MATTHEW WORTHINGTON OF STOKE-ON-TRENT SENTENCED FOR REPEATED SEX OFFENCES AND BREACHES

In July 2021, authorities in Stoke-on-Trent announced their firm commitment to monitoring Matthew Worthington, one of the city’s most notorious serial offenders involved in child sex crimes, following his scheduled release from incarceration.

Despite being relatively young at 28 years old, Worthington’s criminal history is extensive and disturbing. His record includes heinous offenses such as the possession of indecent images depicting children, which marked him as a significant threat to the community. By the time he reached 25, he was already well known to law enforcement agencies due to his repeated violations and criminal activities.

One of the most alarming incidents involved Worthington attempting to meet a supposed 13-year-old boy named Josh at Victoria Park in Stafford. This encounter was set up through sexual conversations online, but the individual he believed he was communicating with was actually an undercover police officer posing as a minor. Fortunately, authorities thwarted his plans, preventing any potential harm.

Described by law enforcement as a 'high risk' paedophile, Worthington has openly admitted to harboring 'disturbing fantasies' involving children. His dangerous tendencies led to the imposition of Sexual Harm Prevention Orders (SHPO), which are designed to protect minors by restricting his activities. These orders mandated regular, unannounced police visits and checks on his electronic devices to monitor his online activity.

However, despite these strict measures, Worthington has shown blatant disregard for the court’s directives. His recent breaches of the SHPO included possessing indecent images of boys aged nine and ten, attempting to contact a 15-year-old boy, and accessing the dark web. He also failed to inform authorities about possessing internet-enabled phones, deleted a staggering 2,901 files from his devices, and installed software to conceal his internet history from investigators.

These violations culminated in his sentencing at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court, where he received a prison term of four years and four months after pleading guilty to nine counts of breaching the Sexual Harm Prevention Order and two counts of possessing indecent images of children. His criminal conduct underscores the ongoing threat he poses to the community and the importance of vigilant monitoring post-release.

Previously, in January 2019, Worthington was sentenced to 22 months in prison after admitting to attempting to meet a child following grooming activities. He also pleaded guilty to three breaches of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and to creating a Category C indecent image of a child. At that time, he was identified as Matthew David Worthington, residing on Marsh Street North, Stoke-on-Trent.

Law enforcement officials have emphasized their dedication to tracking and managing individuals like Worthington to prevent further harm, especially given his history of violating court orders and engaging in predatory behavior towards minors.