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Justice / child sexual exploitation / violence / Operation Stovewood

David Fish

Violent crime and serial killers

Documented profile covering 14 controversies, including “2007: approaches girl aged approximately 15 in park and exchanges contact details” and “2007–2010: grooming through gifts, drugs and alcohol”.

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Profile No. 1321 · Updated on 25 September 2026

14Documented controversies
4Sources
0Formal charge · all time
1Conviction

§ Legal statuses reflect the documented sources as of the date shown; they replace neither court decisions nor the presumption of innocence. Counts are not a rating. Methodology

I. Documented controversies

Case · 12 documented stages

26 September 2024: convicted of rape, unlawful wounding and causing/inciting child pornography or prostitution

Conviction
01

2024-09-26

26 September 2024: convicted of rape, unlawful wounding and causing/inciting child pornography or prostitution

Conviction

Following the trial, the jury found Fish guilty of one count of rape, unlawful wounding and causing or inciting child pornography or prostitution.

State of the evidence
Established by a court
Attribution
Accused

Sources · 2

  1. [1]
    Crown Prosecution ServiceOp Stovewood: Rotherham man found guilty of subjecting child to violence and sexual abuseProsecutor's statementVery high reliability
  2. [2]
    National Crime AgencyOperation Stovewood: Man guilty of raping and wounding 'infatuated' young girlOfficial documentVery high reliability

Last verified: 10 September 2026

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02

2024-09-26

26 September 2024: acquitted of two further rape counts

Acquitted / conviction overturned

The jury found Fish not guilty of two additional allegations of rape.

State of the evidence
Established by a court
Attribution
Accused

Sources · 1

  1. [1]
    National Crime AgencyOperation Stovewood: Man guilty of raping and wounding 'infatuated' young girlOfficial documentVery high reliability

Last verified: 10 September 2026

Add to this entry

03

2024-11-05

5 November 2024: sentenced to 12 years in prison

Conviction

Sheffield Crown Court sentenced David Fish to 12 years' imprisonment for the five offences established.

State of the evidence
Established by a court
Attribution
Accused

Sources · 2

  1. [1]
    National Crime Agency / Wired-Gov archiveOperation Stovewood: Man jailed for raping and wounding vulnerable girlOfficial documentVery high reliability
  2. [2]
    ITV News CalendarOperation Stovewood: Man jailed for raping and wounding vulnerable young girl in RotherhamPressHigh reliability

Last verified: 10 September 2026

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05

2020

2020: computer seized and sexual images of underage victim found

Conviction

The NCA seized Fish's computer and found sexually explicit images of the victim as a child, corroborating her account of the recordings.

State of the evidence
Documented
Attribution
Directly implicated

Sources · 2

  1. [1]
    National Crime Agency / Wired-Gov archiveOperation Stovewood: Man jailed for raping and wounding vulnerable girlOfficial documentVery high reliability
  2. [2]
    ITV News CalendarOperation Stovewood: Man jailed for raping and wounding vulnerable young girl in RotherhamPressHigh reliability

Last verified: 10 September 2026

Add to this entry

07

2007–2010

2007–2010: grooming through gifts, drugs and alcohol

Conviction

Fish used gifts, drugs and alcohol to strengthen the victim's attachment to him and manipulate her sexually.

State of the evidence
Established by a court
Attribution
Accused

Sources · 2

  1. [1]
    Crown Prosecution ServiceOp Stovewood: Rotherham man found guilty of subjecting child to violence and sexual abuseProsecutor's statementVery high reliability
  2. [2]
    National Crime Agency / Wired-Gov archiveOperation Stovewood: Man jailed for raping and wounding vulnerable girlOfficial documentVery high reliability

Last verified: 10 September 2026

Add to this entry

08

2007–2010

2007–2010: two residences used as places where young people could stay, drink, take drugs and play games

Conviction

During the period of offending, Fish lived at two addresses in Rotherham which he allowed young people and children to use for staying over, taking drugs, drinking and playing video games.

State of the evidence
Established by a court

Sources · 1

  1. [1]
    Crown Prosecution ServiceOp Stovewood: Rotherham man found guilty of subjecting child to violence and sexual abuseProsecutor's statementVery high reliability

Last verified: 10 September 2026

Add to this entry

09

2007–2010

2007–2010: escalation to physical violence and threats after first few months

Conviction

After several months, Fish became violent, striking and threatening the victim to control her and obtain sexual acts.

State of the evidence
Established by a court
Attribution
Accused

Sources · 1

  1. [1]
    Crown Prosecution ServiceOp Stovewood: Rotherham man found guilty of subjecting child to violence and sexual abuseProsecutor's statementVery high reliability

Last verified: 10 September 2026

Add to this entry

10

2008–2010

2008–2010: established rape, including incident in which victim woke during assault

Conviction

The victim described, among other incidents, waking up to discover Fish raping her. The jury convicted him of one count of rape.

State of the evidence
Established by a court
Attribution
Accused

Sources · 2

  1. [1]
    National Crime Agency / Wired-Gov archiveOperation Stovewood: Man jailed for raping and wounding vulnerable girlOfficial documentVery high reliability
  2. [2]
    National Crime AgencyOperation Stovewood: Man guilty of raping and wounding 'infatuated' young girlOfficial documentVery high reliability

Last verified: 10 September 2026

Add to this entry

11

2007–2010

2007–2010: degrading sexual acts recorded on phone and images shown to others

Conviction

Fish forced the minor to participate in degrading sexual acts, recorded them on his phone and showed the images to other people.

State of the evidence
Established by a court
Attribution
Accused

Sources · 2

  1. [1]
    Crown Prosecution ServiceOp Stovewood: Rotherham man found guilty of subjecting child to violence and sexual abuseProsecutor's statementVery high reliability
  2. [2]
    National Crime AgencyOperation Stovewood: Man guilty of raping and wounding 'infatuated' young girlOfficial documentVery high reliability

Last verified: 10 September 2026

Add to this entry

12

2009-11-02

2 November 2009: strikes victim with cup, causing wound requiring stitches

Conviction

During an incident involving jealousy, Fish smashed a cup against the victim's head with sufficient force to cause a wound requiring stitches.

State of the evidence
Established by a court
Attribution
Accused

Sources · 2

  1. [1]
    National Crime Agency / Wired-Gov archiveOperation Stovewood: Man jailed for raping and wounding vulnerable girlOfficial documentVery high reliability
  2. [2]
    ITV News CalendarOperation Stovewood: Man jailed for raping and wounding vulnerable young girl in RotherhamPressHigh reliability

Last verified: 10 September 2026

Add to this entry

13

2007-09-01 to 2008-03-25

2007–2008: two counts of sexual activity with a child

Conviction

Fish admitted two counts of sexual activity with a child concerning the initial phase of the abusive relationship.

State of the evidence
Admitted by the person
Attribution
Accused

Sources · 2

  1. [1]
    National Crime AgencyOperation Stovewood: Man guilty of raping and wounding 'infatuated' young girlOfficial documentVery high reliability
  2. [2]
    Crown Prosecution ServiceOp Stovewood: Rotherham man found guilty of subjecting child to violence and sexual abuseProsecutor's statementVery high reliability

Last verified: 10 September 2026

Add to this entry

14

2007

2007: approaches girl aged approximately 15 in park and exchanges contact details

Conviction

Fish approached the victim and her friends in a park when she was approximately 15 and living in a children's home, and exchanged phone numbers with her.

State of the evidence
Established by a court
Attribution
Accused

Sources · 2

  1. [1]
    Crown Prosecution ServiceOp Stovewood: Rotherham man found guilty of subjecting child to violence and sexual abuseProsecutor's statementVery high reliability
  2. [2]
    National Crime AgencyOperation Stovewood: Man guilty of raping and wounding 'infatuated' young girlOfficial documentVery high reliability

Last verified: 10 September 2026

Add to this entry

04

2020

2020: arrested after victim's account corroborated

Investigation

After obtaining the victim's account and corroborating evidence, investigators arrested Fish in 2020.

State of the evidence
Documented
Attribution
Accused

Sources · 1

  1. [1]
    National Crime Agency / Wired-Gov archiveOperation Stovewood: Man jailed for raping and wounding vulnerable girlOfficial documentVery high reliability

Last verified: 10 September 2026

Add to this entry

06

2018

2018: Operation Stovewood revisits victim's earlier police report

Investigation

Operation Stovewood investigators opened a new investigation after reviewing an earlier report the victim had made to police.

State of the evidence
Documented
Attribution
Directly implicated

Sources · 1

  1. [1]
    National Crime Agency / Wired-Gov archiveOperation Stovewood: Man jailed for raping and wounding vulnerable girlOfficial documentVery high reliability

Last verified: 10 September 2026

Add to this entry

II. Constellation of documented links

No documented link with another published profile for now.

Two profiles are linked when a documented controversy of one names the other. The link points to that controversy and its sources; it does not indicate a personal relationship.

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