Operation Voicer

Operation Voicer was a major police investigation into serious sexual offences against pre-school aged children and infants across England, launched in 2014.[1] The perpetrators groomed the families of the young victims, in some cases before the babies were even born.[2] By September 2015, seven offenders were jailed, 28 further suspects had been arrested, three victims were identified, and 33 children were safeguarded. Ten offenders received significant prison sentences.

Investigation

In September 2014, Adam Toms dialled 999 in an emotional state that made authorities fear for his welfare. When police visited his home, he admitted to sexually abusing a victim younger than five and was arrested.[3] This prompted the launch of Operation Voicer,[4] an investigation led by the UK's National Crime Agency (NCA) and involving seven local police forces – Avon and Somerset, Bedfordshire, Greater Manchester, Hampshire, Humberside, Sussex and Wiltshire.[4]

By September 2015, seven offenders[3] including a youth football coach[4] were jailed, 28 further suspects had been arrested, including four teachers and two charity fundraisers. 33 children were safeguarded,[5] three victims were identified and it was believed there could be more victims.[6] The NCA's investigations deputy director Graham Gardner said the seven jailed men "demonstrated a determined ruthlessness" by finding "vulnerable babies and infants who were unable to protect themselves".[7] The NCA's Andrew Quinn said the attacks were "the worst you could ever imagine. It does actually make me feel physically sick."[8] More than 200 "intelligence packages" had been made available to law enforcement in other countries.[7] Gardner said the network "has got tentacles that go round the world"[4] and "this national investigation has now moved to an international one".[9]

Three further offenders in the UK were jailed in May 2017,[10] December 2018[11] and April 2019.[12]

Several "exemplary" police officers were awarded judicial commendations by Judge Julian Lambert.[13]

Crimes

The perpetrators gang-raped and sexually abused infants after gaining access to them by grooming their families. They watched and encouraged each other's attacks online[3] and streamed abuse footage to paedophiles around the world.[14] Two members were HIV-positive.[15] By 2015, three victims had been identified[3] and investigators believed there are more.[4]

One known victim was a baby whose parents were befriended by Robin Hollyson from Luton in Bedfordshire,[15] already a registered sex offender.[2] While Hollyson was babysitting, he raped the baby repeatedly, starting in December 2013. In May 2014, Hollyson, Adam Toms and Matthew Stansfield gang raped the baby, and distributed the footage online.[16] Detective Inspector Jerry Waite at Bedfordshire Police said the crime was "truly sickening".[17]

In April 2014, Adam Toms drugged and sexually assaulted a boy aged four, enabled further assaults by others including Christopher Knight, and distributed images of the attacks on the internet. Some attackers had driven hundreds of miles for the crime. The gang had exchanged advice about "date rape" drugs.[18][16]

In July 2013,[18] David Harsley, a hospital worker from Yorkshire[3] and already a registered sex offender,[2] engaged in sexual activity next to a boy aged four and livestreamed the abuse to Matthew Lisk and John Denham, who watched it remotely from a hotel near Heathrow Airport.[18]

Another abuser linked to the gang engaged in sexualised online communication with a boy aged 14, assaulted a 12-year-old boy and abused an eight-year-old boy.[12]

John Brown, from the NSPCC, said the crimes had a severity and a magnitude that was "difficult to comprehend" and could have life-long effects because "trauma can manifest itself in later years".[3] The National Crime Agency explained that the effects will be "profound and long lasting". The family of a baby who had been raped found the crimes "very traumatic and distressing".[18]

Sentences

Seven men were jailed on 11 September 2015 for "the most horrific abuse of a baby and very young children".[19] Six of them were also added to the sex offenders register permanently.[3] Judge Julian Lambert lambasted the offenders as "evil beyond rational understanding" and said their "highly shocking" crimes "provoked tears in many and made others physically sick".[7] He told the seven men, "In the worst nightmare, from the very deepest recesses of the mind, at the darkest hour of the night, few can have imagined the terrifying depravity which you men admit".[19][13]

Three more abusers linked to the ring were jailed in May 2017,[10] December 2018[11] and April 2019.[12]

Perpetrator Conviction(s) Sentence
Robin Hollyson ("Robin Fallick",[15] "James King"[20]) Rape of a baby,[21] plotting the rape of an under 13 (three counts), sexually assaulting a child younger than 13, possession of indecent pictures of children[5] 24 years[3]
Christopher Knight Rape of a baby,[8] plotting the rape of an under 13 (two counts), sexually assaulting a child younger than 13 (two counts), and capturing, sharing and possessing child pornography[12] 18 years[3]
Adam Toms Rape of a baby[8] 12 years[3]
Matthew Stansfield Plotting the rape a child younger than 13,[22] child pornography offences[23] 10 years[3]
John Denham ("Benjamin Harrop"[24]) Plotting the sexual assault of an under 13,[25] plotting to commit sex acts in a child's presence, child pornography offences.[23] 8 years[3]
Matthew Lisk Involvement in sexually abusing a child younger than 13[7] 4 years[3]
David Harsley Sexual activity next to a boy aged four[18] 2 years[3]
David Regan Making and distributing indecent pictures of children, possessing extreme child sex abuse images and footage, selling and possessing class A drugs, possessing a class B drug[26][10] 5 years and 9 months[10]
Matthew Law Plotting the rape of a baby 15 years[11]
Mark Hatch Encouraging the gang rape of a baby, inciting a child to participate in sexual activity, sharing indecent pictures of children. 6 years and 8 months[12]

In January 2016, four months into his sentence, Robin Hollyson killed himself.[20]

References
  1. Pilmoor, Ellie (12 September 2015). "Why was registered sex offender Matthew Stansfield able to carry out horrific paedophile offences?". Portsmouth News. Archived from the original on 19 May 2019. Retrieved 19 May 2019.
  2. "East Sussex man convicted in online paedophile ring". Eastbourne Herald. 22 April 2015. Archived from the original on 19 May 2019. Retrieved 19 May 2019.
  3. "Paedophile ring jailed for 'terrifying depravity'". BBC News. 11 September 2015. Archived from the original on 10 May 2019. Retrieved 19 May 2019.
  4. "Child sexual abuse gang had its 'tentacles round the world'". Channel 4 News. 22 April 2015. Retrieved 19 May 2019.
  5. Parris-Long, Adam (11 September 2015). "Luton paedophile Robin Hollyson jailed for raping baby". Luton Today. Archived from the original on 3 January 2016. Retrieved 19 May 2019.
  6. AL-OTHMAN, HANNAH (28 September 2018). "Paedophile ring who live-streamed child rape are jailed for more than 100 years". Evening Standard. Archived from the original on 28 September 2018. Retrieved 19 May 2019.
  7. le Duc, Frank (11 September 2015). "Hove man jailed as part of child sex abuse ring". Brighton and Hove News. Archived from the original on 7 July 2017. Retrieved 19 May 2019.
  8. "'Evil' Paedophile Gang Sentenced To 107 Years". Sky News. 11 September 2015. Archived from the original on 19 May 2019. Retrieved 19 May 2019.
  9. "National Crime Agency officer says gang of paedophiles is 'most dangerous' he's come across". Portsmouth News. 12 September 2015. Archived from the original on 19 May 2019. Retrieved 19 May 2019.
  10. Bennett, Geoffrey (13 May 2017). "Family law solicitor was actually a drug-fuelled paedophile". Bristol Post. Archived from the original on 17 October 2017. Retrieved 10 June 2019.
  11. "Matthew Law jailed for plotting to rape baby boy". BBC News. 21 December 2018. Archived from the original on 9 March 2019. Retrieved 21 May 2019.
  12. Gallagher, Timothy; Smith, Simon (23 April 2019). "'I wanna be a proper perv'... sick online chats of pervert who swapped jokes with one of Britain's worst paedophiles". Manchester Evening News. Archived from the original on 24 April 2019. Retrieved 19 May 2019.
  13. Farmer, Ben (11 September 2015). "Paedophile gang to serve a total of 78 years". Telegraph. Archived from the original on 2 May 2017. Retrieved 19 May 2019.
  14. "Gosport paedophile Matthew Stansfield jailed for ten years for crimes 'beyond evil'". Portsmouth News. 11 September 2015. Archived from the original on 19 May 2019. Retrieved 19 May 2019.
  15. "Paedophile who repeatedly raped baby dies after being found unresponsive in cell". Oxford Mail. 19 January 2016. Archived from the original on 19 May 2019. Retrieved 19 May 2019.
  16. "Baby paedophile whose gang included Leeds pervert dies in his cell". Yorkshire Post. 20 January 2016. Archived from the original on 19 May 2019. Retrieved 19 May 2019.
  17. "Bedfordshire man in paedophile ring jailed for 32 years". ITV News. 11 September 2015. Archived from the original on 21 October 2017. Retrieved 19 May 2019.
  18. "Somerset man jailed for child abuse 'beyond human instinct and evil'". Somerset County Gazette. 11 September 2015. Archived from the original on 19 May 2019. Retrieved 19 May 2019.
  19. Stone, Jon (11 September 2015). "Gang of seven 'evil' paedophiles sent to prison after baby and child rape". The Independent. Archived from the original on 8 March 2018. Retrieved 19 May 2019.
  20. "Paedophile Robin Hollyson kills himself in prison". BBC News. 19 January 2016. Archived from the original on 6 March 2016. Retrieved 19 May 2019.
    -Whitehead, Tom; Evans, Martin (19 January 2016). "'Baby rapist' paedophile found hanging in prison cell". Telegraph. Archived from the original on 12 January 2018. Retrieved 19 May 2019.
  21. "Bedfordshire man among gang convicted of horrific sexual abuse offences against children". ITV News. 22 April 2015. Archived from the original on 25 April 2015. Retrieved 19 May 2019.
  22. "Paedophile gang 'sick, callous and cruel'". BBC News. 10 September 2015. Archived from the original on 29 November 2016. Retrieved 19 May 2019.
  23. "Baby rape plot was 'pie in the sky', Bristol court hears". BBC News. 15 April 2015. Archived from the original on 27 November 2016. Retrieved 19 May 2019.
  24. "'Fantasist' denies baby rape claims". The Argus. 17 April 2015. Archived from the original on 19 May 2019. Retrieved 19 May 2019.
  25. "'Vile and depraved' UK gang raped and abused babies". BBC News. 29 April 2019. Archived from the original on 29 April 2019. Retrieved 19 May 2019.
  26. Bennett, Geoffrey (4 March 2017). "Family law solicitor faces sentence for child abuse images and drugs supply". Bristol Post. Archived from the original on 11 May 2017. Retrieved 10 June 2019.
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