NOEL RIGBY FROM ASHTON-IN-MAKERFIELD BREACHES COURT ORDER AFTER WIGAN SEX OFFENDER SENTENCE

In a disturbing development, Noel Rigby, a man originally from Ashton-in-Makerfield, has been found guilty of breaching a court-imposed order designed to prevent him from reoffending after a history of sexual misconduct. Rigby, aged 59, who previously served time for serious offenses involving a minor, was caught in Wigan on January 14 this year with electronic devices that he was legally required to report to authorities.

Rigby’s prior conviction dates back to 2017 when a jury at Liverpool Crown Court found him guilty of inciting sexual activity with a child. As part of his punishment, he was sentenced to 18 months in prison, placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register, and subjected to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) that was to remain in effect for ten years. These measures were intended to monitor and restrict his activities to prevent any further harm.

However, after his release from prison, Rigby was found to have violated the terms of his SHPO. On January 14, police officers discovered him in possession of a laptop, a mobile phone, and a smartphone—items that he was legally obliged to disclose to his offender manager within three days of acquiring them, due to their capacity to store images and access the internet. Rigby failed to report ownership or access to these devices, leading to his arrest.

He subsequently pleaded guilty to three charges related to possessing these devices without reporting them, and for not informing authorities about their existence within the required timeframe. Rigby was remanded on unconditional bail and is scheduled for sentencing at Bolton Crown Court on April 17.

Details of Rigby’s previous offenses emerged during his 2017 trial. It was revealed that he had stopped his car on a street in Wigan, alongside a group of five or six girls, all aged 15. He asked one girl if she could fix his phone, but she declined. Rigby then expressed a desire that they were all over 18 and made a lewd remark to the 15-year-old girl. The following day, the girl received Facebook messages from Rigby, encouraging her to engage in sexual acts. He also asked her to delete the messages, which she did, but she later confided in her parents, leading to Rigby’s arrest.

During the trial, Rigby denied the charges, claiming that the girls must have misheard him when he approached them on the street. He insisted that he was discussing reincarnation and denied sending any inappropriate messages via Facebook. Despite his denials, the jury found him guilty of the charges.

Following the court proceedings, one of the girl’s parents expressed their distress, stating, “As a result of what happened to my daughter, I saw her change almost overnight. My little girl, who was happy and confident, disappeared and in her place was a closed and quiet child. I found this heartbreaking and difficult to deal with because I didn’t know how to make it better for her. As a family, we have experienced many emotions throughout this investigation, but we are eased by the fact the case has been heard in court and we can achieve some closure.”