A Croxteth Paedophile from Liverpool, Joel Dever, convicted of child sex offences, following a report by hotel personnel, has been sentenced to imprisonment today, Thursday, 3 July.
Joel Dever, 25 years old, received a sentence of five years and three months in jail at Liverpool Crown Court.
He was additionally subjected to a lifelong restraining order and is mandated to register on the Sex Offender Register for life.
Joel Dever, residing on Good Shepherd Close in Croxteth, admitted guilt to several child sexual offences, encompassing six charges of sexual conduct with a minor, planning or enabling a child sex offence, and five counts of producing indecent photos of a child classified as category A, B, or C movies.
The sentencing today pertains to charges of child sexual abuse. Joel Dever perpetrated the act in 2023 at the age of 22.
Joel Dever encountered a 14-year-old girl on a social media platform and maintained a sexual contact with her for over a year, frequently reserving hotel accommodations for both in Liverpool and Southport.
Detective Constable Soph Lowe from the Sefton Protecting Vulnerable People Unit stated, “We collaborate closely with hotels and bars to enhance awareness of child sexual exploitation.” Hotel personnel have been specifically trained to recognise indicators of child sexual exploitation and the appropriate procedures for reporting such matters to law enforcement.
“In this instance, Joel Dever’s predatory and vile behaviour was found out when hotel staff at one establishment raised concerns about the girl’s age and called police.
“The victim and her family have shown immense courage and bravery throughout the investigation to reach this conviction.
“Today’s custodial sentence has removed him from the streets to prevent further harm to anyone else. I hope Joel Dever spends his time in prison reflecting on his wholly unacceptable behaviour.”
Det Con Lowe added: “I hope his imprisonment encourages other victims to come forward and report sex offences to us, and demonstrates that they can have confidence in us to take reports seriously. We will ensure offenders are put before the courts so that they can pay for their crimes.
““Anyone who has been a victim of a sexual offence, or is concerned for the safety of someone they know or suspects someone to be engaging in this criminal activity, 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 to bring offenders to justice.
“Time is no barrier to reporting offences and I would urge anyone who has been victim of a sexual offence at any time to come forward and we will do everything we can to help and support them.”
If you are a child or young person suffering sexual or physical abuse, the following organisations can also provide help and support:
- NSPCC – call 0808 800 5000 or e-mail help@nspcc.org.uk.
- Childline – call 0800 1111
If you’ve been affected by sexual violence of any kind don’t be afraid to tell someone, find the courage to come forward and get the help you deserve.
You can 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.
If you or anyone you know have been affected by the people highlighted in this website, then please report those individuals to the Police on 101 (999 if an emergency) or visit their online resources for further details of the options for reporting a crime. You can also make a report at Crimestoppers should you wish to be completely anonymous. There is help available on our support links page.