James Bulger’s killer Jon Venables tells Parole Board he should stay in prison

9th November, 2026 | News

on Venables Denied Parole: Child Killer to Remain in Prison After Admitting Sexual Interest in Children

Child killer Jon Venables will remain behind bars after telling a Parole Board panel that he is not ready for release and needs to complete further work in custody.

Venables, now 44, was convicted alongside Robert Thompson in 1993 for the abduction, torture, and murder of two-year-old James Bulger in Merseyside when both offenders were just 10 years old.

Following a three-day private hearing last month, the Parole Board published its decision on Monday, confirming that Venables will stay in prison. According to the summary, Venables “articulated his protracted and extreme remorse for his crime” and “accepted the need to undertake further offending work in custody and so was not seeking release.”

Parole Board Cites Ongoing Risk and Sexual Preoccupation

While the panel noted that Venables has completed significant work in prison to address his risk areas, they highlighted continuing concerns regarding his behaviour.

Venables admitted during the proceedings that he has a “long-term sexual interest in children/indecent images of children.” The panel concluded that unaddressed risks remain, warning of potential reoffending involving both indecent images and direct contact offences that could cause serious harm.

“The panel considered that there were future risks of Mr Venables again viewing indecent images of children/child sexual abuse images, and also of Mr Venables progressing to offences where he might have contact with children, and both of these present a risk of causing serious harm to others,” the decision stated.

History of Parole Recalls and Previous Convictions

Venables and Thompson were originally given life sentences for the 1993 murder of James Bulger before being released on licence with lifelong anonymity in 2001.

However, Venables has been recalled to prison multiple times following his initial release:

• February 2010: Recalled after indecent images of children were discovered on his computer. He was subsequently freed again in August 2013.
• November 2017: Recalled for the same offence after pleading guilty in February 2018 to making indecent images and possessing a paedophile manual, receiving a 40-month prison sentence. He has remained behind bars ever since.
• September 2020 & 2023: Parole bids were subsequently rejected by judges who ruled he still posed a significant danger to children.

Public Hearing Calls Rejected Over Security Concerns

The latest three-day parole hearing was held in private, despite repeated appeals from James Bulger’s mother, Denise Fergus, for a public hearing so she could “finally feel listened to.”

The Parole Board defended its decision to keep the proceedings private, explaining that it would be extremely difficult for Venables to give evidence safely due to ongoing risks that individuals might seek to target him or expose his protected identity.