Latest Offenders Kent

Description

A Medway rapist whose offending was disclosed by a young victim to a school worker has been jailed for 16 years.

George Payne-Woodham, formerly of Grange Road, Gillingham, was found guilty of multiple offences following a trial at Maidstone Crown Court.

Investigation

It was reported to Kent Police on 26 September 2024 that a child had told a member of school staff that they had been subjected to sexual abuse over several years.

Specialist detectives from the force launched an immediate investigation and Payne-Woodham was arrested later that day. On 28 September 2024, he was charged.

The offender, who pleaded not guilty, was convicted on all counts by a jury of child rape, inciting a child into sexual activity and sexual assault of a child.

Jailed

On Friday 12 September 2025, Payne-Woodham, 21, was sentenced to 16 years in prison and will have to serve at least two thirds of the custodial period before he is eligible for parole. Under the terms of an extended sentence, he will spend a further four years on licence when he is released.

He will also be subject to sex offender notification requirements indefinitely and restrictions imposed by a 25 year Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Detective Constable Conor Middleton said:

'Payne-Woodham is an abhorrent criminal who subjected a young victim to appalling sexual abuse on numerous occasions. I’m pleased he has received a lengthy sentence and that restrictions are in place to prevent further innocent children from becoming victims.

'I must praise the courage of the young victim in this case, whose disclosure to a trusted adult meant that we were able to investigate and bring to justice a dangerous sexual predator.'

Description

A convicted sex offender who repeatedly breached a court order by concealing an iPad containing child abuse images has been jailed.

Samuel Teubler, 29, from Tunbridge Wells, was subject to a 10-year sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) imposed by Maidstone Crown Court after his October 2022 conviction for making indecent photographs of children and possessing extreme pornography. He received an eight-month suspended prison sentence at the time.

The court heard this month that Teubler breached the SHPO twice in 2023 and 2024—avoiding jail both times—before being caught with the device in June this year. Police, suspicious of him hiding his face while driving, detained him initially for a drugs search, then discovered the iPad Air in his rucksack after checks revealed his offender status.

Prosecutor Sophie Childs said it was “clear” Teubler had been using the device, which he neither disclosed to his Violent and Sex Offender Register (ViSOR) manager nor produced during inspections on May 7 and May 29. Analysis found 13 low-level abuse images on it, including depictions of a five-year-old girl’s bare genitalia and a naked 10-year-old boy.

Defence counsel Andrew Cohen said Teubler hid his face because he was “fed up being stopped” by police, citing his “quite difficult background” of being “effectively abandoned by his parents when young,” plus homelessness and poor mental health.

Teubler, of Holden Park Road, pleaded guilty to three SHPO breaches, one count of making indecent images, and breaching two suspended sentences for prior offences involving deleted internet history and undisclosed bank cards.

After being spared custody three times since 2022, Teubler was sentenced on September 8 to two-and-a-half years in prison. Judge Oliver Saxby KC said the latest offending was “aggravated substantially” by his previous convictions. Upon release, Teubler faces the same 10-year SHPO but indefinite sex offender notification requirements.

Description

Lengthy prison sentences have been given to three sexual predators who repeatedly raped a 12-year-old girl after she was lured into a car in Dover.

Kevin Horvath and Ivan Turtak approached their victim in a supermarket car park on Sunday 11 August 2024 before driving her to various locations and subjecting her to horrific abuse for several days along with a third offender, Ernest Gunar.

All were convicted of multiple child sex offences including rape following a trial earlier this year and were sentenced at Canterbury Crown Court on Friday 12 September 2025.

Horvath, 26, of King Street, Dover, and Turtak, 38, of George Street, were both jailed for 17 years whilst Gunar, 27, of Sidney Street, Folkestone, was sentenced to 19 years.

All three men, who are Slovakian nationals, will also serve an additional three years on licence under the terms of extended sentences.

Abused

It was revealed during the offenders’ trial that the girl was plied with drugs and alcohol whilst being repeatedly sexually abused, having first been taken to Turtak’s flat in Dover before then being driven to a caravan owned by Gunar in Folkestone.

She was told she would be killed if she raised the alarm or tried to escape but was eventually able to leave the caravan whilst the men were asleep on Tuesday 13 August and later opened up to Kent Police officers about the ordeal she had been put through.

House-to-house enquiries were immediately carried out, which led to the discovery of CCTV footage that showed the victim getting into a silver Skoda Fabia in the supermarket car park. The registration number of the vehicle was visible and traced to Horvath as the registered owner, who was arrested along with Turtak in the early hours of Thursday 15 August.

Gunar was then identified as the third offender and arrested three days later at Glasgow Airport in a failed attempt to escape justice.

All three were forensically linked to the offences whilst there was also an indecent image of the victim on Turtak’s mobile phone, which was taken inside his flat.

Courage

Detective Chief Inspector Matthew Smith of Kent Police said:

‘Nobody should have to suffer sexual abuse like the victim in this case did and I would like to commend her for the strength and courage she displayed throughout the investigation and court process.

‘Kevin Horvath, Ivan Turtak and Ernest Gunar are clearly three very dangerous offenders who thought nothing about picking a child up off the street and effectively keeping her prisoner in order to fulfil their own depraved sexual needs. They will now be behind bars where they belong for a significant period of time, which I hope is of some comfort to the victim and her family as they attempt to rebuild their lives.

‘Incidents of this nature are fortunately very rare in Kent and I am extremely proud of every officer and member of staff who worked so hard to identify the offenders and ultimately bring them to justice, so they can cause no further harm to innocent members of the public.’

Description

A convicted sex offender from Chatham who admitted to multiple breaches of a court order and failing to comply with notification requirements has been jailed.

Michael Millson, 39, was issued a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) in February 2024 following a conviction for offences that included possession of indecent images of children.

Investigation

The restrictions stipulated that he should not be in possession of an internet-enabled device without written approval from police.

He was further forbidden from installing software on such a device that would allow browsing history to be deleted, or any apps that could anonymise the web user’s identity.

On 26 June 2024, Millson, who had been released from prison on licence, was recalled due to poor behaviour and he was arrested. Whilst in custody, he was found to have a mobile phone - which had not been disclosed to police, and on which banned apps and file-sharing software were installed - in direct breach of the SHPO.

In addition, a review by officers of Millson’s phone’s camera roll confirmed that several indecent images had been downloaded to the device.

Charged

The following day, 18 charges were brought against Millson including eight breaches of a SHPO, six counts of making indecent images, three breaches of sex offender notification requirements and possession of an indecent image.

Jailed

Millson, formerly of Palmerston Road, pleaded guilty and, on Thursday 4 September 2025 at Maidstone Crown Court, was sentenced to three years in prison.

Detective Constable Zoe Wornham said:

‘We apply for court orders such as these so that convicted sex offenders can be closely monitored once they have served time in prison. This helps us to safeguard potential future victims and prevent further crimes from being committed. Millson clearly breached the conditions imposed by the court and was rightly put back in prison as a result.

‘Offenders who are released and are subject to restrictions should remember that they will be made to face the consequences if they fail to adhere to them.’

Description

A registered sex offender from Medway who breached multiple court conditions has been sent to prison.

In 2018, Haydon Sheard was convicted of possessing and distributing indecent images of children.

His sentence placed him on the sex offenders register and required him to comply with the restrictions of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).

Phone monitored

One of the conditions required Sheard to notify Kent Police of any internet enabled devices in his possession so that monitoring software could be placed on them.

On 25 April 2025, two officers made an unannounced visit to his home address and located him in a bedroom with a mobile phone. He was acting suspiciously, and when the phone was checked, it was found to have an indecent video of a child.

Sheard was arrested and officers searched his room for any other devices he had not declared.

Restrictions breached

Whilst he denied having any, the investigators found an e-reader and a memory card which were in breach of his SHPO, along with two bank cards that he had not notified the police he possessed.

When his phone was later examined it was found to contain 355 illegal images of children of which five were of the most serious category.

Sheard, of Sundridge Drive, Chatham was charged and pleaded guilty at Maidstone Crown Court to three counts of possessing indecent images of children, five counts of breaching his SHPO and one count of breaching his sex offender notification requirements.

Jailed

On Friday 29 August, Sheard, 27, was jailed for two years and four months. His SHPO was extended for the next 10 years.

Investigating officer, PC Leona Valsler, said:

‘Some sex offenders when sentenced are given the opportunity to show they regret their behaviour and want to reform. They are then given strict conditions on their conduct which we regularly monitor.

‘Sheard has shown that he cannot be trusted to behave lawfully whilst living in the community and he is now serving a prison sentence. It can only be hoped that he reflects on his actions as, when he is released, the restrictions on his behaviour will be more onerous and our inspections more frequent.’

Description

A child rapist from Tonbridge has been jailed for life.

Michael Link was convicted of a catalogue of offences relating to the abuse of three victims over a period spanning more than four decades.

Kent Police was alerted to reports of repeated sexual abuse involving one of his victims in August 2019 and Link was arrested.

A lengthy and extensive investigation led by the West Division Child Protection Team revealed he had also targeted and exploited another young child for more than 10 years, between the 1980s and 1990s.

When a third victim came forward, detectives established Link was still offending in the days leading up to his arrest.

Lies

During police interviews Link denied any wrongdoing and claimed his victims had made ‘false allegations’.

He maintained his innocence during a trial at Maidstone Crown Court but was found guilty by a jury of 19 offences, including multiple rapes, indecent assaults, voyeurism, and sexual activity with a child.

Link, 72, of Audley Avenue, Tonbridge was sentenced on Thursday 28 August 2025.

He was jailed for life and will have to serve at least 15 years before he can be considered for parole.

The judge assessed him as ‘dangerous’ and, if he is ever released, Link will be subject to an indefinite licence and remain on the sex offenders register for life.

Depraved

Detective Constable Tania Muller said:

‘Link repeatedly subjected his young and helpless victims to depraved and sickening abuse. One of the children was as young as five years old.'

He is a predatory and dangerous child sex offender whose crimes will have had a devastating and lasting impact on the lives of all those he targeted.‘

I would like to thank and commend the bravery of the victims who have endured so much, yet have thankfully summoned the tremendous courage to support this investigation.

'The incredible strength they have shown means Link will almost certainly spend the rest of his life in prison.’

Description

A woman who was sexually abused by a rapist whilst his partner filmed her ordeal in Sheerness has seen the pair jailed.

On 18 September 2020, Indre Bruziene and her partner Vasile Radacanu invited the victim to their address, where they consumed some alcoholic drinks.

The victim became intoxicated and Radacanu took the opportunity to rape her whilst she was unable to consent and was at one point unconscious.

Abuse filmed

Whilst this took place Bruziene filmed the abuse through a window and then from inside the house. It was apparent Radacanu was aware his actions were being filmed as he gestured to the camera several times.

The victim awoke on the following morning in her own bed at home with no memory of what had happened to her.

On 15 March 2021, she received a call from Bruziene who accused the woman of breaking up her family. Bruziene also sent footage of the rape incident and demanded £5,000 or it would be sent to the victim’s husband.

Arrested

The distressed victim refused to pay the money and informed her family before contacting the police. Radacanu, who is Romanian, and Bruziene, from Lithuania, were both arrested the following day.

Investigators seized their mobile phones and, following an investigation, Radacanu was charged with two rapes, attempted rape and two sexual assaults. Bruziene was charged with blackmail.

The pair pleaded not guilty at Maidstone Crown Court and, following a trial, were convicted of the indictments on 28 January 2025.

Jailed

On Thursday 14 August, Radacanu, 33, of Charlotte Street, Sittingbourne was sentenced to 12 years and six months’ imprisonment. Bruziene, 40, of Alma Road, Sheerness was jailed for three years and three months.

Detective Constable Hollie Brown said:

‘The criminal actions of Radacanu and Bruziene were unspeakably vile as they took advantage of a vulnerable victim who was not aware of what was happening to her.

‘As soon as the victim received the video of her abuse from Bruziene she showed great courage in disclosing her ordeal to her family and then contacting the police. Detectives then swiftly secured the offenders phones and they have now, quite rightly, been brought to justice.’

Description

Stepfather Jailed for Secretly Filming Stepdaughter in Shower as Victim Speaks Out to Encourage Others

A 63-year-old man has been sentenced to prison for covertly recording his stepdaughter in the shower, prompting the victim to waive her anonymity and share her story to support others affected by sexual offenses.

Megan Ervin, 32, spoke exclusively about the ordeal after Craig West, whom she had viewed as a father figure, was jailed for voyeurism at Maidstone Crown Court.

The court heard that West hid a spy-pen camera in a toothbrush holder at the family home in Sheerness, actively encouraging Megan to take a shower during her visit on March 13, 2020.

Megan, who had arrived at the home following a relationship breakdown, initially declined but later agreed after waking from a nap. While showering, she noticed a flashing light and discovered the device, which contained a memory card.

Quickly taking photos of the pen as evidence, Megan alerted her family. When confronted, West initially denied knowledge but later admitted to the act, even alluding to plans to sell the footage.

Police investigations revealed an additional recording on West's laptop, showing another woman using the toilet in his caravan, filmed approximately two years earlier.

West, a former lorry driver now working as a vending machine delivery driver and residing in St Georges Avenue, Eastchurch, pleaded guilty to two counts of voyeurism and two counts of observing a private act for sexual gratification.

During pre-sentencing reports, West claimed the acts were motivated by "hate and spite" rather than sexual intent and denied planning to record the second woman, saying the camera was set up to catch his wife's alleged lover.

He urged family members not to involve the police, insisting he did not deserve prison. His defense argued for a suspended sentence, citing his guilty plea, lack of prior relevant convictions, potential for rehabilitation, and a five-year delay in the case.

However, Recorder Vivian Walters rejected this, imposing a six-month immediate custodial sentence on August 7, stating that only imprisonment was appropriate given the impact on the victims and lack of concrete evidence of rehabilitation.

Both victims attended the hearing and were emotional as the sentence was delivered. Megan's mother supported West, leading to a breakdown in her relationship with her daughter.

Prosecutor Stacey-Lee Holland detailed how West entered the bathroom under the pretense of brushing his teeth to hide the device before encouraging Megan to shower.

After the shower, West removed the pen, but Megan had already documented it. When challenged, he pretended to destroy the device but later retrieved it.

In victim impact statements, Megan described feeling "dirty" and violated, exacerbating her existing body confidence issues. She referred to West as a "sexual predator" and noted the "devastating impact" on her life, including a mental breakdown that led to her being sectioned.

The trauma caused suicidal thoughts, anxiety, and forced her to relocate her young family from Sheppey to avoid encounters with West.

The second victim expressed feeling "deceitful" treatment by West, leading to distress, antidepressant use, paranoia about hidden cameras, insomnia, and the installation of security cameras in her home.

The judge highlighted the planning involved, abuse of trust, and ongoing devastation to the victims' lives, noting West's letter to the court made no mention of remorse toward them.

West received an indefinite restraining order prohibiting contact with the victims and must register as a sex offender for seven years.

In a joint statement following the case, Megan and the second victim encouraged other survivors to come forward, emphasizing that help is available regardless of relationships involved.

They stated: We want them to know it doesnt matter who the perpetrators are to you or who stands by them. There is help and there are people who will listen and believe the truth. You absolutely can get some kind of justice even if thats just in a form of belief, sometimes being believed is what means the most.

They added: We hope that by speaking out, it shows these predators that it is not OK, it wont be tolerated and you will be caught. I have lost a relationship with my mother over this, and thats been hard but with that loss we have gained so much support and love within others. I no longer have to make my mother happy or keep a relationship with her. Despite the great impact this has had on our mental health, we are now finally free from this man and can rebuild our lives.

Description

A sex offender from Sittingbourne who groomed young teenage girls and lavished them with gifts has been jailed.

Bradley Kite, 42, of Lydbrook Close, pleaded guilty to multiple offences at Maidstone Crown Court.

Investigation

While the sexual abuse was taking place, Kite manipulated a girl to believe he was her boyfriend, sending her sexualised messages as well as giving her money and jewellery.

He also took girls shopping and bought them expensive presents before sexually assaulting them.

Kent Police was alerted to Kite’s offending in June 2024 after crimes were disclosed to a victim’s family member. An investigation, which involved specialist detectives from the force, was launched. Further victims were also identified.

Kite was arrested on 27 June 2024 and he was later charged.

Jailed

He admitted thirteen offences including multiple counts of sexual activity with a child and sexual assaults of a child, engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child, and causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.

A jury found Kite guilty of a further sexual assault of a child that he denied.

On Wednesday 6 August 2025, Kite was sentenced to 12 years and nine months’ imprisonment. He will serve at least two thirds of his sentence behind bars and will spend a further five years on licence after his release.

Kite was also made the subject of a 25 year Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).

Detective Constable Daniel Alai said:

'Kite is a dangerous offender who preyed on the vulnerability of young teenage girls, manipulating and abusing them for his own gratification. I’m pleased that he has received a lengthy sentence and that the SHPO he has been issued will offer further protection to safeguard potential future victims.'The courage of the girls in this case should be commended and I would like to thank them for speaking out to report these crimes, which have had a lasting impact on them and their families. We will always listen sensitively to victims and will strive to bring sexual predators such as Kite before the courts to face justice.'

Description

A sexual predator who left a disabled victim terrified after a late-night assault has avoided jail despite a history of similar attacks.  

Sacha Mazouz, 47, approached the man outside Ramsgate railway station on June 8 after the victim missed his train.  

Drunk, Mazouz made explicit comments and touched the victim’s upper leg near his groin, causing him to flee to a phone box and call 999.  

Mazouz banged on the phone box, trying to reach him, until police arrived and arrested him.  

Magistrates in Margate heard Mazouz, from Folkestone, had prior sexual offense convictions, including a 2023 assault in a Canterbury public toilet that left a man fearing rape.  

Despite being called a “danger to the public,” Mazouz received a 24-week suspended sentence for two years instead of immediate custody.  

The victim said the assault left him trembling, depressed, anxious, and avoiding trains, now relying on taxis. He felt “violated” and struggled with intimacy.  

Prosecutor Lucie Fish said Mazouz made inappropriate sexual comments and touched the victim’s leg despite being told he wasn’t interested.  

Mazouz pleaded guilty to sexual assault and two counts of failing to comply with the sex offenders register.  

The court heard he had 17 prior convictions, including serious sexual offenses, robbery with an imitation firearm, and assaulting a teenage boy in 2013 after giving him alcohol and drugs.  

He also breached court orders in 2013 and 2019 and failed to declare a bank card and savings account, violating notification rules.  

Defence lawyer Stephen Evans said Mazouz admitted the offenses early and needed alcohol rehabilitation, claiming no substantial intervention had been provided since 2003.  

Magistrates noted the seriousness of his predatory behavior but gave him a suspended sentence, 20 rehabilitation sessions, a 26-session “Better Choices” program, six months of alcohol treatment, and a 7pm-6am curfew for six months.  

He also received a stricter 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order and was ordered to pay £272 in costs and a victim surcharge.

Description

A man who raped a woman after plying her with drugs and alcohol has been jailed for 10 years.

Gary Duke encouraged his victim to drink champagne and smoke cannabis before sexually abusing her as she slept.

Kent Police was called on 13 November 2022 to a report of rape at a property in Maidstone.

Duke consumed alcohol and illicit substances and persuaded the victim to do the same.

Once the woman was unconscious, Duke forced himself on her and fled the scene before she regained consciousness.

The 59 year old, of Lockside in Tonbridge, was later arrested and subsequently charged with rape.

Sentenced

He pleaded not guilty to the offence but was convicted following a trial and sentenced at Maidstone Crown Court on Friday 25 July 2025.

Investigating officer, Detective Constable Joanne Burt, said:

‘Duke carried out a pre-meditated assault on his victim, purchasing drugs and alcohol with the intention of disarming her and taking advantage of her for his own sexual gratification. ‘He showed no remorse throughout and denied his actions, forcing the victim to relive a traumatic incident in court proceedings. The offender even went so far as making fictitious claims that he had sex with his victim in his sleep and was unaware of his actions. ‘I am grateful to the victim for her support in securing a conviction and hope that the lengthy custodial sentence imposed brings her some comfort.’

Description

An offender who targeted a child whilst she was walking along a road in Medway has been jailed.

Abiola Adenmosun was driving through Rochester in 2012 and stopped his car alongside a girl he did not know. He befriended her and arranged to see her locally the next day.

The victim went to the meeting where Adenmosun gave her alcohol and a cigarette containing cannabis.

Sexually assaulted

The girl had not tried the drug before and became disorientated. He went on to sexually assault her in his car.

Over several months Adenmosun continued to meet the child and committed further sexual offences. During this period, he also damaged the victim’s phone and assaulted one of her relatives.

The victim tried to end any contact with Adenmosun, but he persisted to text and phone her. This led her to report his offending to the police in 2017.

Adenmosun, of King George Road, Chatham was interviewed and later charged with six counts of sexual activity with a child.

He pleaded not guilty at Maidstone Crown Court and was convicted of all the indictments on 28 February 2025.

Jailed

On Friday 18 July, the 35 year old was sentenced to four years and three months’ imprisonment.

He was given an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order and will be required to sign the Sex Offenders Register. He will also be subject to a restraining order for life.

Investigating officer, Detective Constable Kayleigh Archer, said:

‘This man sought out a vulnerable girl who was walking by herself, gained her trust and then went on to commit multiple sexual offences.

‘The victim had immense courage in initially reporting her ordeal. She then had the resilience to support our investigation over a long period of time and then give evidence at court. This has ensured this appalling man is now in prison and he cannot pose a risk to other young victims.’

Description

A child rape victim whose abuser has been jailed for three-and-a-half years told a court that after decades of feeling shame and guilt, she was able to "find my voice and fight for the truth".

In a moving statement read at the sentencing hearing of paedophile Gary Pallin, the woman described how his deviant conduct had not only robbed her of her innocence and dignity but also her life.

She said the effect of the sexual abuse she suffered was "so overwhelming" that it impacted her education, relationships and health, both physically and mentally.

But having given evidence at Pallin's trial at Maidstone Crown Court earlier this year, the woman said she felt pride at finally speaking out and achieving justice.

Pallin, of Caesar Avenue, Kingsnorth in Ashford, had denied a number of sexual offence charges – including rape – but was found guilty by a jury of them all.

Prosecutor Amy Nicholson detailed how the defendant was a teenager at the time he committed the crimes.

Although the victim confided in several people over the years, it was not until 2021 that police became involved and Pallin was arrested.

As well as giving a 'no comment' interview and denying the offences once charged, he also accused the victim through his legal team at trial of making up the allegations.

Furthermore, the packed courtroom at his sentencing hearing was told that he has continued to "vehemently" maintain his innocence since his conviction in May.

But on jailing the now 58-year-old, Judge Gareth Branston said that despite his age at the time, Pallin must have realised he was causing harm and yet "carried on regardless" for his own sexual gratification.

Referring to the assertion that the victim had lied about the abuse, the judge told an impassive Pallin: "During the trial, (the victim) was appalled by the suggestion made by your defence that this was a fiction.

"She said 'Why would I make it up?' and, of course, she didn't make it up. She buried it for many years, and counselling made her realise she didn't have to bury it any longer.

"I have read and listened to her victim impact statement. She felt the worst thing that could happen was people finding out.

"She spent years pretending nothing happened and squashed her feelings.”

Highlighting the psychological consequences of the abuse, the judge continued: "She simply wants you to be accountable for your actions so you can feel the guilt and shame.

"She notes you show no genuine remorse, and she has had to go through the ordeal of a trial.

But she is rightly proud now that she has found her voice and fought for the truth."

In her impact statement, the victim, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, described how she was "exploited and traumatised" by her abuser, and to this day continues "to grieve for the life I lost and the life I should have had".

I would feel shame, guilt and fear that didn't belong to me – now I feel pride that I found my voice and fought for the truth...
"I would feel shame, guilt and fear that didn't belong to me", she wrote. "Now I feel pride that I found my voice and fought for the truth."

In deciding the appropriate punishment, Judge Branston explained that he had to sentence Pallin according to his age at the time.

He also accepted that he may not have "fully appreciated" the effect of his behaviour or been "fully capable" of understanding the stress and pain caused.

The court heard that Pallin had lived a law-abiding life otherwise, and provided significant care for his mother who, along with his wife and many others, had written 15 references describing him as a "decent, honest, trustworthy, kind and considerate" man.

This prompted Judge Branston to comment that there were "many positive attributes" to his character and that he had lived an "exemplary life" in adulthood.

But referring to a pre-sentence report prepared by probation, he added: "It is disappointing, to say the least, that you continue to vehemently deny the offences.

"You have demonstrated no acceptance of responsibility, no empathy for your victim and no insight into the impact of your offending."

Pallin, who mouthed "I love you" to those sitting in the public gallery in support, will be subject to indefinite sex offender notification requirements on his release.

Description

A child sex offender from Sittingbourne who abused his young victim on multiple occasions has been jailed for 13 years.

Aaron Stevens, formerly of Newbridge Avenue, was convicted of 15 offences following a trial at Maidstone Crown Court.

Investigation

Investigators became aware of Stevens’ crimes in May 2018 after it was reported to police that he had boasted of them online.

Stevens was arrested at his home address on 27 May 2018 and, following a complex investigation by specialist detectives from Kent Police, was later charged.

Jailed

He denied all charges against him but, following a unanimous jury verdict, was found guilty of sexual assault of a child; causing a child to engage in sexual activity; attempting to communicate sexually with a child; possession and distribution of indecent images of a child and indecent exposure.

Stevens, 27, was sentenced on Tuesday 8 July 2025 and will spend an additional four years on licence.

He will be subject to notification requirements for the sex offender register for life and was also ordered to comply with a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).

Detective Sergeant Fleur Hardie said:

‘The depravity of Stevens’ actions is appalling and it is right that this manipulative sexual predator is now behind bars. I am also pleased that the SHPO he has been issued will protect against future crimes being committed, restricting the offender’s behaviour to prevent vulnerable people from becoming victims.‘I would like to praise the courage of the young victim in this case and the witnesses whose evidence helped secure Stevens’ conviction and lengthy sentence. We will always strive to bring dangerous sexual offenders before the courts to face justice.’

Description

Illegal child images were found on the phone of a registered sex offender when police made a surprise visit to his Edenbridge home.

David Johnson was arrested after officers were alerted by monitoring software which had been installed on his phone.

Johnson had been the subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO), following previous convictions in 2021 relating to the access of indecent images.

The SHPO contained a raft of measures to deter him from reoffending.

These included Johnson being prohibited from using any device capable of accessing the internet unless it had been installed with a web monitoring program.

He also had to inform police of any devices he possessed and allow these to be inspected.

Software alert

On 9 January 2025, officers received an alert linked to suspicious activity on one of his phones.

Days later they made an unannounced visit to Johnsons home near Main Road, Edenbridge.

A review of the camera roll on a phone led to the recovery of several images showing a very young child who was naked.

Johnson was arrested and searches of the property led to the discovery of internet enabled devices which he hadnt told police about, including a tablet and a television.

The investigation led to evidence of further SHPO breaches, after alias names he used for websites were identified, including ford19656 and slimguy1965.

He was charged with making indecent images of children, two counts of breaching a SHPO and a further four counts of failing to comply with sex offender notification requirements.

Guilty

Johnson, 60, pleaded guilty and on Monday 2 July was sentenced at Maidstone Crown Court to four years imprisonment.

Detective Constable Steph Kirkin said:

Sexual Harm Prevention Orders are just one of several tools which help us protect children and other vulnerable people, and which allow us to closely monitor convicted offenders.

'Having been released from prison, David Johnson has demonstrated contempt for the sanctions imposed by the court designed to prevent him from reoffending. He even deleted monitoring software installed on another one of his phones.

Johnson is now facing the consequences of his actions and I hope this case demonstrates just how strictly we manage registered sex offenders. Where we see flagrant breaches and fresh offences committed, we will take robust action.