March 2017 Former Hull Stingrays ice hockey star Tom Squires jailed for sex offences against young girls A former Hull Stingrays ice hockey player has been jailed for more than five years after admitting a string of child sex offences. Thomas Squires, 26, has been described as a “predatory” offender after he admitted four counts of inciting sexual activity with a child and one count of sexual activity with a child. He was sentenced to five years and four months at Sheffield Crown Court on Friday. His offences relate to five victims, who cannot be named for legal reasons, and all were girls under the age of 16. Some of them happened during his time with the Stingrays between 2012 and 2014. Police said Squires approached his victims via social media and requested sexual images from them. They told the BBC how he used his “power” to sexually groom the girls. Squires, Steven Crescent, Chapeltown, was released by then Stingrays’ manager Bobby McEwan in January 2014. Weeks earlier he had suffered a blood clot in the eye after being hit with a hockey puck. A former top prospect who had played for Great Britain, Squires had joined the Hull club in November 2012 after leaving Sheffield Steelers. At the time a source at the club told the Sheffield Star Squire’s play had been affected by “fans telling him he was a superstar’. Squires hit back accusing the club of trying to “assassinate his character”. Squires, from Chapeltown, near Sheffield, will appear before Sheffield Crown Court on Tuesday, March 7, to be sentenced. The court had heard the offences took place “in the Sheffield area” between 2011 and 2016. Hull Stingrays went into liquidation in 2015 and were succeeded by the Hull Pirates. January 2017 Former Hull Stingrays ice hockey star admits sexual offences against girls A former Hull Stingrays ice hockey player has admitted sex offences against girls. Tom Squires is facing prison for the offences, some of which happened during his time as a Stingrays striker between 2012 and 2014. Squires, 26, admitted four counts of inciting sexual activity with a child and one count of sexual activity with a child. The charges relate to five victims, girls who were under the age of 16. Squires was released by then Stingrays’ manager Bobby McEwan in January 2014. Weeks earlier he had suffered a blood clot in the eye after being hit with a hockey puck. A former top prospect who had played for Great Britain, Squires had joined the Hull club in November 2012 after leaving Sheffield Steelers. At the time a source at the club told the Sheffield Star Squire’s play had been affected by “fans telling him he was a superstar’. Squires hit back accusing the club of trying to “assassinate his character”. Squires, from Chapeltown, near Sheffield, will appear before Sheffield Crown Court on Tuesday, March 7, to be sentenced. The court had heard the offences took place “in the Sheffield area” between 2011 and 2016. Hull Stingrays went into liquidation in 2015 and were succeeded by the Hull Pirates.