ask The Gazette to help track him down.

Police said the 50-year-old, who had been jailed for three years for sexual offences on a girl under the age of 13, posed a “risk to the public” and had breached the Sexual Offences Act by failing to tell them where he was living.

Barnes pleaded guilty to failing to comply with notification requirements after he was found living with a woman, who was apparently unaware of his past.

He was this week jailed for 10 months at Preston Crown Court.

Det Insp Tony Baxter, of Blackpool’s Public Protection Unit, said: “As a direct result of information from a Gazette reader, a dangerous man is off the street.

“He had moved without telling us and had started a relationship with a woman who had children.

“When people have a condition of residence and they don’t keep us informed, that always poses us with a worry and heightens his risk.”

Barnes, who was born in London, was sentenced to three years in prison at Liverpool Crown Court in 2006 after he was convicted of sexual assault on a child, abduction and possession of indecent images.

He was arrested in Blackpool in August 2010 for failing to register his address following his release from custody and received a suspended prison sentence and two-year supervision requirement.

Blackpool police officers would then visit the paedophile every three months.

The court was told the last visit to his Layton Road home was in August last year.

But when police showed up at his address in November there was no answer and they realised he had moved.

An appeal was printed in The Gazette in December and a couple of days later he was spotted on Corporation Street in Blackpool and arrested on December 12.

Barnes has now been given seven month’s prison for failing to notify the police of a change in his circumstances. He was given another three months for breaching an earlier suspended sentence for a similar offence.

Judge Norman Wright told Barnes: “You well understand the importance of notification requirements and the reason they are in place.

“They are one of a number of tools used by the authorities to lessen the risk you might present to children.

“It’s a simple matter to go along to the police station and tell them where you are living.

“You kept it secret.

“It’s an extremely serious offence.”

December 2011

On run sex fiend is risk to public

POLICE today appealed for the public’s help in catching a child sex offender.

Dean Barnes, 50, formally of Layton Road, Blackpool, is wanted for breaching the Sexual Offences Act by failing to register his address with police. Police today described him as a “risk to the public”.

Barnes was sentenced to three years at Liverpool Crown Court in 2006 after he was convicted of sexual assault on a girl under the age of 13, abduction and possession of indecent images.

He was arrested in Blackpool in August 2010 for failing to register his address following his release from custody.

He received a suspended prison sentence and two year supervision requirement. The last confirmed sighting of Barnes is in Irvine in Scotland on Saturday.

The paedophile was born in London and has links to Ayrshire, Scotland and Southport.

He has recently been living in Blackpool and officers are asking people in these areas to be vigilant and report any possible sightings.

December 2009

Predatory Wirral paedophile hunted by child protection cops

POLICE are asking the public to help track down an “evil” pervert who groomed a teenage girl and sent her sister love letters from behind bars.

Dean Barnes, 48, was jailed for three years in November 2006 after admitting a string of sex offences against the girl, 12, who he “groomed” while living in Birkenhead.

Barnes, who was originally from London before moving to Wirral, was convicted of taking indecent photos of a girl under 13, kidnapping and sexually assaulting her, after his partner found videos he had taken of the girl getting out of a bath.

She told the court: “When I saw those images I threw up at least four times.

“He just makes me sick.”

Just days after his release in 2008 he was jailed again, this time for 11 months, for sending his victim’s elder sister, 15, threatening “love letters”.

At the time of his original offences the girl’s father told the ECHO:

“He’s pure evil, he groomed my daughter for about two-and-a-half years.

“He twisted her against all of us, saying that no-one loved her, so he could take advantage of her.”

Now Barnes has been put on a police “most wanted” list after failing to notify police of his movements and eluding investigators for months.

Superintendent Mike Cloherty, of Merseyside Police, said: “By failing to sign on to the Sex Offenders’ Register, Barnes has committed further offences and it is vital that we trace him as he poses a significant risk to children.

“By putting him on the Most Wanted site we are confident that someone will recognise him and tell us where they have seen him.

“He was last since in Bury, Lancashire in October 2008 but does have links to Merseyside, particularly Wirral, so I would appeal for anyone who knows where he is, to contact us immediately.”

Barnes is described as being white, 5ft 10ins tall, heavyset, with light-brown short, receding hair.

The Most Wanted website is operated by the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (Ceop).

February 2008

Pervert’s love letters to girl, 15, from jail cell

A PAEDOPHILE jailed for grooming teenage girls was sent back to prison for targeting a victim from behind bars.

Dean Barnes bombarded a 15-year-old girl with threatening “love letters” from his cell despite being jailed for offences against the teenager and her 12-year-old sister.

The 46-year-old was yesterday, sent back to prison for 11 months, only four days after being released from his original three-year term.

But the girls’ father today slammed the length of the sentence against a man he described as “pure evil.”

Barnes, who is originally from London, but lived in Birkenhead before being jailed, was sentenced to three years in November 2006 after admitting a string of sex offences against the two sisters.

And their 38-year-old father, who cannot be named for legal reasons, today said: “My daughter is on anti-depressants. She has to see a psychologist and has even changed her name and he will be out again in just over five months.

“The least I thought he would have to serve is his parole and get a sentence on top. It’s just not fair.

“He’s pure evil, he groomed my daughter for about two-and-a-half years.

“He twisted her against all of us, saying that no-one loved her, so he could take advantage of her.”

Barnes was released from the original sentence on February 8. He was back before Liverpool crown court yesterday after admitting five breaches of a sexual offenders prevention order and asking for five more to be taken into consideration.

He was jailed for a further 11 months.

Barnes was caught after his ex-partner found images he had taken on a video camera of the youngest girl, then 12, getting out the bath.

She said: “When I saw those images I threw up at least four times. He just makes me sick.

“I called the police immediately.”

Barnes was convicted of abduction, arranging or facilitating a child sex offence, sexual assault and making indecent images of a child.

But once locked up his offending continued, as he sent a string of cards and letters to the oldest girl, then 15 and now 16.