CHILD RAPIST ON THE RUN AFTER SEX OFFENDER VIOLATION
Update 31/03/2026: A sex offender who moved to Devon without telling police has been jailed.Stephen Pennington deliberately ignored court orders designed to protect the public from his behaviour when he left Lancashire to start a new life in Bideford The 38-year-old was subject to strict rules about where he could live due to a conviction for raping a child under 13 in 2009.
Police arrested him in Devon after he started a friendship with a young mum.
Exeter Crown Court heard he had shown a 'blatant disregard' for court orders.
He was jailed for three years and nine months.
Pennington admitted three offences of breaching the terms of his sexual harm prevention order and one of failing to comply with notifications requirements.
The court was told that in September of last year he was supposed to living in Blackburn.
He did not tell the authorities when he left Lancashire and headed to the South West.
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In June 2018, authorities launched a nationwide manhunt targeting Stephen Pennington, a man with troubling links to North Wales, as well as Wigan and Lancashire.
The Greater Manchester Police issued an urgent appeal to the public, urging anyone with information about Pennington’s whereabouts to come forward.
Pennington, aged 30 and originally from the Wigan area, is wanted for failing to adhere to the strict notification requirements mandated by the sex offenders register.
Pennington’s criminal history is marked by a serious conviction from 2009, when he was sentenced to prison after being found guilty of raping a 12-year-old girl.
Although he was released from incarceration, his legal obligations as a registered sex offender continue to impose restrictions on his movements and activities.
Despite his release, Pennington has not remained compliant with these legal requirements, which has led to the current manhunt.
He has established connections not only in Wigan but also in Lancashire and North Wales, complicating efforts to locate him.
Law enforcement officials have emphasized the importance of community cooperation in apprehending Pennington, and they have provided contact details for the public to report any sightings or relevant information.
In a related incident from October 2013, Pennington’s criminal activities took a disturbing turn when it was revealed that he had used an internet dating site to contact mothers, including one from Wigan.
Under a false name, Pennington sought to build trust with a woman he met online, eventually gaining access to her home.
Over a period spanning from January 1 to March 31 of that year, Pennington stayed at her residence a total of 15 times, breaching the conditions of his sex offender registration.
The Wigan Magistrates’ Court heard that Pennington, then 25, had been ordered to sign the sex offenders register for life following his three-year imprisonment for raping a 12-year-old girl in 2009.
Despite this, he continued to violate the terms of his registration by staying overnight at the woman’s house, which was a clear breach of his legal obligations.
Prosecutor Katie Beattie explained that Pennington had used the alias Stephen Kayser on a dating website and the name Josh Stevenson on Facebook, all in an effort to conceal his identity and past.
The woman only discovered Pennington’s true background after a friend advised her to search his real name online.
Her discovery left her feeling devastated and disgusted, especially considering her previous trust in him.
She expressed concern about her daughter’s safety and revealed that she had since experienced anxiety.
The woman also disclosed that she was pregnant with Pennington’s child, a claim that Pennington’s solicitor, Mark Ferguson, questioned.
Ferguson acknowledged that Pennington had entered guilty pleas, albeit on the day of his trial, and argued that it was unrealistic to expect him never to form intimate relationships again.
He described his client as “stupid and reckless” but emphasized that the original conviction was for statutory rape, which involved an age issue rather than consent.
During the court hearing, magistrates took the case very seriously, noting that the severity of Pennington’s breaches and previous convictions warranted significant sanctions.
However, they decided to suspend his six-month jail sentence for one year, instead placing him under 12 months of probation supervision.
Additionally, Pennington was ordered to pay £400 in compensation to the victim.
He was supported in court by his new girlfriend and had already served two months on remand prior to sentencing.
