Latest Offenders Kent

Description

A sex offender from Maidstone has been jailed for sharing what the lead investigator described as the worst images and videos they had ever seen.

Alan Richens was sentenced to 3 years’ imprisonment for distributing hundreds of indecent images of very young children on the Telegram app.

He will be subject to a 15 year Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) following his release and remain on the sex offenders’ register for life.

On 12 November 2025, Kent Police received information that the user of a social media account had uploaded indecent images of children to the internet.

Initial enquiries identified Richens as the perpetrator.

Officers forced entry to his home address in London Road, where they found him sleeping. He was arrested and subsequent searches led to the seizure of a mobile phone.

Digital forensic analysts reviewed the content on the device and found obscene Telegram messages between Richens and another account, in which they discussed child sexual abuse.

Throughout the conversation, the 51 year old shared more than 218 indecent images.

Investigators later discovered conversation threads of a similar theme with other Telegram users and Richens was charged with making indecent photographs of children and distributing indecent photographs of children.

He pleaded guilty to the offences and was sentenced at Maidstone Crown Court on Monday 22 June 2026.

Police staff investigator, Abigail Beale, said:

‘Richens habitually engaged in obscene online conversations with other paedophiles, making and sharing the worst images and videos I have ever seen.

‘His heinous actions were carried out solely with his sexual gratification in mind. He bore no consideration for the welfare or wellbeing of the vulnerable children involved in the creation of the digital content he was consuming.

‘Following his release, Richens will be monitored closely to protect others from harm.’

Description

A repeat sex offender from Chatham has been jailed after breaching a court order multiple times.

Andrew Veck, 34, was subject to an interim Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) having previously admitted to committing sexual offences including voyeurism, where he had secretly filmed a teenager showering.

SHPO

The SHPO allowed officers to conduct random checks of his address, the first being in August 2025. Uncovered were a range of internet-enabled and storage devices which he had failed to declare to police, including a mobile phone, hard drives and USB sticks.

Further review of one hard drive revealed footage of another victim using the toilet, filmed without their consent. He was also found to have been using private browsers which deleted his search history.

Taken without consent

In October, an unmarked patrol spotted Veck in his partner’s car on Fifth Avenue, Margate. After stopping him, it was confirmed that he was uninsured for the vehicle and had taken it without his partner’s consent, for which he was also arrested.

During an unscheduled visit on 5 November 2025, as permitted by the SHPO, officers requested Veck present any undeclared internet enabled devices. Though he denied having any, he was arrested after a phone was heard ringing and he suggested it was a neighbour’s. The device was located in his loft alongside cannabis.

Court

At Medway Magistrates’ Court on 11 November, he pleaded guilty to all charges. Veck, of Ordnance Street, Chatham, was sentenced to 28 months in prison on Thursday 18 June 2026. He will serve an additional 12 months for breaching his suspended sentence.

Investigating officer PC Areolito Gashi said:

‘His vile behaviour and persistent disregard for court orders and safeguarding measures highlights Veck as a remorseless man and a danger to society.

‘Continuing to commit crimes, especially in the face of having previously been caught and being given a suspended sentence, show how relentless and arrogant he is in his offending.

‘SHPOs serve a very useful role in monitoring sex offenders, as has been proven here. They restrict sex offenders’ ability to offend but, if they breach their orders, they shall end up behind bars just as Veck has.'

Description

A registered sex offender who failed to comply with orders imposed on him has been jailed

Lewis Densley was made the subject of a Sexual Risk Order after he was convicted in February 2025 for engaging in sexual communication with a child.

The order included notifying officers of any developing personal relationships with women, not having any unsupervised contact with children and using any computer or device capable of accessing the internet unless he had notified police in advance, among others.

Kent Police received a report in December 2025 that Densley had been sending sexual messages to two women.

Officers carried out further checks and found him to have a hidden phone with images and messages sent to an individual in May 2025.

Arrest
Once arrested Densley had two phones on him and it was discovered that he had also began a relationship with another woman and had stayed at her house when her children were present, failing to notify police of this.

The 30 year old from Beaumont Drive, Northfleet was charged with 6 counts of breaching a Sexual Risk Order.

Following a guilty plea, he was jailed for 2 years and 9 months at Maidstone Crown Court on Monday 22 June 2026.

Police Constable Leona Valsler said:

‘Sexual Risk Orders help to reduce the risk offenders like Densley may pose to the public and enforcing them is a responsibility we take very seriously.

‘Densley thought he could get away with not telling us about his phones and relationships, but our specialist officers have been able to bring him to justice.‘He will now serve a jail term as a result.’

Description

A jail sentence has been imposed on a prolific child sex offender following the discovery of thousands of child abuse images across multiple devices.

Investigation

In 2025, Andrew Sharp uploaded an indecent image of a child to the internet. This illegal internet usage was flagged to detectives at Kent Police who launched a full investigation.

A warrant was obtained for Sharp’s property in Station Road, Lydd, Romney Marsh, and officers attended in June 2025 to seize his internet enabled devices. Sharp wasn’t in the country at the time officers conducted the warrant but was notified of the seizure of his digital assets. A laptop was analysed, and digital forensics experts discovered the presence of child sexual abuse material.

When he re-entered the country, Sharp sent a message to a contact in his phone where he confessed to possession of indecent images and revealed that he had also taken indecent images of a young girl.

Discovery

The 69 year old was arrested upon his return on June 21, 2025, and was interviewed in custody. He admitted to the possession of the indecent images found on his laptop, alongside revealing that he had sexually assaulted a young girl across four years.

He was charged with sexual assault and two other indecent image related offences. Sharp was then remanded in custody.

Enquiries progressed in the investigation, and whilst he was on remand, further laptops attributed to Sharp were discovered. Across his devices, detectives found thousands of child abuse images, as well as hundreds of images of his young victim, which gave detectives reason to believe she had been raped.

Following a detailed forensic review of the seized laptops, detectives located 17,382 indecent images of children.

Charges

Sharp was further arrested in November 2025. He pled guilty to 12 additional charges including rape and continued to be remanded in custody whilst he awaited sentencing.

On Friday 19 June 2026, Sharp, was sentenced to 13 years and 6 months in prison at Canterbury Crown Court. Additionally, the court granted a restraining order against his victim for 20 years, alongside a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for the same amount of time.

Detective Constable Andrew Hunter said:

‘At no stage during the investigation did Sharp show any remorse for the sustained campaign of abuse he inflicted on his victim or for possessing such terrible images. I am pleased to see him behind bars where he can cause no further harm to our community, or to his victim.

‘I want to thank the victim and her family for their continued cooperation and for the resilience they have shown throughout this complex and upsetting investigation.’

Description

A sex offender from Ramsgate who targeted two girls enjoying a night out together in Canterbury has been jailed.

Harry Homewood, 22, formerly of Augustine Road, pleaded guilty to multiple sexual offences before Canterbury Crown Court.

His crimes were reported to Kent Police in the early hours of Saturday 14 March 2026.

Victims approached

The victims, two friends in their late teens, had been socialising in the city centre the previous evening.

At around 2.30am, whilst walking in Station Road East, the girls were approached by Homewood, who was unknown to either of them.

Repeated assaults

Homewood started speaking to the girls before touching them over and under their clothing. He carried out repeated sexual assaults and made inappropriate comments, despite the victims’ efforts to make him stop.

The girls were able to alert friends who were in the area and police were made aware of the incident. Officers attended and Homewood was arrested shortly afterwards.

He was charged the following day.

Offender jailed

After pleading guilty, Homewood was sentenced at the same court on Thursday 4 June to 3 years and 9 months’ imprisonment. He will be subject to police notification requirements indefinitely.

Investigating officer, Detective Constable Kirsty Chilcott, said:

‘Every woman and girl has the right to feel safe while they are out socialising and the repulsive, aggressive behaviour of sexual predators such as Homewood will never be tolerated.

‘Homewood’s offending has had a significant impact on both of his victims, whose courage I would like to commend. I hope they can take some comfort in knowing that he is in prison, where he belongs, and that restrictions are in place when he becomes eligible for parole to safeguard against future offending.

‘Anyone who thinks they can offend in this way should know that they can expect to be tracked down by us and brought before the courts, where they will be made to answer for their actions.’

Description

The discovery of an abusive video on an old mobile phone has led to a 14-year prison sentence.

Warren Conn was arrested in January 2026 after a woman found a 25-minute clip of him sexually assaulting her several years earlier when he lived in Sandwich. She had no memory of the recording being made and had never consented to the sexual activity depicted. Following a detailed digital forensic investigation, further videos were uncovered indicating that Conn had raped her.

He was arrested by the Police Service of Northern Ireland at his home address in County Armagh, where he had returned after living in Kent.

Searches of his home uncovered two mobile phones and a laptop. These were seized and handed over to Kent Police’s Digital Forensics Unit. An investigation into the devices found a large quantity of indecent images of children.

PSNI officers handed Conn over to Kent Police officers in Belfast, and he was flown back to Kent for the investigation to be continued.

The 50-year-old was remanded in custody and was later charged with 15 sexual offences including rape and possession of indecent images of children. After three interviews across two days, he admitted the offences and entered guilty pleas to all charges.

On Thursday 28 May 2026, Conn, formerly of Kings Park Mews, Lurgan, was sentenced at Canterbury Crown Court to 14 years’ imprisonment.

Detective Constable Joe Warner said:

‘This case shows that no matter how much time has passed, victims can still come forward, and they will be taken seriously.

‘I want to commend the victim for her courage and her continued support throughout this complex investigation. Her bravery in reporting these horrific offences has ensured that Conn was held accountable.’

Description

A Folkestone man who raped two women and subjected both victims to a campaign of physical and sexual torture has been jailed for 20 years.

Harry Arnold, 38, formerly of The Street, Newington, was convicted of multiple sexual offences following a trial at Canterbury Crown Court.

Investigation
A report was made to Kent Police in February 2020 after a victim disclosed Arnold’s previous offending. Officers immediately commenced enquiries and Arnold was arrested two days later.

A second victim later came forward, who had also been forced by Arnold to endure repeated physical and sexual abuse.

Both women, who were unknown to each other, had become the subject of humiliation and degradation as the offender indulged extreme sexual fantasies without their consent.

A thorough investigation was completed by specialist detectives from the force, which involved gathering, examining and analysing complex evidence, including extensive digital forensic data.

Fifteen electronic devices were reviewed, alongside extensive medical records, and multiple interviews were carried out to obtain witness statements before a case file was presented to the Crown Prosecution Service in February 2023.

Charges

Charges were later secured against Arnold and, after pleading not guilty, he was convicted at Canterbury Crown Court of controlling and coercive behaviour in February 2025.

The jury was unable to reach a unanimous verdict for rape offences, leading to a second trial in March 2026.

Retrial

At the conclusion of the second trial, also at Canterbury Crown Court, Arnold was found guilty of a further eight offences including multiple counts of rape against both victims.

He was sentenced on Wednesday 13 May 2026 to 20 years in prison. He will serve an additional three years on licence when he becomes eligible for parole and will be subject to notification requirements of the sex offender register for life.

He was also issued with a restraining order and will be barred from working with children and vulnerable people indefinitely.

Investigating officer, Detective Constable Lizzie Burridge, said:

‘The conclusion of this case has rightly resulted in a significant custodial sentence for a depraved sexual aggressor. It is a strong testament to the courage and resilience of Arnold’s victims, who endured unimaginable abuse and then faced the additional trauma of not one, but two trials, in order to see their attacker brought to justice.

‘It also reflects the tenacity and professionalism of Kent Police officers who worked on the investigation, over several years, meticulously building a complex case, resulting in justice for the victims and the removal of a dangerous offender from the community.

‘We remain committed to pursuing sex offenders and will always strive to ensure those responsible for such appalling offences are made to face the consequences of their crimes.’

Description

A Sittingbourne sex offender has been jailed after failing to comply with restrictions imposed on him while awaiting sentencing.

Nathan Uren first came to the attention of officers in 2021 after Kent Police received information that an indecent image of a child had been uploaded on to the internet and traced to his address. Officers seized the 24 year old’s phone, computer and laptop, finding various indecent images and videos.

Offending

Investigators also found conversations in which Uren had distributed an image, as well as sexual messaging with children aged between 10 and 15 where he posed as both himself and as a female child.

He continued offending while under investigation and in October 2023, Uren, of Ypres Drive, Kemsley, was charged with multiple sexual communication offences.

Awaiting sentence

In January 2024, he pleaded guilty to making and distributing indecent images of children and encouraging another person to take indecent images of children. He was released on conditional court bail awaiting sentencing.

During an unannounced visit to his home address in October 2025, officers found a mobile phone linked to multiple social media accounts using aliases that had not been disclosed to police. The device also contained 16 indecent videos of a child.

Guilty

He was further arrested and charged with making indecent photographs of a child and failing to comply with sex offender notification requirements, which he later admitted to in court.

Uren was also found guilty of sexual communication with children following a trial at Maidstone Crown Court and was jailed for 16 months at the same court on Tuesday 19 May 2026.

Detective Constable Carl Evans said:

‘Uren is a persistent offender, having repeatedly ignored the law and the strict conditions imposed on him.

‘Despite being under investigation and subject to notification requirements he continued to offend and made deliberate attempts to conceal it.

‘He has shown he continues to be a potential threat to vulnerable victims and is now starting a prison sentence as a result.’

Description

A child predator who pretended to be a teenage boy and bombarded 2 victims with sexually explicit messages has been jailed.

Connor Hurn, of South Park Road in Maidstone, began messaging a 14 year old in January 2022.

For 2 years he repeatedly targeted the victim, sharing indecent images of himself and demanding the victim to send similar content in return.

After being blocked from contacting the teen, Hurn set up social media profiles in which he falsely claimed to be 16 years old.

In September 2024, he used these profiles to target a second 14 year old in a similar manner.

This time he made demands for images of a more explicit nature.

Arrested
Hurn’s abuse was brought to a stop after just 4 days, when he was arrested by Kent Police, who had been made aware of his illicit online activity.

Officers seized his devices and a thorough investigation of the data contained within identified numerous other victims.

The 26 year old was later charged with:

• Engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child
• Inciting a child to engage in sexual activity
• Attempting to engage in sexual activity in the presence of a child
• Sending a photograph or film to cause alarm, distress or humiliation

Sentenced

He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 6 years and 8 months’ imprisonment at Maidstone Crown Court on Thursday 14 May 2026. He was also made the subject of a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order and placed on the sex offenders’ register for life.

Police staff investigator Lauren King said:

‘Hurn is a serial predator who repeatedly targeted young and vulnerable children for his own sexual gratification.

‘He created an online persona to lie to his victims and gain their trust before abusing them.

‘The lengthy custodial sentence reflects the seriousness of his offending and means he will be unable to cause further harm for the foreseeable future.’

Description

A registered sex offender from near Maidstone has been jailed after claiming that he was only talking to an underage girl to get her banned from a website.

Officers paid an unannounced visit to the home address of Darren Cross on Tuesday 3 February 2026. When they searched his phone, they discovered he had made new online profiles and hadn't disclosed the usernames to Kent Police, which is a failure to comply with his sex offenders register requirements.

They also found he had deleted his internet history and had attempted to sexually communicate with a child.

The 42 year old was arrested. During his custody interview, he tried to defend his actions by saying he was trying to find underage children on the site to report to the moderator so they would be banned.

However, officers had evidence that Cross sent multiple messages of a sexual nature to who he believed was a 13 year old girl.

Cross, from Ditton, was charged with attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child, two counts of failing to comply with the sex offenders register requirements and breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).

He pleaded guilty and was sentenced on Thursday 14 May 2026 at Maidstone Crown Court to two years' imprisonment.

Investigating officer PC Charlotte Wilson said:

'Cross is a manipulative individual who tried to cover up his crimes by deleting his search history and creating profiles under fake names.

'Not only that, but he came up with far-fetched lies and acted as though he was protecting children online, when in fact he was the one they needed protecting from.

'Although he didn't actually harm anyone, his intentions were clear and I'm glad to see him behind bars.

'It shows that we will monitor and manage sex offenders to ensure they comply with their conditions. If they don’t, we will make sure they are prosecuted.'

Description

A sex offender from Deal who stored and shared images of himself abusing a young victim has been jailed.

Joshua Mumby, 29, admitted to sexually assaulting a child after originally claiming the images had been manipulated.

Investigation

Kent Police was alerted to his offending in August 2025, when he was found to have uploaded multiple indecent images online and discussed the sexual abuse of children with other internet users.

An investigation by specialist detectives from the force was immediately launched, during which it was established that Mumby had carried out the sexual abuse depicted in the uploaded images.

Charged

He was arrested on 21 August 2025. Further enquiries, which included the examination of digital forensic evidence, found that Mumby had stored more than two hundred indecent images on his mobile phone of his own crimes.

He was charged the day after his arrest and, after originally pleading not guilty to sexual assault, changed his plea before Canterbury Crown Court.

Sentenced

Mumby, formerly of Freemens Way, was convicted of three counts of sexual assault and two counts of taking indecent images of children.

He was sentenced at the same court on Thursday 30 April 2026 to a ten year extended sentence, which included six and a half years’ imprisonment, with three and a half years to be served on licence when he becomes eligible for parole.

The offender will be subject to an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order and will need to fulfil notification requirements for the sex offender register for life.

Detective Constable Claire Hall said:

‘This is a deeply disturbing case involving the exploitation of a vulnerable young victim and the sickening behaviour of a depraved individual. The swift work of our specialist officers, whose investigation uncovered the full extent of Mumby’s crimes, should be commended.

‘I’m pleased that this dangerous sexual predator is behind bars and that the restrictions in place at the end of his custodial sentence will serve to safeguard against future offending.

‘I also want to send a clear message to anyone who thinks they can commit offences like this online: you cannot hide behind a screen. We have the capability and determination to track you down, identify you and bring you before the courts. If you are involved in sharing or creating indecent images, you should expect to be made to face the consequences of your crimes.’

Description

Oscar Love, from Ramsgate, has been sentenced to 13 years in prison for a series of violent crimes, including the rape of a woman.

On 7 June 2025, a woman sought refuge in a bar at Ramsgate Harbour after being assaulted by Love moments earlier on Ramsgate High Street. Police located him on Newington Road, where he resisted arrest, attempted to flee, and was later apprehended hiding in a garden.

The investigation uncovered multiple other incidents of threatening and sexually violent behaviour, leading to charges of two counts of rape and six additional offences.

Following a four-day trial, Love was convicted by a jury. He had already admitted breaching his Sexual Harm Prevention Order, assault, and escaping lawful custody.

Detective Constable Chris Harvey said:  

"Oscar Love is a violent offender, who caused serious physical and mental harm to his victim. Tackling violence against woman and girls is a Kent Police priority and we will do all we can to bring offenders like him to justice. I urge any other potential victims or anyone with concerns about Love’s behaviour to contact Kent Police.

"I also want to commend the strength of the victim throughout this case. Her bravery and continued support with the investigation made the conviction received today possible."

Description

An 80-year-old child rapist has been jailed for more than 20 years.

Michael Merron was ordered to serve a 24-year sentence following a four-week trial in which a jury found him guilty of multiple child sex offences.

These offences included charges of rape, sexual assault of a child under 13 and indecent assault.

His offending was reported to have happened between 2002 and 2014 and involved three children.

Following the allegations officers launched an investigation. While making enquiries they identified a fourth victim who disclosed that between 1985 and 1986, when they were aged 18, Merron had also sexually assaulted them. The jury also found him guilty of this offence.

The pensioner, formerly of Halls Hole Road, Tunbridge Wells, was jailed at Maidstone Crown Court on Thursday 30 April 2026.

As well as being sentenced to 24 years (23 years in custody and one year on licence) he was added to the Sex Offenders’ Register for life and a Sexual Harm Prevention Order was also imposed.

Investigating officer Detective Constable Alice Comben said:

‘Merron was a predatory opportunist who carried out his offending when he was alone with each victim, ensuring they felt isolated and he felt in control.

‘I want to commend the bravery of each victim. Their courage to disclose his offending has ensured his criminality has been exposed, and he will now spend a significant time behind bars.

‘Anyone who is a victim of sexual abuse, or wishes to report a suspected offender, can do so in the knowledge that specialist officers will thoroughly and diligently investigate any allegations.’

Description

A Chatham child rapist has been jailed for more than 16 years.

Kent Police launched an investigation in July 2022, following a report regarding Jason Hartley committing multiple rapes and assaults against a child between 2001 and 2007.

A second young victim also reported the 55 year old had exposed himself to them on at least two occasions.

The Palmerston Road resident was later arrested and charged with 15 sexual offences.

Court

Hartley admitted multiple offences at Maidstone Crown Court on 23 March 2026 including counts of rape, raping a child under 13 and inciting a child to engage in sexual activity. A further five charges will lie on file.

At the same court on Friday 10 April, he was sentenced to 16 and a half years in prison with a further year on licence. An indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) has also been issued and he is required to sign onto the sex offenders’ register.

Investigating officer Detective Constable Emma Davies said:

‘Hartley’s predatorial behaviour has resulted in significant harm for his young victims, and this sentence and SHPO will ensure he cannot harm anyone else.‘I commend the bravery of his victim for coming forward and reliving their experiences in order to secure this outcome. We are satisfied that Hartley is facing the consequences of his offending.’

Description

A registered sex offender from Gillingham has been jailed for deleting his internet browsing history.

In 2021, Nigel Edwards was convicted of making indecent images of children and became subject to strict conditions on his conduct. A 10 year sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) was put in place which included stringent restrictions around his use of the internet, specifically that he should not delete the internet history on any device.

On 18 January 2026, investigators made a regular visit to review Edwards’s laptop and were alerted to irregularities within his internet history.

The device was then seized and on 21 January he was arrested for breaching a sexual harm prevention order due to his internet browsing history being deleted.

Charged

Nigel Edwards, 54, of Flaxmans Court, Gillingham, was charged the same day and remanded in custody.

He pleaded guilty to the offence at Maidstone Crown Court and on Monday 23 March, Edwards was sentenced to 14 months’ imprisonment. He will also continue to be subject to the remaining five years of his sexual harm prevention order.

Investigating officer, Police Constable Harriette Barraclough said:

‘Court orders such as these are there so convicted sex offenders can be closely monitored and help us safeguard children.

‘As this case shows we will do everything within our powers to ensure offenders like Edwards face justice.’