Humberside Police

A man who subjected a 13-year-old to multiple sexually inappropriate acts, indecent images and text messages has been locked up for seven years for his abhorrent crimes, after a jury found him guilty at Grimsby Crown Court.

Darren Halliday, 47, of Tiverton Street, Cleethorpes, entered a not guilty plea to six counts of sexual activity with a child, forcing the victim and their family to endure the horrific ordeal of a trial, reliving his horrific acts against them.

The five-day trial concluded on Friday 31 March with the Jury finding him guilty of four counts of sexual activity with a child. He was sentenced immediately to seven years in prison and has also been made subject to a restraining order and an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Detective Constable Lucy Proctor-Eckley from our Protecting Vulnerable People (PVP) unit said: “Halliday committed these abhorrent crimes against a child, all to fulfil his own perverse sexual pleasure.

“He had no previous convictions for sexual abuse or assault and was described as of good character but we often find that this is usual practice for people like Halliday, who use what others would consider their usual “kind” and “good” demeanour to prey on the vulnerabilities of children.

“The courage shown by the child and their family in coming forward, and their patience with the investigation and getting the case to court, has been so commendable.

“I want to offer my sincerest thanks to them, as by reporting their own experience we have been able to gather extensive evidence and build a strong case, to take a man capable of such crimes to court to be held accountable for his actions.

“I hope the result today will also encourage others to come forward if they have experienced something similar, and I’d like to offer my reassurance that we take all allegations like this seriously, and will do our upmost for our victims, as well as safeguard our wider communities against such acts.”

If you have been a victim of rape or sexual assault, or know someone who has, you can report to us directly through our non-emergency number 101, or 999 if you or someone you know is in immediate danger.

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Officers would like to speak with him in connection with reports of a series of burglary dwellings and attempt burglary dwellings which occurred in the Grimsby and Cleethorpes area, on Tuesday 22 November 2022 and Sunday 18 December 2022.

At around 2.20am on Tuesday 22 November 2022, it is reported a man approached a property on Weelsby Road, Grimsby, and is believed to have stolen a vehicle from the driveway.

On Sunday 18 December, between the hours of 1:45am and 2:20am, we then received reports of a man attempting to enter a further four properties and vehicles on Lestrange Street, and around the Brereton Avenue area in Cleethorpes. It is believed another vehicle was also stolen from the fourth address.

Extensive enquiries have been ongoing in attempts to identify the man, and we can now release CCTV images and footage of the person we would like to speak with in connection with these incidents.

We’re appealing for help from members of the public who may have witnessed the incidents or have ring doorbell footage of the area at around the same time they occurred, which would further assist with our investigations.

We appreciate the images are not the best quality, but if you are the man in the images, or think you might know who he is, you can contact us on our non-emergency number 101, quoting crime reference number 22*111860.

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