Ricky Bennett

Ricky Bennett

36, Male 2024-11-24

Whitehaven, Cumbria

Offender ID: c48805c8-1f72-4537-bb9e-956f9290ce17

Offence Summary

Ricky Bennett, a registered sex offender, pleaded guilty to failing to notify police of his change of address within the required three days after moving to supported accommodation in Whitehaven. He faces potential jail time for this breach of the Sex Offenders’ Register requirements, following a prior conviction for a serious sexual assault in Australia.

Full Description

A registered sex offender from Whitehaven, Ricky Bennett, has appeared in court accused of breaching notification requirements by not informing police of his new address. Bennett, aged 36, admitted the offence at Workington Magistrates' Court on Monday, potentially facing imprisonment due to a previous similar conviction.

Prosecutor Peter Kelly outlined that Bennett had previously received a term of imprisonment in Australia for what appeared to be a serious sexual assault, leading to him being subject to notification requirements under the Sex Offenders’ Register in the UK. These stipulate that he must inform police of any address change within three days. In June 2024, Bennett moved to supported accommodation at Peter Street in Whitehaven, run by the 'Move On' project, which assists vulnerable women. However, he failed to notify authorities, only coming to light after police conducted an unannounced visit to his previous address.

A statement from a 'Move On' project staff member revealed that Bennett had been a service user since June but the full details of his conviction were not initially disclosed. The staff member noted that had police been informed, a risk assessment could have been conducted, potentially altering decisions about his placement in accommodation supporting vulnerable females. During a police interview, Bennett admitted to the non-compliance.

In court, Bennett chose not to seek legal representation despite the risk of custody, citing his struggles with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) from his time in the army and as a frontline paramedic on two tours in Afghanistan. He explained, 'It wasn’t on my mind to go to the police and tell them. Now I realise, I should have told them. My head is not in the right place at the minute. I moved out of my mam’s house and moved to Peter Street.' This is not Bennett's first breach; he was convicted of non-compliance in October 2024.

Magistrates adjourned the case for a pre-sentence report from the Probation Service. Bennett, of Peter Street, Whitehaven, is scheduled to be sentenced on 24 November 2024. The case highlights the importance of adherence to sex offender notification requirements to manage public safety risks.

Location

City: Whitehaven

County: Cumbria

Address: Peter Street

Case Details

Police Force: Cumbria Police

Name heritage (predicted origin)

Country: United Kingdom

Confidence: 95%

Special Thanks

A huge thank you to Cumbria Police for their tireless dedication in bringing this offender to justice. Your commitment and hard work truly help keep our communities safe, and we are deeply grateful.

Source: whitehavennews.co.uk

Request a correction or removal

If anything on this page is inaccurate, out of date, or should no longer be published — for example, if an appeal has been granted, a conviction overturned, or reporting restrictions apply — please let us know and we will review it promptly.

Requests are reviewed by our team. Where a valid reason is provided we will remedy the situation as quickly as possible. Please include any supporting evidence or official source links to help us act fast.

Important notice — this is not an official register

sexoffenders.co.uk is an independent, unofficial publication. We are not affiliated with, nor endorsed by, any government body, police force, or official sex offenders register. We research, write about, and republish information drawn from cases already reported in the media, published in court records, or released by police forces. We disclose our source for each entry where available.

Whilst we take care to be accurate, we cannot guarantee the completeness, currency, or ongoing accuracy of any information. Nothing on this site constitutes legal advice. Users must not use information from this site to harass, intimidate, threaten, or otherwise harm any individual. Any such conduct may be unlawful.

If you believe any information is inaccurate, out of date, or requires removal for legal reasons (including reporting restrictions or matters involving a child), please use the correction form on the relevant offender page, or refer to our Privacy Policy for how to contact us. We will review all reports promptly.