In 2025, the Offender Database recorded that former soldiers Liam Ramsay (46) and Stephen Hurst (40) were jailed for 11 years and 9 years respectively for the sexual abuse of a 15-year-old girl in their care. The victim, who had been moved 300 miles from Caerphilly, south Wales, to an unregistered care facility in Durham to escape exploitation, was subjected to a hours-long ordeal on 4 October 2024. It was reported that the facility, operated by MAP Adventures, was not a registered care home but was being used by Caerphilly Council for a placement that exceeded legal time limits.
The investigation established that Ramsay and Hurst, both recruited as care workers despite having seven previous convictions between them, plying the girl with alcohol and cocaine. Durham Police reported that the pair took the child into Durham city centre pubs, using personal bank cards to buy wine and cocktails to avoid detection. The prosecution reported that after returning to the unregistered home, the men supplied her with Class A drugs and subjected her to physical and sexual abuse, including intentional strangulation, throughout the night.
Judicial Findings and Investigative Detail
The court reported that the victim was the only child at the property and was being supervised solely by the two male ex-soldiers, with no female staff requested by the placing council. Teesside Crown Court heard that the girl fled the home the following morning and was located by police at a nearby train station. The investigation established that Ramsay had a prior substantiated allegation of neglect from 2023 involving another child in an unregistered home, yet he remained in a position of trust at MAP Adventures.
Judge-led proceedings highlighted the “bleak irony” of a vulnerable child being moved across the country for safety only to be abused by those tasked with her protection. For their actions in Durham, both men were found guilty of sexual activity with a child and supplying Class A drugs. The judge noted that the placement was technically a “holiday break” that had illegally extended into its 29th day, reflecting a catastrophic failure in oversight by Caerphilly Council and a lack of transparency regarding unregistered provision.
Status and Statutory Requirements
For the records reported in England and Wales, the status of the offenders as of April 4, 2026, was as follows:
- Custodial Status: SERVING (Ramsay: 11 years; Hurst: 9 years; sentenced 2025).
- Sex Offenders Register: Notification requirements are active for life.
- Military Status: Former Army Sniper (Hurst); Former Army Sergeant (Ramsay).
- Legal Status: CONVICTED (Sexual activity with a child; Intentional strangulation; Supplying Class A drugs).
- Judicial Oversight: Sentenced at Teesside Crown Court; investigated by Durham Police.
- Criminal Record: Multiple violent offences; Sexual abuse of a minor; Drug distribution.
- Origin: MAP Adventures, Durham; placement by Caerphilly Council, Wales.
Monitoring and Public Protection
Hurst and Ramsay are managed as high-risk registered sex offenders within the prison estate and the Durham area. Due to the nature of their conduct, which involved the predatory abuse of a traumatised child while acting as professional carers, their management is a maximum priority for MAPPA (Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements). Authorities state that the failure of background checks to flag six out of seven previous convictions highlights a systemic risk in the recruitment of staff for unregistered children’s homes.
As registered sex offenders for life, their details are permanently logged on the national police database. Authorities state that MAP Adventures has since closed, and the Durham Safeguarding Children Partnership is reviewing the “safety planning” failures that allowed two men with histories of violence and neglect to supervise a vulnerable girl overnight. Any eventual release of Hurst or Ramsay will be subject to the most stringent licence conditions to ensure the safety of the public from their demonstrated pattern of predatory and violent behaviour.
QUESTION – Given that the council placed a child in an unregistered home 300 miles away where she was abused, do you believe that “Council Directors of Children’s Services” should be held personally and criminally liable for any sexual abuse that occurs in illegal placements they have authorized?
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