Source: Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) (CPS) published on this website Friday 31 October 2025 by Jill Powell

Prosecutors are asking for views on how they prosecute ‘gang’-based offenders and whether guidance is needed on musical expression in prosecutions to help better protect the public.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has today launched a two-part public consultation seeking views on updating prosecution guidance on ‘gang’-related offending, as well as welcoming views on whether guidance is needed on the use of musical expression, including lyrics, as evidence in criminal prosecutions.

The current gangs guidance was published in 2020 and the CPS is asking whether standalone guidance is still appropriate, or whether the issues raised should be incorporated into other pieces of guidance. In particular, the CPS is interested in understanding a range of perspectives on how best to define a ‘gang’ and to guard against bias and stereotypes, to ensure fair and effective prosecutions for all.

Prosecutors are also consulting on whether guidance is needed over the use of musical expression in court cases. 

Lyrics from songs have been used as evidence in a courtroom in situations where a defendant has admitted to committing a crime. This is normally utilised as part of a package of evidence, in the same way a written or spoken confession would be. There are always legal safeguards to such evidence being presented to a jury. 

In other scenarios, when appropriate, the prosecution has been able to present evidence showing musical expression has been used in a build-up to a violent crime or to reveal information about a crime that only the attackers would know. Musical evidence and ‘gang’ evidence has also been used to show association between different parties in some cases of serious violence. 

As an impartial prosecuting authority, the consultation launched by the CPS into these issues will aim to make sure the legal guidance used by criminal prosecutors, who decide what evidence could be used in a courtroom, is clear, culturally aware and fit-for-purpose in England and Wales. 

The CPS are inviting responses from the public, musical artists, legal voices and other interested parties to help shape how prosecutors approach these issues. 

The first part of the consultation focuses on updating the guidance for prosecutors when considering cases involving alleged ‘gang’ affiliations. 

The second part explores the use of musical expression such as lyrics, videos, and performances as potential evidential material in criminal proceedings. At present there is no guidance on the use of musical expression as evidence in prosecutions, and these are decided on a case-by-case basis when deemed relevant. 

Lionel Idan, Chief Crown Prosecutor for London South and CPS Disproportionality Lead, said: “Gang-based violence has a significant detrimental impact on the safety of our communities, and has been shown to lead to devastating consequences.  

“We understand the debate and community concerns that exist around how ‘gang’ labels are applied, and how using music as evidence in criminal prosecutions may be considered a hinderance to creative licence. 

“That is why this consultation is an important opportunity for us to hear directly from the public and those most affected by these issues. We want to ensure our guidance is not only legally sound, but also socially informed, consistent and fair.

“The CPS want to hear and learn from a wide range of views to make sure that any guidance we issue to our prosecutors incorporates and reflects the diverse experiences and expectations of the public we serve.”

This consultation is part of the commitment to ensuring transparency, fairness and consistent decision-making in the criminal justice system.  

The consultation is now live and will remain open for responses for a 12-week period until 22 January 2026. After this, a report with a summary of the responses will be published. 

Solicitor General Ellie Reeves MP said: “Gang violence devastates communities and ruins lives. We are determined to protect the public from the threat of gang violence and strengthen the criminal justice system to deliver for victims. 

“We welcome this consultation, which will help prosecutors have clear and updated guidance that is fair and relevant for our communities today. I encourage everyone to contribute their views so we can get this important balance right.”

To participate in the consultation click here.

Source: Department of Works and Pensions published on this website Wednesday 15 October 2025 by Jill Powell

Pensioners are being warned to look out for Winter Fuel Payment text message scams following a surge in activity from opportunistic criminals ahead of next month's payments.

New data from HMRC shows reports of scam texts more than doubled in the last week of September when compared to the previous week

These scams – which see fraudsters exploit pensioners by posing as government officials processing Winter Fuel Payment applications – had begun to drop off after a peak in June but are now increasing again ahead of payments being made next month.

This warning comes as the DWP ramps up its social media campaign in partnership with Action Fraud to raise awareness of these scams across Facebook and Twitter. This is alongside DWP’s continued work with trusted partners and charities such as Independent Age to ensure accurate and timely information is available.

Winter Fuel Payments are made automatically, and the government will never ask for bank details by text. Anyone who receives a text message inviting them to apply for a payment should not engage with it and instead forward it to 7726.

Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden said:

“If you get a text message about Winter Fuel Payments, it’s a scam. They will be made automatically so you do not need to apply. These despicable attempts by criminals to target people are on the rise. We are raising awareness to make it harder for fraudsters to succeed. If you receive a suspicious message about Winter Fuel Payments, don’t engage - forward it to 7726 and delete it immediately.”

Source: Cambridgeshire Police published on this website Friday 17 October 2025 by Jill Powell

A former priest who claimed allegations against him were “nonsense” has had his sentence for historic child sex offences extended by 11 years.

Dennis Finbow, 77, was convicted in early 2023 for sexually abusing a child in the 1980s while offences in the most recent case date back to 1974.

Finbow claimed all the allegations against him were “nonsense” in police interview, however, he later admitted multiple offences and on Friday (10 October), at Cambridge Crown Court, had his current sentenced extended.

He admitted touching a boy in 1974 at a school where he was teaching, prior to being ordained.

He also abused an altar boy between August 1984 and August 1985, a girl between February 1984 and February 1985, a girl between 1987 and 1991 and a third girl between 1987 and 1988.

Finbow met these victims through his work as a priest in the Catholic Church.

He admitted eight counts of indecent assault of a girl under 14, four counts of indecent assault of a boy under 14, two counts of indecent assault of a girl under 16 and one count of indecent assault on a woman over 16. 

Finbow was also handed an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

DC Annette Renwick, who investigated, said:

“This has been a long and complex investigation and I wish to commend all of the victims for their patience, understanding and bravery in coming forward and working together with the force to bring Dennis Finbow to justice.  

“Dennis Finbow was a prominent figure within the Catholic Church in Cambridgeshire during the 1980s and 1990s that parishioners looked up to. At the time, he was seen to do a lot of good within the community: running youth social clubs, football clubs and taking part in charity events.

“We never want to entertain the thought that a person in a position of trust would harm a child, yet unfortunately it does happen and Finbow used his role in society to engineer opportunities to offend.

“The Diocese of East Anglia has been instrumental in working with the force by allowing access to their records and taking their own safeguarding actions against Finbow, who said that he was ‘disgusted’ by the accusations when interviewed by police, yet pleaded guilty to 15 counts of child sex offences. His offending was prolific, and over many years.

“I would encourage anyone who has been affected by sexual abuse, no matter how long ago, to come forward and report it.”

You can report sexual abuse through the force website.

Paedophile posed as teenage boy to sexually abuse children online

Source: National Crime Agency (NCA) published on this site Tuesday 6 October 2025

A man who incited and recorded thousands of children engaging in sexual activity online from his Croydon home has been jailed following a National Crime Agency (NCA) investigation. 

IT specialist Robert Chown, 49, captured photos and videos of the abuse and shared them with like-minded paedophiles.

He appeared at Croydon Crown Court on 3 October where he was sentenced to 25 years, with seven to be served on licence, having pleaded guilty to 41 charges at a previous court hearing. 

Chown was also handed a lifetime Sexual Harm Prevention Order, and will be on the sex offender for the rest of his life.

In April 2022, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) launched an investigation into a private online messaging forum dedicated to the sexual exploitation of children.

It was named ‘The Sanctuary’.

Chown was identified as a key contributor to the forum and the individual behind the ‘FredHasFiveToes’ username.

Upon joining the group in 2019, his introductory message read:

“Preferences…girls 8-11”.

And: “as soon as I spot teasing, I’m all over them with compliments”.

He went on to share hundreds of abuse images in the forum that he’d captured over years of sexually exploiting children online.

Chown also posted an indecent photo of a 12-year-old girl that he had taken in person. She was identified and safeguarded by the NCA and child protection services.

From his home in south London he masqueraded as a teenage boy online to target thousands of children across the world.

Girls and boys as young as six-years-old were groomed by Chown to live stream sexual acts at his instruction, which he would capture and share with other paedophiles on ‘The Sanctuary’ and the dark web. 

NCA officers arrested Chown at his home address in September 2023 and seized two mobile phones from him.

Across both devices, investigators found over 2,000 indecent images and videos of children in categories A-C.

They also discovered 204 entries into Google Translate of sexual instructions translated from English into Russian and Polish.

These phrases were used by Chown on live streams to incite children around the world to perform sexual acts on themselves.

In interview he admitted to using the persona of a teenage boy online to watch live streams involving children, directing and instructing them to carry out those acts.

NCA Senior Investigating Officer Phil Eccles said: 

“Chown poses a significant danger to children, and our thorough investigation exposed him as a prolific offender who carried out depraved sexual abuse over a number of years. While this case is extremely distressing, we hope it reassures the public of our commitment to unmasking paedophiles who think that can operate anonymously online. Work with our international partners in the FBI and Europol has been key to this investigation. Today’s result is testament to the hard work of our investigative team and it is only right that Chown received a lengthy custodial sentence given the severity of his offending.”