Convicted child sex offender worked illegally as security guard
A man deemed a child sex offender has been given a suspended sentence after lying about his offences to work as a security guard in Cardiff.
Soltan May worked twice during October and November 2023 at Freightliner, a rail freight company. He failed to notify the Security Industry Authority (SIA) or his employer that he was a registered sex offender and continued to present himself as eligible to work as a security guard.
South Wales Police notified the SIA in November 2023 of Mr May’s criminal conviction. Once Mr May’s sexual offences were identified, the SIA immediately suspended his licence and launched a criminal investigation. Criminal record checks are conducted on all SIA licence applicants. Mr May had no previous convictions when he applied for his SIA licence.
He entered a guilty plea at Cardiff Magistrates’ Court on 18 July 2024 and was sentenced on 24 September 2024 to an 8-week custodial sentence, suspended for 12 months. The court ordered him to pay a victim surcharge of £154 and £2,700 prosecution costs.
He must also undertake 20 Rehabilitation Activity Requirement days and 60 hours of unpaid work in the community.
Mark Chapman, Criminal Investigations Manager at the SIA, said:
This is another example of close partnership working addressing potential risks to public safety. Security operatives play a vital front line role keeping people safe. It is for this reason we have rigorous licensing criteria in place to make sure licence holders can be trusted to hold these positions of authority.
Mr May concealed from us the fact he had a criminal conviction and posed a risk to the public. He is not fit to hold a licence. We took swift action to suspend his licence when his conviction became known to us, and he will not be able to work in the security industry in the future.
When sentencing, District Judge Murphy said:
This offence is aggravated due to the nature of your convictions, as you would not have been able to work had you disclosed them.
There is an abuse of trust given your position as a doorman as you have to protect vulnerable persons.
Mr May was convicted in February 2023 of a child sex offence and was placed on the Sex Offenders List. He was already a licence holder at the time of this conviction.
Licence holders must notify the SIA of any convictions identified as relevant offences.
Notes to editors
The offence relating to the Fraud Act 2006 that is mentioned above is:
- Section 3 – Fraud by failing to disclose information
Further information
The Security Industry Authority is the regulator of the UK’s private security industry. Our purpose is to protect the public through effective regulation of the private security industry and working with partners to raise standards across the sector. We are responsible for licensing people who do certain jobs in the private security industry and for approving private security companies who wish to be part of our voluntary Approved Contractor Scheme.
The SIA is an executive non-departmental public body, sponsored by the Home Office. For more information, visit: www.gov.uk/sia.
You can also find us on LinkedIn @Security Industry Authority, Facebook @theSIAUK, YouTube @TheSIAUK and X (formerly known as Twitter) @SIAuk.