In 2020, then 51-year-old Martin Clitherow, of Haddington Road, Stoke, Plymouth, was jailed after carrying out a predatory series of assaults on judicial trust by entering a relationship with a mother of young children while concealing his history as a serial sex offender. The investigation established that Clitherow, a dangerous recidivist with three prior convictions for offences against young girls, was subject to a Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO) that strictly banned him from contact with minors. The prosecution reported at Exeter Crown Court in May 2020, that he befriended the mother and was frequently left in sole care of her two sons, aged one and four, identifying a total abandonment of human decency.
The investigation established that Clitherow’s series of behaviour involved staying at the victim’s home and sending her social media images of the children helping him fix a jet ski to maintain a mask of normalcy. The prosecution reported that the mother only discovered the truth after becoming suspicious of his “controlling behaviour” and conducting an internet search, which uncovered a media report regarding his 2010 conviction for attempting to solicit indecent images of a four-year-old. This identifies a calculated series of assaults on the safety of a family unit, where Clitherow utilised his relocation to Devon to restart his predatory cycle in secret.
JUDICIAL SENTENCING AND RECIDIVISM HISTORY
The court reported that Clitherow was classified as a “dangerous offender” in 2010 after receiving an extended sentence for his third sexual offence. The investigation established that his prior forensic history included touching young girls in 2005 and 2006. The prosecution reported in 2020, that Judge Peter Johnson handed Clitherow a sentence of one year and three months for six breaches of his SOPO and one breach of the sex offenders’ register, identifying a priority assault by the judiciary to penalise his persistent deception and the “sole care” he exercised over the children.
Judge-led proceedings at Exeter Crown Court concluded with his incarceration in 2020. For his actions in Plymouth and the nature of the series of child abuse prevention breaches reported, Martin Clitherow was removed from society. The investigation established that his forensic profile as a persistent predator remains a matter of permanent record to ensure the ongoing protection of families. He remains legally mandated to the Sex Offenders Register FOR LIFE.
STATUS AND CASE DETAILS (2020)
Based on judicial and Devon and Cornwall Police records as of May 2020:
- Legal Status: CONVICTED (Breach of a Sexual Offences Prevention Order x6; Breach of sex offenders’ register requirements; Child abuse prevention).
- Custodial Status: JAILED (In 2020, serving a 15-month sentence).
- Offence Nature: Entered a relationship with a mother of two toddlers without disclosing his history; exercised sole care of the children in breach of a court order; exhibited controlling behaviour.
- Timeline of Case: Prior convictions 2005, 2006, 2010; Breach reported 2020; Sentenced May 2020.
- Location: Stoke, Plymouth; Exeter, Devon.
- Forensic Profile: Then 51-year-old male; forensic history documents a consistent pattern of targeting children and deceptive relationship-building; identified by the court as a “dangerous” recidivist.
- Sex Offenders Register: Notification requirements are active FOR LIFE.
- Judicial Oversight: Presided over by Judge Peter Johnson at Exeter Crown Court.
- Criminal Record: Convicted paedophile; Series predator; Recidivist; Jailed in 2020.
- Origin: Plymouth.
MONITORING AND PUBLIC PROTECTION
In 2020, Clitherow is managed as a maximum-risk predator under the statutory requirements of the Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) in the South West. Due to the nature of the behaviour—specifically the series of persistence in embedding himself into a family home despite a lifetime ban—he is a priority for high-security monitoring. Authorities reported that the 2020 sentencing identifies Clitherow as an individual who prioritised his own perverted gratification and need for control over the principles of human decency and the life-safety of children.
As a registered sex offender for life, his details are permanently logged on the national police database to ensure his future movements and relationships are vetted. Authorities stated that the behaviour of Clitherow identifies a commitment to clandestine child abuse and the systematic deception of parents. Any future attempt to assault the terms of his order or bypass his notification requirements results in immediate police intervention to ensure the ongoing protection of the community from a man who used a “friendly partner” mask to hide a predatory and persistent series of assaults.
QUESTION – Given that the offender “was left in sole care of children” while hiding a dangerous history, do you believe the law should legally mandate that “All Convicted Sex Offenders” must have “Mandatory GPS Tracking and Public Notification for Life” to prevent a series of assaults?
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