Registered sex offender jailed after being caught by Live Facial Recognition camera

This is the moment a registered sex offender was identified by Live Facial Recognition (LFR) technology.

John Thompson was on our watchlist and spotted by one of the LFR cameras in Piccadilly Gardens on 28 January.

When he was approached by officers following the alert, Thompson admitted having an extra mobile phone in his possession, which breaches his Sexual Harm Protection Order (SHPO) and led to his arrest. 

Thompson, (10/06/1982), from Manchester, was in court this week after admitting to a total of 35 breaches of his SHPO and a breach of his sex offender notification requirements.

He was jailed for 16 months when he appeared at Manchester Crown Court on Tuesday (03/03/2026). He was also ordered to pay £187 costs.

Without LFR, this level of non‑compliance could easily have gone unnoticed, leaving both the risk and Thompson's behaviour hidden.

We have been using LFR since October 2025, with 20% of arrests being for registered sex offenders and three-quarters of suspects being charged with offences.

The vans have been supplied by the Home Office and will be used by forces across the north west.

Inspector Jon Middleton said: “This is a great result and shows exactly why we are using Live Facial Recognition not only across Greater Manchester but further afield in the north west.

“LFR bolsters our policing teams to protect the public, locate individuals who are wanted by the courts, and ensure offenders continue to comply with the conditions placed upon them.
“From a policing perspective, LFR gives us the ability to act swiftly and decisively.

“When a match is confirmed, officers can intervene before a suspect has the opportunity to commit further offences, significantly reducing the risk to innocent members of the public.

“This is a proactive tool that enhancer rather than replaces the work of our neighbourhood policing teams.

“It allows us to be in the right place at the right time, focusing our resources where they are most needed.

“We will continue to deploy LFR across Greater Manchester in a responsible, proportionate manner to support local officers, safeguard our communities, and bring wanted individuals into custody.”

The vans will next be deployed in Rochdale on Thursday 12 March and Manchester city centre the following day.

Detective Superintendent Jen Tattersall, from GMP's Public Protection Division, said: "Live Facial Recognition is strengthening how we manage Registered Sex Offenders across Greater Manchester.  

"It enables us to identify, in real time, individuals who are breaching licence conditions, entering prohibited areas, or ignoring Sexual Harm Prevention Order restrictions. 

"In this case, LFR meant officers could intervene swiftly, uncovering an additional mobile phone in the offender’s possession which was an explicit breach of his SHPO.

"This is exactly why we use LFR; it gives us a more proactive, intelligence‑led, and robust approach to managing sexual offenders, closing down risk quickly and helping keep the public safe."