Map shows number of registered sex offenders in your area
The number of sex offenders living in Merseyside continues to rise and has reached record levels. There were 2,036 registered sex offenders living in the Merseyside police force area at the end of March 2024.
Merseyside has 158 registered sex offenders for every 100,000 people. Compared to March 2023, the number of sex offenders in the region rose slightly from 2,034 and was the highest on record.
The number has almost doubled over the past 13 years, since the police force level figures were first published at the end of 2010/11. The figures released by the Ministry of Justice on October 31, 2024 cover offenders managed by Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) aimed at preventing further offences.
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Sex offenders are required to notify the police of certain details, with further notification required if any of those details change, sometimes referred to as ‘being on the sex offenders register.' There were a total of 70,052 in England and Wales as a whole in the year to March 2024, up from 68,357 a year earlier.
Sex Offender Unit manager, Detective Inspector Katie Coote, said: “Merseyside Police is committed to identifying sex offenders and bringing them to justice. We have a number of teams within the force whose role is to protect vulnerable people and identify and pursue offenders.
"These include the Child Criminal and Sexual Exploitation Team (CCSET), the Online Child Abuse Investigation Team (OCAIT) and the Unity team which investigates rape and sexual offences.
“We also work closely with other partner agencies to carry out investigations, detect offenders and support victim-survivors. It is thanks to these teams and cross-partnership working that the numbers of offenders we have brought to justice continues to grow.
“We know that a multi-agency approach to managing sex offenders also provides greater opportunities to reduce the risk of harm, minimises opportunities to reoffend and safeguards children and vulnerable adults and we are robust in our commitment to monitoring and managing offenders living on Merseyside.
“The sex offender team undertakes investigations into higher risk sex offenders and also take a proactive approach to applying for and managing a range of civil orders designed to restrict opportunities for registered sex offenders to commit further offences, such as Sexual Harm Prevention Orders, Sexual Risk Orders, Foreign Travel Orders and Notification Orders.
“The team also works closely with specialist departments including the High-Tech Crime Unit, Abusive Images Unit and Unity. We want the public of Merseyside to feel confident in the work that we continue to do on a daily basis to protect our communities and support victim-survivors.
“Anyone that has been a victim of a sexual offence, or suspects this has happened to someone they know, should come forward and speak to us. We have a team of dedicated staff who will expertly and compassionately deal with your reports and we will do everything we can continue to bring offenders to justice.”
You can see how your area compares using our interactive map:
Information can be passed via 101, @MerPolCC on Twitter, or anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. You can also report rape, sexual assault and other sexual offences anonymously here: https://www.merseyside.police.uk/ro/report/rsa/alpha-v1/advice/rape-sexual-assault-and-other-sexual-offences/how-to-report-rape-sexual-assault-other-sexual-offences/
There is a lot of support available from specialist officers within Merseyside Police and through the Police and Crime Commissioner’s Victim Care Merseyside service delivered jointly by two registered charities.
In Liverpool, Sefton and Wirral, support is provided by Rape and Sexual Abuse Support (RASA) Merseyside who are available on 0151 558 1801 and, in St Helens and Knowsley, by the Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Centre (RASASC) Cheshire and Merseyside who can be contacted on 01925 221 546 or 0330 363 0063.