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

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William Howarth mugshot

William Howarth mugshot / Credit: GMP

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. 

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.

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. 

“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