June 2019 Former police officer helped sex-offender boyfriend evade police A former police officer who was sacked for knowingly being in a relationship with a registered sex offender has been jailed for helping him evade police. Tara Woodley, 34, was dismissed from her position as a police constable with Cambridgeshire Constabulary in December 2016 after she was found to have breached the Standards of Professional Behaviour around discreditable conduct. In April 2018 a wanted appeal was issued for 36-year-old Shaun Fox (pictured), Woodley’s partner, after police received allegations he had committed further sexual offences and breached his sex offender notification requirements. Officers had been told the registered sex offender had incited a child to engage in sexual activity, as well as leaving his registered home address and failing to update the police as to his whereabouts. Despite several public appeals to locate Fox and five visits to Woodley’s home in Werrington, Peterborough, he remained outstanding for four months. On each visit to her home, Woodley denied knowing where Fox was and told officers she hadn’t heard from him. On one occasion she went as far as to say she thought he may have killed himself because of the nationwide public appeal to find him. On 1 August officers obtained a warrant to search Woodley’s home address where they found Fox hiding inside a wardrobe naked, with a kitchen knife and a mobile phone. Both Fox and Woodley were arrested. In interview, Woodley told officers whenever someone knocked on her front door Fox would get straight in her wardrobe before she answered the door. After being shown CCTV footage of her buying a mobile phone in Queensgate shopping centre, Woodley admitted this was her and that Fox had pressured her into buying it for him to use while he was hiding from police. The receipt and box were for the same phone found with Fox at his time of arrest. Woodley was charged with assisting an offender, while Fox was charged with inciting a child under the age of 13 to engage in sexual activity, two counts of failing to comply with notification requirements of the Sex Offenders Register and four counts of breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO). On 28 January, Fox appeared at Peterborough Crown Court and was sentenced to a total of five years in prison, extended for four years on licence. His existing Sexual Harm Prevention Order has been amended to prevent him from having any contact with a female under 16 and he has also been made subject of a ten-year restraining order against the victim and members of her family. Woodley appeared at Peterborough Crown Court today (Friday, 14 June) after admitting the charge against her at a previous hearing. She was sentenced to four months in prison. Detective Sergeant Paul Stimpson, from the north Public Protection Unit, said: “My team and I continuously work in an environment of managing constant risk, having to deal with the most divisive, manipulative and dangerous offenders within our community. “The sentencing reflects the severity of Fox’s offending and highlights the continuous threat he poses to young people.” May 2018 Wanted child sex offender still on the run More photos have been released of this wanted child sex offender. Cambridgeshire Police are still hunting for Shaun Fox. The 35-year-old is wanted in connection with causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity. Officers launched an appeal last month to track Fox down. But so far he’s not been caught by police and he could have travelled to Fenland or Norfolk. Anyone with information about Fox’s whereabouts is urged to contact police by calling 101. Update: Has now been released and is living back in the woodston area of Peterborough July 2009 Man groomed three girls over internet A Peterborough judge has warned parents of the dangers of social networking Internet sites after jailing a 25-year-old sexual predator for grooming three young teenage girls. Judge Nicholas Coleman said parents should monitor their children when they are using sites such as Bebo, MSN and Facebook after sentencing Shaun Fox to four years in prison. Peterborough Crown Court heard how Fox, of Wainwright, Werrington, Peterborough, struck up conversations with three girls, aged 13 and 14 years old, on Bebo and MSN, pretending to be much younger than he was, and even giving a false name. Thomas Elmer, prosecuting, told the court how Fox – who was living with his girlfriend and baby son at the time – had persuaded the three teenagers to meet him. Mr Elmer said: “His first contact with the first victim was in August 2007 via the social networking site Bebo. He said he was 17, and called Dan. “He persuaded her to meet in person, and then started sending explicit messages. They started to meet up on a regular basis, and that is where the sexual contact began. “He started to make contact with the second victim at the beginning of this year. “Fox made contact through the internet site MSN. From the outset he knew she was 13, but he said he was 21, when in fact he was 25. “They started to meet once a week at his house when his partner was out.” Mr Elmer explained there had been the same pattern for the third victim. However, he was caught out when the victim had an argument with her mother. After the argument the mother checked the text messages on her daughter’s mobile phone, and discovered an explicit text from Fox. The mother then contacted police. Sentencing, Judge Coleman told Fox that the law was intended to protect youngsters from predators such as him. He said: “What you did shows the problems of social networking sites, and parents should monitor their children’s use of these sites with great care. “At the time you were suffering from depression – this was not a solution. “You have displayed manipulative and predatory behaviour. “You do present a risk of serious harm in the future.” Fox pleaded guilty to seven counts of sexual activity with a child, and one count of grooming. He was given a four-year sentence for each count, to be served concurrently. He was placed on the sexual offenders’ register and disqualified from working with children for life. Fox was also given a sexual prevention order, preventing him from being in the company of girls under the age of 16 without permission from their parents, or from using social networking sites to contact girls aged under 16.