Thursday 21 August 2008
FOUND: First Offender to be placed on the 'Most Wanted' site by a Scottish Police force located
A registered child sex offender who has been missing since June this year is back in the hands of law enforcement today after being arrested in southern France.
Joseph Herbert Millbank, 48 years old from Perthshire was the first offender to be placed on the Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) Centre’s ‘Most Wanted’ website by a Scottish police force, when he absconded on 27 June 2008. He was the subject of two European Arrest Warrants for failure to comply with his notification requirements and was also in breach of the conditions of his licence, of which the latter makes Millbank liable to return to prison for up to 13 years.
He was arrested by police in St Tropez on Tuesday 19 August.
Tayside Police contacted the CEOP Centre when intelligence indicated that Millbank may have travelled to France and his picture was subsequently put on the website – www.ceop.gov.uk/wanted. Tayside Police worked alongside the CEOP Centre, Interpol and the Serious and Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) to locate and apprehend Millbank and are now looking to bring him back to the UK.
Jim Gamble, Chief Executive of the Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) Centre says “Millbank is a high-risk, dangerous individual who thought he could evade the reach of law enforcement by travelling overseas. This is yet another example of how collaboration by the police services involved has brought another offender to account.”
“Offenders who believe they can escape punishment by travelling abroad underestimate our determination to bring them to justice. Alongside our partners, we use every power available and take every step to track them down.”
“We are delighted with the success of the website so far. By working alongside Crimestoppers, local police forces and most importantly the public, we have managed to locate 11 offenders, out of a possible 15, in less than two years”.
Sarah Craig, Senior Media Relations Officer at Tayside Police, said,
''By working together with our colleagues in Interpol, CEOP and SOCA, we located Millbank in the French town of St Tropez on Tuesday afternoon. He is now in the custody of the French authorities and once they have dealt with him, the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service in Scotland will start the extradition process”.
“This is a great example of how well law enforcement agencies can work together in tracing a high risk sex offender. We would like to thank those members of the public from across Europe who contacted us with information.''
The CEOP Centre continues to appeal for information about outstanding offenders: Andrew Eden, Stephen Burnell, Peter Wheatherley and Stephen Clare. They are sought for failing to comply with notification requirements under the Sexual Offences Act 2003.
Eden's last known address was in the Manchester area.
Fifty-four year old Stephen John Burnell is wanted by North Yorkshire Police for failure to comply with his notification requirements on the Sex Offenders Register. He is the thirteenth offender to be posted on the website.
Wheatherley is missing from the South Yorkshire area but is known to have links in the north of England. Intelligence also indicates that he could be in Spain, or elsewhere in Europe.
Stephen Clare has previously had connections with the Bromsgrove area of the West Midlands and Brighton in East Sussex.
The Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) Centre joined forces with the charity Crimestoppers to develop Most Wanted. It was launched in November 2006 as the UK's first national website dedicated to locating child sex offenders who have failed to comply with notification requirements. This is an arrestable offence, with a punishment of up to five years imprisonment.
NOTES TO EDITORS
The Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) Centre joined forces with independent charity Crimestoppers to develop Most Wanted. It was launched in November 2006, as the UK’s first national website dedicated to locating child sex offenders who have failed to comply with notification requirements.
Members of the public can safely help locate ‘missing’ offenders by viewing photos and descriptions via the CEOP and Crimestoppers websites. If they recognise someone they are urged to contact the local police force, or if they wish to remain anonymous they can call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Members of the public can receive automatic updates on new individuals posted
on the Most Wanted website by going to:
http://www.crimestoppers-uk.org/wanted/ceop/newsletter.asp
This initiative forms a key element of the Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) Centre’s approach to tracking and bringing offenders to account. All individuals published on the site have previously been convicted for an offence for which they have already served punishment within the criminal justice system. They are sought because they have subsequently failed to fulfil their requirements as part of their placement on the Sex Offenders Register. This is an arrestable offence, with a punishment of up to five years imprisonment.
Details of previous offences will not be disclosed to the media for the reasons stated above.
Photographs of offenders will only be published with the consent of the local police force. Individual forces are under no obligation to publish their offenders on the Most Wanted site. Further offenders will be considered for inclusion on the ‘Most Wanted’ site in consultation with local police forces.
The decision to publish the details of all offenders detailed on the site has been risk assessed by the CEOP Centre and relevant local forces.
The CEOP Centre works in both online and offline environments to protect children from sexual exploitation. Full information on all areas of work as well as online safety messages and access to online reporting can be found at www.ceop.gov.uk.
The organisation is affiliated to the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) and powers are derived from the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005. It is based in Pimlico, London with developing outreach channels to all areas of both domestic and international policing as well as industry and specialist support and educational faculties.
For further information please contact the Communications Team at the Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) Centre on 0870 000 3434