MICHAEL MCAULIFFE/ASHLEY PETERS: SERIAL SEX OFFENDER RECAPTURED IN BRADFORD AND LONDON

In April 2018, a convicted paedophile, Michael McAuliffe, was once again detained after breaching sex-offender regulations by being found with indecent images of children on his phone. Police entered McAuliffe's home in November of the previous year, discovering four images depicting boys aged 10 to 11 years old. Authorities also found his mobile phone and a Wi-Fi device stored in a shoebox, both of which were prohibited under his sexual offences prevention order. Bradford Crown Court was told that McAuliffe, 54, of Clarendon Street, Haworth, had failed to register a bank account and an alias—Ashley Thomas—in accordance with sex offender registration rules. McAuliffe pleaded guilty to the four charges and was sentenced to nine months in prison. Prosecutor Louise Pryke described him as “non-compliant, abusive and obstructive” during police interactions. Officers had visited McAuliffe’s residence after receiving information from the Metropolitan Police that he had not registered a bank account. During the search, they found a mobile phone concealed under a duvet, a mini Wi-Fi device, and documents in the name of Ashley Thomas. The images on his phone were classified as category three, indicating a low level of seriousness. McAuliffe's prior convictions included 21 offences related to possessing illegal images of children in 2006 and eight more the following year. He was sentenced in 2014 to three years and eight months for distributing and possessing indecent images. Defense lawyer Derek Duffy argued that McAuliffe had suffered childhood abuse himself and was embroiled in a dispute with police over these allegations. He claimed the charges regarding the unregistered alias and bank account were technical, explaining the account was opened with probation’s help when McAuliffe was released from prison, and the alias had been used for 40 years. “It’s difficult to see how he can be accused of hiding this, when he voluntarily disclosed the account to police,” Duffy added. He also stated that the images were “old” and that McAuliffe was disputing his internet provider’s alleged hosting of certain material. The judge, David Hatton QC, noted there was no “sinister concealment” regarding registration failure and that there was no evidence suggesting the images were recent. He expressed doubt that the devices were solely used for offending.

In October 2014, McAuliffe was jailed after being found with thousands of indecent images and movies of children as young as 18 months old. An off-duty police officer recognized him in London and discovered that McAuliffe had fled West Yorkshire, even changing his name to Ashley Peters, to evade detection. Police retrieved his mobile phones, which contained over 5,000 images and 600 videos, including 24 at the highest severity level. These materials depicted children subjected to physical abuse, such as cigarette burns and bruises. McAuliffe not only possessed this material but also distributed over 2,300 images and videos to other offenders, labeling him part of a “wicked circle of evil individuals.” His original sentence of six months in 2006, related to 20 offences of possessing child indecent images, was followed by a ten-year registration requirement. The next year, he received a suspended sentence for similar offences. In a remarkable twist, in March of that year, Detective Sergeant Linda Christie—while on leave in London—spotted McAuliffe handing out leaflets in Leicester Square. Being aware of his prior convictions, police arranged his arrest. McAuliffe pleaded guilty to two counts of breaching notification laws, 17 counts of making indecent images, and four counts of distribution. His lawyer highlighted that McAuliffe had endured childhood trauma, impacting his actions. The court imposed a Sexual Offences Prevention Order with no expiry and mandated lifelong registration as a sex offender. Detective Inspector Vanessa Smith emphasized the police’s commitment to managing sex offenders robustly, stating, “McAuliffe refused to comply with the terms of his registration as a sex offender...He was also uncooperative with police to the extent that we sought and successfully applied new legislation to allow us to gain entry to his premises.”

Earlier in July 2014, McAuliffe’s case resurfaced when he claimed to possess information about child abuse cover-ups in Westminster during the 1970s, leading to an adjournment. Defense lawyer James Bourne-Arton noted McAuliffe’s willingness to share knowledge about paedophile rings and abuses, though authorities did not act on this information. Court heard that McAuliffe, then 50, had changed his name to Ashley Peters and was under strict police obligation to report any change of address in relation to his convictions. The incident involving the leafleting was the result of police surveillance, after which authorities uncovered thousands of illegal images and videos, some at the most severe level. During court proceedings, McAuliffe admitted to 23 offences via video link, including failing to update his registration details and producing and distributing indecent images. The judgment focused on the danger he posed, with Judge Jonathan Rose ordering his custody until sentencing, and it was decided that the severity of the material warranted viewing by a police officer with a laptop during sentencing.