William Howarth, a 23-year-old registered sex offender from Miles Platting in Greater Manchester, was sentenced at Manchester Crown Court on 13 November 2025 to nine years and eight months in prison, with an additional six years on licence. This followed a thorough investigation by Greater Manchester Police's Sex Offender Crime Investigation Team (SOCIT), triggered by the discovery of an unregistered mobile phone during a routine home visit in 2023.
Howarth was already subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) due to prior convictions, which required him to register all mobile devices and surrender them during checks by the Sex Offender Management Unit (SOMU). When his offender manager visited in 2023, the unregistered phone was seized, and forensic analysis revealed numerous messages sent to several young girls under the age of 16. The investigation, supported by police forces across the country, traced the child victims, who provided harrowing accounts of Howarth's predatory behaviour.
The victims described Howarth's abusive and controlling tactics. One girl recounted how he called her 'fat' and a 'whore', while he told another that he liked her petite body and how big he would look next to her. A third victim lived in fear after Howarth messaged her, stating, 'it sounds wrong but honestly don’t want to leave you. I’d rather risk it with you then leave u', after disclosing his real age. He frequently sent explicit messages about what he wanted to do to them sexually and requested indecent images, specifying poses. In exchange, he sent videos of himself masturbating. The girls felt pressured and threatened; one blocked him on social media, only to receive friend requests from alternate accounts, with threats to distribute her images online if she did not comply.
Howarth's behaviour extended to 35 offences, to which he pleaded guilty on 10 November 2025 at Manchester Crown Court. These included 11 counts of breaching his SHPO, possession of class A, B, and C indecent images of children, six counts of engaging in sexual communication with a child, two counts of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child, three counts of causing a child aged 13-15 to view an image of sexual activity, two counts of causing or inciting a girl aged 13-15 to engage in sexual activity, distributing category B and C indecent images, two counts of threatening to share intimate photographs or films, and making class A, B, and C indecent images of children.
Detective Constable Joshua Cresswell from GMP’s SOCIT commented on the case, stating: 'Howarth was a registered sex offender on a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and was managed with regular checks. He thought he could get away with preying on young girls online while being managed under this order. Howarth is a disgraceful predator and belongs behind bars away from causing further harm to children.' The investigation highlighted the bravery of the child victims in coming forward, underscoring the ongoing risks posed by managed sex offenders who exploit digital platforms to target vulnerable minors.