ANTHONY CARR'S CRIMINAL REIGN IN TUNSTALL AND STOKE-ON-TRENT: MULTIPLE OFFENSES AND COURT SENTENCES

In October 2019, Anthony Carr, a convicted sex offender with a long and troubling criminal history, was apprehended near a children’s play area at Westport Lake in Tunstall, Stoke-on-Trent. The arrest was made after an off-duty prison officer, who was with his children at the time, recognized Carr and promptly contacted the police. The officer’s vigilance prevented what could have been a dangerous encounter, given Carr’s known background and the restrictions placed upon him by court orders.

Anthony Carr, aged 54 and residing on Athelstan Street in Tunstall, had previously been subjected to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) issued on September 5, 2017. This order explicitly prohibited him from entering parks unless accompanied by police officers and barred him from loitering within 50 meters of any school or playground. Despite these restrictions, Carr was seen at Westport Lake around 5 pm on April 19, breaching the order.

According to prosecutor David Bennett, the off-duty officer approached the children’s play area and immediately recognized Carr standing near the perimeter fence. Concerned due to Carr’s criminal background, the officer challenged him, prompting Carr to flee along the canal path. The police were contacted immediately, and Carr was arrested two days later at his residence in Tunstall. During questioning, Carr admitted to being at Westport Lake but claimed he was unaware it was a park and insisted he was simply taking a stroll because of the nice weather.

At Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court, Carr pleaded guilty to breaching his SHPO. The court was informed that Carr’s criminal record includes a notorious incident where he raped a 58-year-old woman in a playground in front of her grandson. The judge, Paul Glenn, described Carr as a “highly dangerous man” and expressed concern over his repeated violations of court orders over a span of three decades. The judge emphasized that Carr had ignored the restrictions of the SHPO and was found in a children’s playground, which could have posed a serious risk to the public. Fortunately, the incident was observed by a vigilant police officer, which prevented further harm.

In addition to the recent breach, Carr’s history of sexual offenses extends back to when he was 19 years old. His past convictions include multiple instances of exposure, indecent acts, and sexual assault. Notably, in August 2015, Carr was caught performing a sex act on himself aboard two separate buses traveling between Stone and Newcastle. The first incident involved a woman who felt the repeated knocks on her seat and saw Carr engaging in the act behind her. She reported the incident to the bus driver, leading to Carr’s removal from the vehicle. The second incident occurred on another bus, where a woman observed Carr’s hands moving in a sexual manner and him looking at her in a lewd way. She pressed the buzzer, and police were called.

Following these incidents, Carr, who has no fixed address, pleaded guilty to two counts of indecent exposure in June and July 2019. He was sentenced to 26 weeks in prison, and the court also imposed a seven-year Sexual Offences Notification Order, along with a £180 criminal court charge and an £80 victim surcharge. Additionally, Carr remains subject to a 10-month recall on a previous prison sentence.

Further back, in October 2013, Carr was jailed for 16 months after he exposed himself to two teenage girls in Hanley’s Central Forest Park. The girls, aged 15, noticed Carr in the bushes with his upper body naked, covering his genitals with his hands and staring at them. Witnesses, including a man with his young son, saw Carr running through the bushes in a state of undress. Police arrived to find Carr in the process of dressing himself. He pleaded guilty to breaching a Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO) that had been imposed in 2007, which banned him from entering parks or wooded areas unless accompanied by police or probation officers.

In March 2013, Carr was again caught breaching his SOPO by walking past Sutherland Primary Academy in Blurton, during times when children were arriving or leaving school. Despite the restrictions, he was seen on three separate occasions near the school and in nearby woods. Police arrested him after he was observed walking past the school while children were present. Carr, of Ripon Road, Blurton, admitted to two breaches of the order and was sentenced to 16 months in prison. The court highlighted that Carr’s repeated violations demonstrated a pattern of disregard for court-imposed restrictions and posed a significant risk to the community.

Throughout his criminal career, Anthony Carr has shown a persistent pattern of offending, often involving exposure, indecent acts, and breaches of court orders designed to protect the public, especially children. His latest conviction and sentencing reflect the ongoing concern about his dangerousness and the need for continued monitoring and restrictions to prevent further harm.