MELVYN SPEAKS FROM BOLTON CAUGHT IN WEST AFRICA TRAVEL BREACH

In a case that highlights the ongoing challenges of monitoring convicted sex offenders, Melvyn Speaks, a 64-year-old man from Bolton, has found himself back in court after breaching the strict conditions of his release. Speaks, who was previously convicted of serious child sex offences, traveled abroad without informing authorities, despite clear legal obligations to do so.

Speaks’s criminal history is extensive and disturbing. In 2007, he was convicted of sexually abusing two young boys over a span of 17 years. His crimes included bringing a boy from West Africa to England under false pretenses and abusing him, as well as abusing a nine-year-old boy he befriended in 1985. As part of his sentence, he was ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register for life, a measure designed to keep the public safe and ensure ongoing monitoring of his activities.

One of the key conditions of his release was that Speaks must inform police of any change of address and give at least seven days’ notice before leaving the country. However, in August of this year, he violated these conditions. He moved from his residence on Balcary Grove in Bolton and subsequently went on two holidays—one to Spain’s Majorca and another to West Africa—without notifying the authorities as required.

Earlier, Speaks had appeared at Bolton Magistrates’ Court, where he pleaded guilty to three charges of breaching the Sex Offenders Register. The court was informed that on August 19, he sold his house and moved in with his elderly mother. Shortly thereafter, he traveled to Majorca on a family holiday. Police, acting on their suspicions, discovered his empty house and arrested him at Manchester Airport on August 25.

During his arrest, Speaks admitted to plans to travel to Senegal the following day. He was taken to Bolton Police Station, but he failed to provide sufficient notice of his departure. Despite claiming that his holidays were last-minute decisions and that the police station was closed when he attempted to notify officers, he managed to fly to West Africa on August 27.

His actions did not go unnoticed, and the authorities swiftly brought him before Bolton Crown Court. Judge Guy Mathieson sentenced Speaks to six months in jail, suspended for two years, and ordered him to complete 80 hours of unpaid community work. The case underscores the importance of strict adherence to the conditions placed on convicted offenders, especially those with a history as grave as Speaks’s, to prevent further breaches and protect the community from potential harm.