THE managing director of a major Oxfordshire IT security firm is due to appear in court today charged with fraud offences.

Paul Cox, 40, of Acremead Road, Wheatley, was arrested alongside four colleagues on March 4 at firm Quadsys’ headquarters in Langford Lane, Kidlington.

The company supplies security software, anti-virus products, hardware and infrastructure and lists “a championship football club and a national newspaper group” among its previous clients.

Police said Mr Cox, who is listed as managing director, was charged on August 5 with conspiracy to commit fraud by false representation and blackmail.

Top News

Alistair Barnard, 38, of Bampton Road, Aston, a director of Quadsys, was charged on August 6 with conspiracy to commit fraud by false representation.

Jon Townsend, 36, of Pensclose, Witney, was charged on the same date with conspiracy to commit fraud by false representation. Steve Davis, 34, of Yeats Close, Oxford was charged on the same date with the same offence.

On August 13, Paul Streeter, 40, of Blakes Avenue, Witney, was charged with conspiracy to commit fraud by false representation.

Mr Streeter is also a director at the company.

Oxford Crown Court said the offences Mr Cox was charged with were allegedly committed between June 5, 2013 and December 14, 2014 but was unable to confirm dates for the offences alleged against the other defendants.

Det Ch Supt Richard List said: “Working together gives us the best chance of tacking the complex, and often global, threat from cyber crime.

Quadsys was founded in 2008 in Kidlington and was the first IT security specialist to be named a Sophos Gold Solution Partner. It relocated to Langford Lane in 2013, with turnover growing by £1 million annually.

In the year to June 30, 2014 the firm filed accounts showing net assets of £623,000.

The five men will appear at Oxford Crown Court today.