WAYNE WILSON, DANGEROUS SEX OFFENDER, JAILED IN NEWCASTLE AFTER ESCAPING TO THE US

A dangerous sex offender who fled the UK to avoid justice has been sentenced to over six years in prison. Wayne Wilson, 38, appeared at Newcastle Crown Court on Friday, October 8, where he was convicted of sexually abusing a child. The court was told that Wilson, who was already under a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) following previous convictions for voyeurism and possession of indecent images, left the country in 2018 despite being under investigation for sexual abuse.

Detectives from Northumbria Police’s Paedophile Online Investigation Team (POLIT) immediately launched an effort to locate him, enlisting help from international law enforcement. Their inquiries later confirmed that Wilson had first fled to Dublin before traveling to the United States. Working closely with Homeland Security and U.S. authorities, officers tracked him down in Kansas.

Wilson was ultimately arrested in April 2021, and in June, he was extradited back to the UK. Upon his return, he was charged with three counts of sexual touching of a child under 13 and was remanded in custody. He pleaded guilty to all charges, and on Friday he was sentenced to six years and two months behind bars.

Following the sentencing, Detective Constable Elizabeth Biggins from POLIT expressed her satisfaction: “The fact that Wilson will spend a considerable time behind bars is welcome news to me and shows we will not sit back when seeking justice for victims. This man is a prolific paedophile who spent years on the run trying to avoid being brought to justice for a series of despicable offences. I hope this goes to show the lengths we are prepared to go to in order to protect children and bring offenders to justice. I want to thank our partners from Homeland Security in the USA for their support with this investigation as well as the wider POLIT team, who never gave up.”

Detective Chief Inspector Caroline Ord, who leads POLIT, praised her team’s perseverance: “This was a complex investigation which spanned two continents, multiple time zones, and jurisdictions. Despite the obvious challenges, Det Con Biggins refused to give up and worked regularly with law enforcement in the USA to make sure no stone was left unturned. I am so proud of her achievements in making sure a dangerous and brazen sex offender was brought back to the UK to be held accountable for the vile crimes he committed.”