Authorities Find Convicted Pedophile Deceased In Jail Cell

A convicted pedophile accused of raping and torturing children was found dead inside a United Kingdom prison cell.

Andrew Hadwin, 39, was awaiting sentencing for his alleged sex crimes when he was found deceased.

Hadwin’s alleged crimes included “three counts of rape, seven counts of neglect, and one count of perverting the course of justice,” according to The Blaze.

His partner, Cheryl Pickles, 35, was “found guilty of five counts of child cruelty and one of perverting the course of justice.”

Paedophile Andrew Hadwin who tortured and raped children has been found dead in jail https://t.co/w2swU1dhuK pic.twitter.com/nR6XUfmdZV

— The Sun (@TheSun) February 3, 2023

Andrew Hadwin, 39, was found dead at HMP Durham prison – weeks after he was convicted of child neglect and rape. https://t.co/dMskfRzY2B

— An Open Secret (@AnOpenSecret) February 4, 2023

The Blaze reported:

Hadwin and Pickles were scheduled to be sentenced on April 28.

However, Hadwin was found dead inside his cell at the HM Prison Durham on Thursday, according to the U.K. Ministry of Justice.

The cause of the convicted pedophile’s death was not immediately known.

A prison spokesperson said, “As with all deaths in custody, the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman will investigate.”

Authorities were tipped off about alleged child abuse carried out by Hadwin and Pickles in 2018 after one of the children told another adult about the disturbing torture.

The Daily Mail described the horrific crimes:

Hadwin and his partner Cheryl Pickles tormented children over several years – starving them, feeding them soap and pushing them into boiling hot showers and baths.

The couple malnourished the children until they were so hungry that they walked for miles to scavenge through supermarket bins for food. Meanwhile the pair would order takeaways and make the children watch them eat while forced to stand in stress positions for long periods of time.

Other abuse included locking the youngsters in a cupboard and dangling one terrified child over a motorway bridge.

Andrew Hadwin and Cheryl Pickles forced children to eat soap, locked them in cupboards, and forced them into boiling hot showers and baths. https://t.co/I4MFHv9PwD

— ITV News (@itvnews) January 19, 2023

MEAWW added:

Medical experts told the court how the children regularly sustained painful injuries, and one of them was left with life-limiting injuries stemming from the abuse. Hadwin and Pickles reportedly wrote letters, which were handed to law enforcement, claiming to be from the children in which they appeared to apologize for lying. They also made false allegations of sexual assault by professionals working to support them. A handwriting expert later confirmed the writings were not that of a child and had actually been written in a notebook found at the couple’s Bowburn residence.

Jurors deliberated for three days and concluded that Hadwin was guilty of three counts of rape, seven counts of neglect, and one count of perverting the course of justice. Meanwhile, Pickles was found guilty of five counts of child cruelty and one of perverting the course of justice. That said, both were found not guilty of sexual activity with a child. The pair was subsequently remanded in custody to be sentenced on April 28 at the same court.

“This was an extremely complex and distressing investigation for all involved, the likes of which I have never encountered during my time as a police officer. Hadwin and Pickles subjected several vulnerable children to multiple forms of abuse, robbing them of their childhood, and undoubtedly leaving them with psychological wounds which they may never truly recover from,” Detective Constable Kat Pudney, of Durham Constabulary’s Safeguarding Unit, said of the alleged child abuse.

“I want to highlight how incredibly brave these children have been throughout this lengthy investigation – their strength to stand up to their abusers must be commended.”