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‘Disgraceful’ Manchester sex offender jailed after messaging several young girls under 16

He was sentenced at Manchester Crown Court.

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 17th November 2025

A sex offender from Manchester has been charged with 35 offences, including messaging several young girls while on a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

William Howarth, from the Miles Platting area of Manchester, appeared at Manchester Crown Court this week where he was sentenced to nine years and eight months in prison – with a further six years on licence.

The 23-year-old’s sentencing follows an investigation by Greater Manchester Police’s (GMP) Sex Offender Crime Investigation Team (SOCIT) after Howarth was found to be in possession of an unregistered mobile phone in a visit from his offender manager in 2023.

Howarth was subject to routine checks due to him being an already-registered sex offender managed by GMP through a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO), and it was here where he had to register his mobile device and hand it over to his offender manager from our Sex Offender Management Unit (SOMU) during home visits.

After Howarth’s phone was seized by police, forensic analysis revealed a number of messages were sent to several young girls under the age 16. 

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An investigation was immediately launched, and with the help of police forces across the country, GMP managed to trace the children Howarth had been in communication with – who ‘bravely’ agreed to give their accounts. 

Police say Howarth displayed ‘controlling’ behaviour over the children he had been in contact with, not allowing them to refuse his requests.

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When the children attempted to make a stand and refuse to send further images to him, Howarth would threaten them by stating if they didn’t do as he asked, he would post their images online.

In a hearing at Manchester Crown Court last week (10 November 2025), Howarth pleaded guilty to the following 35 offences – including 11 counts of breaches of his Sexual Harm Prevention Order, and possession and making of indecent images of children.

Speaking following Howarth’s sentencing, Detective Constable Joshua Cresswell, from GMP’s Sex Offender Crime Investigation Team (SOCIT), commented: “I’d like to thank the brave child victims in supporting our investigating through agreeing to give us their harrowing accounts of how Howarth came in contact with them. 

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“Howarth is a disgraceful predator and belongs behind bars away from causing further harm to children.”

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DC Cresswell then spoke directly to child victims of sexual abuse to encourage them to come forward and report it to police. 

“We are here to listen to you, and we will believe you no matter the passage of time. We can work at a pace that you are comfortable with.”

Featured Image – GMP

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Family pay tribute to father-of-two killed in Rochdale plane crash

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson Family pay tribute to father-of-two killed in Rochdale plane crash

The family of a man killed in a light aircraft crash in Rochdale have paid tribute to a ‘deeply loving father and devoted husband’.

36-year-old Arian Abbasi was one of two men killed when an aircraft crashed into farmland in Littleborough in Rochdale last week, after travelling from Birmingham.

Emergency services rushed to the scene shortly after 11am on Tuesday 3 February, but sadly pronounced both men dead at the scene.

It’s believed there was no one else on board the aircraft, and there were no reported injuries on the ground.

Now, Arian’s family have issued a moving tribute to him. He was a pilot from Harrow in Greater London.

They described him as being a ‘deeply loving’ family man, whose passion was flying.

He was about to embark on a new chapter with a commercial airline in just a few weeks’ time.

His family said: “He lived his life for his family and friends, giving them his constant love, strength, and support.

“Flying was his passion, and he was on the brink of beginning an exciting new chapter with a commercial airline on 23 February; a dream he had worked toward with immense pride and determination.”

GMP investigations are now focused on finding part of the parachute system which contains propellant and hasn’t yet been located.

Finding the device has been ‘very difficult’ due to the nature of the terrain and the wide area over which it may have travelled.

It measures approximately 10 cm in diameter and 30 cm long and has a red anodised finish. It weighs less than 2 kg. It may have a silver metal collar attached at one end.

GMP said: “Please do not handle the device if you see it. If discovered, contact the police immediately via 101 or our Live Chat at gmp.police.uk, quoting log 1056 of 03/02/26.”

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Featured image: GMP

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Homeless children in Greater Manchester will now get free bus travel to and from school

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

Children who are currently living in temporary housing in Greater Manchester are set to get extra support with school travel.

In a move that was announced by Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) at the end of last week, and following years of campaigning, homeless children living in temporary accommodation are now set to get free school travel on all Bee Network buses.  

TfGM says it understands that some children end up a long way from their school when placed into temporary accommodation, and this leaves parents or carers with the difficult choice of either having to move them to a closer school, which ultimately disrupts their education, or having to pay unexpected travel costs.

While the Greater Manchester Strategy – which is the plan for the city region’s next decade – commits to reducing the number of families and children in temporary accommodation, and measures are also being taken to make sure residents have the support they need to ‘access, improve, and retain’ a decent, affordable home, this doesn’t tackle the immediate issue.

Homeless children in Greater Manchester will now get free school bus travel / Credit: TfGM

So, to help those families when they ‘need it most’, free bus travel to and from school is set to be provided, as subject to approval of this year’s Combined Authority budget.

The move comes after Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham asked TfGM last year to look at options to help with the cost of travel.

“Using our locally-controlled Bee Network buses to support families when they need it most is the right thing to do,” Andy Burnham commented.

“A move into temporary accommodation is often a massive upheaval for families and can be a worrying time. With this measure, the cost of travel to school will be one less thing for families to worry about.

“It will mean parents and carers don’t have to choose between an extra demand on their household budget and keeping their children with friends and teachers they know and trust.”

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TfGM will now work with local Councils across the region to agree the details and implement the scheme this year.

Further details are set to be announced in due course.

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