In 2018, the Offender Database recorded that 22-year-old serial sex offender Declan Stirling was jailed for 20 months after infiltrating a carers’ charity to gain access to children. Stirling—of Tankerville Street, Hartlepool, County Durham—was sentenced at Teesside Crown Court following a series of calculated breaches of his court orders. It was reported that the investigation began after a parent grew suspicious of Stirling’s persistent attention and his inappropriate offer to take young children swimming.
The investigation established that Stirling had a “worrying history” of sexual offending against both boys and girls, dating back to 2010. Teesside Crown Court heard that despite being subject to a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO), Stirling created a Facebook account under the false name “Dwayne Johnson” to contact a minor. The prosecution reported that after his release from a Young Offenders’ Institution in 2017, he joined a charity for carers, deliberately hiding his status as a registered sex offender to attend parties and offer child-minding services to vulnerable families.
Judicial Findings and Investigative Detail
The court reported that Stirling continued to hold “dangerously delusional” views regarding his previous victims. Teesside Crown Court heard that Stirling still maintained a six-year-old girl had “consented” to his 2016 sexual assaults, a claim the judge said proved Stirling had no concept of informed consent or acceptable boundaries. The investigation established that Stirling had “pressurised” a father within the charity and only stopped his advances when the parent severed contact and discovered Stirling’s true identity through a third party.
Judge Stephen Ashurst presided over the sentencing, expressing deep concern over the risk Stirling presented to the public in Hartlepool and beyond. For his actions in County Durham, Stirling admitted to five counts of breaching his SHPO and one count of failing to comply with notification requirements. He was jailed for 20 months, and his SHPO was upgraded from 10 years to an indefinite term, as the judge ruled that Stirling’s persistent defiance of court orders made him a long-term threat to children.
Status and Statutory Requirements
For the records reported in County Durham, the status of Declan Stirling as of April 6, 2026, was as follows:
- Custodial Status: RELEASED (Served 20-month term; sentenced 2018; released on licence circa 2019).
- Sex Offenders Register: Notification requirements are active for life.
- SHPO Status: Indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order active for life.
- DBS Status: Placed on the Barring List (Indefinite ban on working with children).
- Legal Status: CONVICTED (Breaching a SHPO; Failing to comply with notification requirements; 6 counts total).
- Judicial Oversight: Sentenced at Teesside Crown Court; investigated by Cleveland Police.
- Criminal Record: Sexual assault on a boy (2010); Sexual activity in presence of a child (2013); Assault on a 6-year-old (2016); Multiple SHPO breaches; Use of alias “Dwayne Johnson.”
- Origin: Tankerville Street, Hartlepool, County Durham.
Monitoring and Public Protection
Stirling is managed as a maximum-risk registered sex offender within the Hartlepool area following his release from prison. Due to the nature of his conduct—specifically his “predatory infiltration” of a charity to bypass safeguarding checks—his management is a critical priority for the Cleveland Police Public Protection Unit. Authorities state that his refusal to accept the illegality of his 2016 crimes demonstrates a high probability of reoffending and a complete lack of reform.
As a registered sex offender for life, the then 22-year-old’s details are permanently logged on the national police database. Authorities state that his indefinite SHPO includes a total ban on the use of aliases and an absolute prohibition from joining any organisation, charitable or otherwise, that involves contact with children or vulnerable adults. Any future residence in Hartlepool or County Durham will be strictly monitored, and any attempt to offer child-minding or swimming trips will result in immediate arrest to ensure the ongoing safety of the public from his demonstrated pattern of deceptive grooming.
QUESTION – Given that the offender used a “Carers’ Charity” to gain the trust of parents and target their children, do you believe that charities should be legally required to run mandatory DBS checks on every individual who joins, regardless of whether they are in a formal staff role?
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