Endcliffe Park flasher: Six e-fits and 'old fashioned police work' - how vile 64-year-old was finally snared
Month after month in 2024, Sheffield was blighted with reports of a grey-haired man hiding in bushes and exposing himself to women in Endcliffe Park.
But yesterday, 64-year-old Ian Develin, of Rowan Road, was jailed for two years and eight months, including a five-year restraining order barring him from entering the park.
Now, South Yorkshire Police have revealed how Develin was finally caught after “good old-fashioned police work” involving covert CCTV, door-to-door enquiries and identity parades.
History of Endcliffe Park flasher’s reign of terror told through e-fit parade
At Sheffield Crown Court, Develin pleaded guilty to six counts of indecent exposure between November 2024 and July 2025, one count of outraging public decency and one count of using threatening, abusive, insulting words or behaviour to cause harassment, alarm and distress.
But the history of reports of a ‘grey-haired flasher’ in Endcliffe Park stretch back as far as 2017.
In December 2024, The Star asked the police about a string of indecent exposure incidents that led to more than half a dozen different e-fit appeals.
They included how a man was seen performing a “lewd act” in the park on May 10, 2023. He was described as “white, around 5ft 9ins tall, and was wearing dark clothing and a cap”. An e-fit appeal showed the man with grey/white hair.
Then, on September 20, 2023, a member of the public on a walk along the river in Endcliffe Park saw a man expose himself and “perform a lewd act.”
The man was “white, around 5ft 7ins and in his 70s”. He was also said to be clean shaven with short, grey hair.
On September 12, 2024, two people were walking when a man “shouted over to them while exposing himself at the side of the river”.
He was described as “in his 50s and wearing black joggers and a hoodie. He had short, grey hair and is believed to be roughly 6ft tall.”
On November 29, 2024, police were called to Endcliffe Park after a man allegedly exposed himself to a woman and fled in the direction of Rustlings Road.
The man was “white, in his late 50s or early 60s, of average build, and with medium length white hair and clean shaven.”
There were also three incidents in 2017 for which South Yorkshire Police released an e-fit of a grey-haired man - two on August 16, and another on August 19.
In December 2024, The Star spoke to one victim, who in 2022 said South Yorkshire Police refused to alter her e-fit of the alleged perpetrator when she said he “looked like Paul Hollywood.”
On February 7, 2024, a 55-year-old woman was walking through the park at 7.20am when a grey-haired man standing at the Riverdale Road entrance exposed himself to her.
A break in the case - victim snaps a photograph of Endcliffe Park flasher
By now, a pattern was obvious of a grey-haired man hiding in Endcliffe Park who then exposes himself before fleeing.
However, after possibly years of vile behaviour, the net began to close around the flasher when a victim had the presence of mind to take his photograph.
On April 10, 2024, a woman was walking in the park when, once again, a grey-haired man exposed himself to her - only this time he was caught on camera.
South Yorkshire Police’s work to catch the flasher intensified after this break and reports on social media that the man had fled in the direction of Rowan Road.
The pattern of offending led officers from the Sheffield Neighbourhood Crime Team to launch a dedicated investigation and re-open all previous reports.
Officers made house-to-house enquiries in the area around the park, installed hidden CCTV equipment and conducted uniformed and plain-clothes patrols.
They also briefed park rangers, response colleagues and community officers to ensure everyone was on alert.
Many more incidents were to come, including on November 15 and December 21 in 2024.
Another image was released after an incident in on MArch 1, 2025, this one caught on CCTV.
Then in August 2025, a fresh report came in of a man exposing himself in the park.
Officers were deployed immediately - and the quick-thinking victim was able to provide a partial registration plate for a car the suspect had used to flee the scene.
In liaison with council CCTV operators, officers spotted Develin's car as it drove through Nether Edge, where he was pulled over pulled over and arrested, but answered no comment in interview.
Officers then contacted the victims of the previous reported offences who successfully identified him.
Jailed
Sheffield Crown Court yesterday, (December 23) heard how Develin made eye contact with his victims as he exposed himself.
Some victims were alerted to his presence by the sound of groaning, and one woman was subjected to sick comments about his fantasies as he carried out his sick behaviour.
A total of 13 women were named as having been exposed to Develin’s depravity, all of whom are entitled to lifelong anonymity.
It emerged Develin’s criminal record was rife “many previous convictions for identical offending,” with him most recently being sentenced in March this year.
He received a community order on that occasion, the court heard, and was subject to that when he committed four of eight of his most recent offences.
The Recorder of Sheffield, Judge Jeremy Richardson KC, told him: “You repeatedly and deliberately went into Endcliffe Park and exposed [yourself] to young women, all of whom were deeply offended and appalled by what you did.
“In the midst of this tranche of offending you were sentenced by a court…you paid absolutely no attention to the court. You carried on as you were doing before, frightening and troubling young women exposing yourself and [pleasuring yourself] in front of them.”
HIs mitigation included that Develin had experienced a recent bereavement, the breakdown of his marriage and the deterioration of his mental health.
Now, he has been placed on the sex offenders’ register indefinitely, and this Christmas sees him begin a two year and eight month prison sentence.
‘Vile offending’
Investigating officer Ellie Davies from Sheffield Neighbourhood Crime Team, the officer in charge of the case, said: "Endcliffe Park is one of the most popular parks in our city and attracts families, runners, walkers and cyclists in large numbers.
"Develin's vile offending left the local community, and those who know and love this park, shocked and disgusted. I am proud of the team effort that went into bringing him to justice, and would like to thank the victims of his unacceptable behaviour for supporting the investigation.
"My colleagues and I will not tolerate violence against women and girls in our communities, and I hope this result demonstrates the lengths we are prepared to go to in order to keep our local area safe for everybody to enjoy."