Man jailed for 11 years for sexual offences

A Telford man has been jailed for 11 years for a number of sexual offences, including rape.

Nathan Barnes, of Dalford Court in Hollinswood, pleaded guilty to eight charges in January this year, which were:

• Distributing indecent photographs of a child
• Making indecent images of children  –  Cat A images
• Making indecent images of children – Cat B images
• Two counts of making indecent images of children – Cat C images.
• Possessing a prohibited image of a child
• Distributing indecent images of a child
• Threatening to disclose private sexual photographs with intent to cause distress

The 26-year-old denied two counts of rape and one count of sexual assault, but was found guilty by a jury following a five-day trial held later in January 2025.

Barnes was arrested in February 2023 after allegations were made to police. An investigation was launched which found the indecent images on his devices after they were seized.

The court later heard during the trial that the rapes and sexual offences took place in Telford against a woman.

Barnes was given an 11-year custodial sentence at Shrewsbury Crown Court last Thursday (February 27).

Detective Constable Ben Hopwood, from Telford’s Reactive CID, said: “Barnes is a dangerous individual who poses a significant threat to women and society.

“We welcome the sentence that the judge handed to him last week, as it also means he can no longer share or make indecent images of children.

“I would like to commend his victim for coming forward and reporting these crimes, as it takes a lot of courage and strength, and I would like to thank her for her bravery throughout the investigation and trial.”

If you have been affected by child sexual abuse, or sexual assault you can contact police on 101 and speak to a police officer in confidence.

We recognise that not everyone has the confidence to speak to police, but there are support services available that can help you if you are a victim of abuse.

Anyone who has experienced abuse in childhood or is concerned about a child can contact the NSPCC helpline confidentially on 0808 800 5000 or email [email protected]. Children can contact Childline on 0800 1111.

Help and support is also available via the confidential Stop It Now helpline – part of the Lucy Faithfull Foundation. Further details of this can be found on the Stop It Now website here: https://www.stopitnow.org.uk/.

RJ, Corporate Communications