Convicted child rapist who fled to North Devon is back behind bars

A convicted child rapist and registered sex offender from Blackburn who fled police and attempted to start a new life in North Devon is back behind bars.

Stephen Pennington, 38, from Botlon Road, Blackburn, evaded police in Lancashire for a number of weeks before being tracked to an address in Bideford.

Pennington was sentenced to three years and nine months in prison at Exeter Crown Court on Thursday, March 26 for multiple offences of breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and failure to comply with Sex Offender Notification Requirements.

It following a joint investigation by public protection officers from Lancashire Police and Devon and Cornwall Police.

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On October 2, 2025 Devon and Cornwall Police officers were contacted by Lancashire Police with intelligence to suggest Pennington had made his way to an address in Bideford having left Blackburn without the permission of his offender manager.

He was located and arrested in Bideford within four hours of the report being received.

He was subsequently charged and remanded in custody.

Pennington is a registered sex offender having previously been convicted of child sex offences including rape of a child.

Police said he fled Blackburn having breached a number of restrictions placed upon him including using social media sites he hadn't registered and not retaining his internet history.

Sergeant Stuart Baker, from North Devon MOSOVO (Management of Sexual and Violent Offenders) Team said: “I welcome the sentence given to Pennington last week at Exeter Crown Court.

“Our join investigation and work with MOSOVO colleagues from Lancashire Police led to a swift arrest and charge of a very dangerous individual, removing him from the streets of North Devon.

“I hope this sentence sends the strongest possible message that police forces will collaborate across borders to monitor, manage and mitigate the risk posed by such persons, bringing them to justice when they fail to comply with the legal requirements of orders imposed by the courts.”

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PC Jessica Swallow, from the Lancashire Police MOSOVO Team, added: "Pennington is a dangerous individual with numerous convictions for breaching his requirements.

“In this instance he believed he could start a new life at the other end of the country and evade police management. He was wrong.

“I welcome the sentence he received in Exeter last week. This investigation is a fantastic example of two police forces working together to protect vulnerable people and send a registered sex offender back to prison.”