Latest Offenders Kent

Description

A sexual predator who got “a thrill” from preying on underage girls with explicit chats on Facebook messenger has been jailed.

Michael Hughes encouraged his three victims to perform sexual acts on themselves, and to send him images of them doing so.

The 62-year-old also sent the girls photos of genitals.

But, unbeknown to the pervert, he was in fact communicating with online paedophile hunters who had set up fictitious ‘decoy’ profiles as part of a sting.

Following his arrest in June 2021, he candidly confessed to police that the conversations had given him a “sexual thrill”.

But he also claimed that he had been simply giving “sex education” to one of the victims, and had asked another about “d**k pics” because he wanted to warn her about online dangers.

Hughes admitted multiple offences and appeared before Maidstone Crown Court for his sentencing hearing last Tuesday (October 29).

The offender, who was living in the Medway area at the time, groomed the three “girls”, purporting to be aged 11, 12 and 13, over a period of three months.

Maidstone Crown Court heard their ages were clearly stated from the outset of the chats with Hughes.

His explicit messages included instructions on how to masturbate, telling the 'girls' to "think of my c**k" and "think of me touching you".

Hughes told another that she was "pretty and bright" before asking if she wanted "to chat about sex", saying "We can be boyfriend and girlfriend on here".

Bartholomew O'Toole, defending, told the court the offences were “borne out of fantasy and disenchantment” after his 20-year-long relationship with his partner “turned sour and distant”.

He also told the court that Hughes had “succumbed to temptation” after answering messages that arrived in his inbox, adding that the victims were not ones “hunted down by a predator”.

But the lawyer said although the sex offender did not actually receive any indecent images or send images of his own penis, he did not “seek to demur” from his frank admissions made to police.

“He has expressed his shame, embarrassment and remorse,” added Mr O'Toole. “His words to his solicitor were ‘I very much regret this behaviour. I'm ashamed of myself for behaving in this way’.”

The court was also told that having been a boxing champion, Hughes used his building skills to work hard all his life and provide for his family.

However, his arrest has left him living in a caravan “in a field or garden”, said the barrister, and he no longer has contact with them.

But Mr O'Toole said the three-year delay in Hughes’s case reaching its conclusion was not his fault.

Having been interviewed in June 2021, his first appearance before magistrates was not until April this year.

These are disgusting offences…

He then pleaded guilty to a total of eight offences relating to attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity and attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child.

Jailing Hughes for three years, Judge Gareth Branston told him custody was inevitable.

“These are disgusting offences. You were potentially preying on vulnerable, young children,” he said.

On his release, Hughes will be subject to a sexual harm prevention order for 10 years as well as indefinite sex offender notification requirements.

Description

Former Margate bar boss and previous childrens home worker Duncan Bayles will be sentenced in January after being found guilty of sex offences against children.

Mr Bayles was found guilty of 12 indecent assault charges against children aged below 14 years; six indecency with a child charges and one charge of attempted rape following a two trial at Canterbury Crown Court which concluded last week.

The offences took place in the 1980s and 1990s against four boys, then aged under 13, at two childrens homes in Ramsgate and Deal.

Mr Bayles, aged 64, of Northdown Road, has been remanded in custody and will return to the court on January 24 for sentencing.

Description

A sex offender who targeted and assaulted a number of women and girls in Canterbury has been jailed.

In June 2024, four women and girls were followed by a man in the St Stephen’s area of the city. The man attempted to touch or grab the victims, before, in some cases, being deterred when they shouted at him.

On Wednesday 12 June, two officers were on patrol in the area when they noticed a man following a woman. The man matched the description of the offender given by victims in previous reports from earlier that month and officers quickly stopped and arrested him.

During the investigation, detectives determined that the arrested man, Athian Majak, was the offender for four incidents in June, as well as additional offences in December 2023.

Charges including indecent exposure, sexual touching, and attempted sexual touching were authorised against Majak, of Downs Road, Canterbury, which he admitted at court.

At Canterbury Crown Court the 20-year-old admitted all nine offences and was given a three-year custodial sentence in a youth offenders’ institute on Friday 18 October 2024.

Description

A pervert travelled 300 miles to Newcastle after agreeing to pay a woman £100 to have sex with her 11-year-old daughter.

Jason Martin thought he was talking to a mother online who had advertised her daughter for sale when he eagerly enquired about a price. In fact it was a profile set up by an undercover police officer.

Having agreed to pay to have sex with the youngster, the 55-year-old travelled by train from his home in Kent to Newcastle. When confronted by police, he claimed he was just here to visit Barnard Castle, in County Durham. But he had a picture of the youngster as his home screen on his phone. Now he has been jailed for almost eight years.

Newcastle Crown Court heard it was in July this year that an undercover police officer set up a profile on a chat site using the name "Dau for sale", which prosecutors say was short for "daughter for sale". Martin made contact and said "Yes please, how old?".

He was told the child was 11 and that she was tall for her age and blonde. Martin asked for a price and expressed a willingness to travel to Newcastle from Kent, where he was living.

The conversation moved to WhatsApp and continued for four weeks. Nick Lane, prosecuting, said: "A price of £100 was agreed by the defendant for full sex.

"It was agreed he would book a hotel in central Newcastle. The officer sent a number of pictures of the child with her face blanked out.

"The defendant expressed some concern it was a set up." However he was not perturbed and there was a discussion about the mother of the child watching him having sex with her.

He was sent more pictures and the arrangement was changed for the mother to book the hotel for the meeting, which was planned for August 14 this year. On that day, Martin travelled from his home to Newcastle by train.

He was intercepted by plain clothes officers at the ticket barrier at Newcastle Central Station. He said "S*** how did you know what I looked like".

Description

A registered sex offender from Tunbridge Wells has been caught using a fake online profile during attempts to groom and abuse a child.

Peter Johnson has now been jailed after he ignored previous measures imposed by the courts to prevent him from reoffending and targeted a teenage girl over several days.

Johnson, formerly known as Peter Austen, had been convicted in 2017 of possessing indecent images of children. For these offences, he received a suspended sentence and was added to the sex offender register for 10 years.

Alias

In October 2023, officers from Kent Police’s Offender Management Unit discovered Johnson had been using the social media platform Snapchat and was posting under an alias of Matt Harper.  

He had been contacting another user who told him she was only 13 and sent her a series of explicit images over several days, which included videos of himself.

Under the guise of Matt Harper, he had also sent voice messages, and images of himself fully clothed.

Unbeknown to Johnson, the child did not exist – her profile was part of a fictitious account. Some of the images he had sent showed his face and officers were able to recognise him as being Peter Johnson.

He was arrested on 15 November at his home near Liptraps Lane.

A phone was seized and checks led to the discovery of an illegal image of a child, in the most serious category.

Johnson, 37, was charged with engaging in sexual communication with a child, causing a child to engage in a sexual act, causing a child to view an image of sexual activity, making an indecent image of a child and failing to comply with sex offender notification requirements.

He pleaded guilty and on 10 October 2024 Johnson was sentenced at Maidstone Crown Court to three years’ imprisonment, having already served almost a year on remand.

When he has served his sentence, Johnson will be subject to a 12-year sexual harm prevention order and will have to comply with sex offender notification requirements, for life.

Description

A care worker from Maidstone who sexually abused a severely disabled person has been jailed.

Naguib Lootfun, 69, of Mill Walk, abused a vulnerable patient while working for an assisted living facility.

Suspicions about his behaviour were raised on 8 May 2024 after colleagues found an empty condom wrapper discarded in a bedroom at the premises after he had been on night shift.

Lootfun alleged the wrapper had been in his pocket and claimed it had fallen out as he worked.

He was suspended from work while an investigation into the circumstances was underway.

The following day, a used condom was found in a bin bag within the care home and Lootfun was arrested on suspicion of rape.

Lootfun initially denied allegations of sexual abuse but, following an extensive search of the premises, a second used condom was found in the waste bin area outside and an examination of DNA linked him to the offences.

Convicted

He was convicted on 9 July at Maidstone Crown Court, after he admitted to having sex with the victim, who was unable to consent.

He was remanded in custody pending a hearing at the same court on 9 October, where he was sentenced to 11 years and ordered to serve an extra four years on licence.

Description

A registered sex offender from Medway who was serving a suspended sentence has been jailed for failing to comply with court restrictions. 

Richard Howes was issued with a sexual harm prevention order at Maidstone Crown Court on 20 August 2021, following a conviction for making indecent images of children.

The conditions of this order required him to make any internet-enabled device available for inspection by the police on request, and to notify them within three days if he acquired any new devices. 

Attempts to deceive

On 28 February 2024, officers visited Howes after they suspected he had a new phone and had failed to notify police. Howes presented a phone and a tablet for inspection and denied having any other devices. 

He was arrested and a search of his property located two further tablets and another phone he had not declared.

Howes, of Prospect Row, Chatham, pleaded guilty at Maidstone Crown Court to three breaches of a sexual harm prevention order.

The 59-year-old was sentenced on Thursday 3 October, to one year and six months’ imprisonment. This included six months for breaching a suspended sentence.

Description

A registered paedophile has been jailed after he tampered with a monitoring device and hid a hard drive from police.

Rhys Mateer was previously convicted at Maidstone Crown Court in 2020 of engaging in sexual communication with a child.

He received a suspended sentence that came with strict sex offender notification requirements (SONR).

This included telling police within three days if he used an alias online or received new bank cards.

He was also issued with a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO). It allowed officers access to any device capable of storing digital images.

Mateer was subject to unannounced visits from police to check he was complying.

On June 15, two constables arrived at his home and found he had tampered with monitoring software installed on his mobile phone.

He had used an application that prevented from keeping his browsing history.

Further checks found he had been using an alias on his gaming console without notifying the police.

He also had a laptop and an external hard drive, both of which hadn't been declared.

Mateer, formerly from Minster, was arrested and further searches located a bank card he had not declared, a tablet and a mobile phone in his car.

He was charged and pleaded guilty at Maidstone Crown Court to five counts of breaching his SHPO and two counts of breaching his SONR.

Yesterday (October 3), the 27-year-old was sentenced to two years and seven months’ imprisonment.

This included four months for breaching a suspended sentence. On his release from prison, he will be subject to a further SHPO indefinitely.

PC James Harris said: “The conditions that come with these court orders are an opportunity for sex offenders to show they are attempting to reform their ways and can be trusted to not reoffend whilst living in the community.

“Our unannounced visit to this particular individual identified several breaches and he was immediately arrested.

“He is now serving a prison sentence and will be subject to further checks on his conduct when he is eventually released.”

Description

A man has been jailed after making indecent images of children.

Neil Pavitt, of Allen Street, Maidstone, was sentenced at Maidstone Crown Court last month.

The 48-year-old “monster” faced charges of voyeurism and making indecent images of a child.

He was sentenced on August 22 to two years and two months in prison.

Pavitt was put on the sex offenders register for 10 years and given two sexual harm prevention orders and a forfeiture and destruction order relating to his laptop and phone.

Speaking after sentencing, one of his victims said: “Neil Pavitt is a child predator and a monster.

“I despise him for what he has done. The custodial sentence brings profound relief and validation after years of pain and suffering.

“I want to express my deepest gratitude to the dedicated team at Kent Police who worked tirelessly to ensure justice was served.”

Description

A child sex offender from Sevenoaks who was captured on dashcam giving a pep talk to himself as he faced allegations of rape has been jailed for almost 20 years.

The recording was seized by Kent Police as part of an investigation into a catalogue of offences committed by Karl Fisher between 2018 and 2022.

Fisher subjected his young victim to repeated and systematic abuse, which included incidents when he would make them wear an eye mask, as well as headphones playing loud music.

The evidence on the dashcam was captured shortly before Fisher knew he was about to be arrested, on 27 May 2022.

When the device was analysed by investigating officers, he was heard offering himself words of encouragement, including ‘you’ve got this’ and ‘you’ve still got options’.

Guilty by unanimous verdict

At Maidstone Crown Court, Fisher, 34, admitted charges of taking indecent images of a child, and causing a child to engage in sexual activity but denied offences which included at least five rapes, as well as repeated sexual assaults and witness intimidation.

The case went to trial and a jury found him guilty by unanimous verdict.

On 23 September 2024, Fisher was sentenced to 19 years and six months’ imprisonment.

He was deemed as ‘dangerous’ by the judge and will have to serve two thirds of the sentence before he can apply for parole.

Upon his eventual release from prison, Fisher will be subject to an extended licence period of four years. He was also added to the sex offenders register for life.

Description

A Medway resident who breached his sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) has been jailed.

Ben Champion was convicted at Maidstone Crown Court in 2020 of making indecent images of children, and was made subject of a court order that placed strict conditions on his behaviour indefinitely.

These included restrictions preventing any unsupervised contact with children, notifying the police if he stayed at a new address for more than seven days and retaining his internet history for inspection by officers.

Breaches

On 18 April 2024, constables attended Champion’s registered home and found he had been residing at a different property.

Their enquiries also found he had been in contact with children and had deleted some of the internet history on his phone.

Champion, of Old Road, Chatham, was arrested and charged with multiple breaches of his sexual harm prevention order between March and April.

Jailed

He pleaded guilty at Maidstone Crown Court and, on Tuesday 17 September, the 31-year-old was jailed for two years and eight months.

Description

A depraved pensioner who groomed a vulnerable teenager he met online by paying him hundreds of pounds in cash has been jailed.

David Smith knew from the outset of speaking to the boy in a Kik chatroom that he was underage and, as soon as the communication switched to WhatsApp, it turned sexual, Maidstone Crown Court heard.

The 68-year-old, described as "dangerous and manipulative", asked the youngster for explicit photographs and to perform sex acts on camera.

He pestered him even when he was at school and into the early hours when his parents were asleep.

The Rainham sex offender also preyed on the boy's emotions, describing how he was lonely, depressed and suffering from cancer.

The victim later told police how he had been profoundly affected by the online abuse and cruelly bullied by his peers after they heard about his ordeal.

Prosecutor Allister Walker told the court that Smith transferred a total of 845 to the teenager over the four months that they were talking.

At the time of his warped communications, which were also conducted over the Telegram app, Smith was on bail having been caught out in a police sting for similar behaviour.

Unbeknown to the pervert, the 12-year-old boy he was grooming over a month-long period was an undercover officer.

Again, they had met through Kik, in a chatroom called Schoolboys, with Smith calling himself Peter Fowler and with the username hugsandcuddles67.

They then exchanged messages and images via SnapChat.

It is clear that the officer told the defendant his age - that he was 12, referred to being at school and his profile was one of a child in school uniform, said Mr Walker.

They talked about him (the undercover officer) being in a changing room getting ready for PE.

The defendant asked if there were any boys there that he fancied, what they might be wearing and if he could see their 'bulges'.

The boy (officer) talked about going to the cinema but the defendant would turn the conversation sexual.

The nature of it clearly demonstrates grooming, telling him he was sexy, asking for pictures, and saying he would love to be the guy who teaches you things.

The defendant said he was aroused and if they met they could have sexy fun.

The court heard Smith also suggested on several occasions about meeting up but later messaged to say he was disappointed it could not go ahead as he was due to have a knee operation.

A week later he was arrested at his home in Childscroft Road. He told police he talked to a lot of people online and if he had known the age he would have stopped.

But, having been bailed, he continued to groom the other boy, even telling him about his arrest, and to send him money.

Smith, who has two previous convictions for possessing indecent images in 2002 and 2006, was re-arrested in February this year and gave a 'No comment' interview.

The court heard he later pleaded guilty to attempted sexual communication with a child and arranging or facilitating the commission of a child sex offence in respect of the undercover officer.

But it was not until the first day of trial when the teenager had attended court that offences of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and sexual communication with a child were admitted.

In a victim impact statement, the boy told police of the many difficulties he had faced as a consequence of the abuse and for which he had had to undergo therapy.

It's scary there are people online who would take advantage of children, he said. I really hope this doesn't happen to any other children and David gets the punishment he deserves.

Toby Long, defending, said his client had acknowledged he was sexually attracted to children, had expressed shame and remorse, and was motivated to address his behaviour.

The trigger, he added, was a prolonged grief disorder following the death of his mum in 2018, together with social isolation and his prostate cancer diagnosis.

He went down a rabbit hole of constant online chatrooms, mostly talking to adults and lapsing on two occasions, said Mr Long.

He tells me he is extremely remorseful and deeply ashamed and wants to apologise for the trauma and distress caused.

Jailing Smith on Friday (September 13) for a total of nine years, of which he will have to serve at least two-thirds before he can apply for parole, Judge Philip Statman said he posed a significant risk of harm to children.

"Despite your low mood, you have persisted in seeking sexual gratification and you are someone capable of grooming and manipulating your victims," he told the pensioner.

"In my judgment, having looked at everything I know about you, including your background, your employment in the past, your attitude towards your late mother and your previous relevant convictions which are an aggravating feature despite their age and the period of time that has elapsed between them and this offence, all of those matters support the view that I have that you are dangerous.

Smith was also told that once released, any licence period will be extended by two years.

He will also be subject to lifelong sex offender notification requirements and an indefinite sexual harm prevention order.

Description

A child sex abuser has been jailed for 14 years after a jury saw through his lies.

David Spowage, from Rochester, committed offences including rape, sexual assault and taking an indecent image of a child, against a teenage girl in August 2022.

He was arrested and later charged after the victim reported the crimes.

The 39-year-old denied the offences but a jury at Maidstone Crown Court found him guilty at an earlier trial and on Friday, August 30 he was jailed for 14 years.

Investigating officer Detective Constable Ellie Allen said: Spowage targeted the teenager for his own sexual gratification.

He denied the charges and put her through the ordeal of a trial, hoping to not be found guilty but the jury saw through his lies.

I want to commend the victims bravery and courage in reporting his offending.

His lengthy sentence will ensure he can no longer harm anyone else.

Description

A man who subjected a girl to repeated sexual abuse over the course of a year has been jailed.

Steve Adams started to abuse the girl in January 2019 before she was able to disclose the offences. 

The 67-year-old from Marine Parade, Sheerness was arrested and later charged with sexual assaults.

He denied the allegations but a jury at Maidstone Crown Court found him guilty and on Thursday 29 August 2024 at the same court was jailed for a total of 13 years.

Description

A paedophile who hid behind fake personas in twisted online chats to encourage a teenage girl to send him indecent photos and engage in sex acts ended up losing his marriage and friends.

Canterbury Crown Court heard Andrew Rickards initially posed as a 14-year-old girl with the username 'Amybum' to engage with the victim in January 2022.

Under that guise of being 'Amy from Ashford', the pervert then introduced his second false identity - that of a man of varying ages called 'James' - into his depraved communications.

Having told the 13-year-old that 'James' was 36 and would be "driven crazy" by her, 'Amy' handed over his online account details for the social media platform, Discord.

The younger girl then contacted him, resulting in Rickards, who this time said he was 28 and kept details of his address limited to 'in Kent', indulging in what were described as "sustained and persistent" sexualised conversations over the course of several days.

Undeterred by her age, these included him asking for photos of the victim wearing her school uniform and lifting up her top to reveal her bra, as well as inviting her to join him in bed and be "little spoon".

He also described himself as a "sexual dominant turned on by cute, little girls", the court was told.

Prosecutor Kieran Brand explained how at one stage Rickards posed as both 'Amy' and 'James' in the same online chat, asking if the girl was prepared "to do stuff" and have threesomes with them.

There was even talk of taking her shopping at Ann Summers to buy sex toys.

But the court heard the victim was also hiding her true identity - that of an undercover officer - and with the usernames traced to his home, Rickards was arrested in April that year.

Police seized several devices, including a phone and laptop, on which they found indecent images of children, extreme pornography, and other conversations in which he had used the 'Amybum' profile, claiming to be 14 and to have had sex with both men and children.

Rickards, 39, of Arden Drive, Ashford, later admitted two offences of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child, two of attempting to cause or incite a child to engage in sexual activity, six charges of publishing an obscene article and one of possessing an extreme pornograhic image.

He also admitted three charges of making indecent images of a child in respect of 105 stills and 25 moving clips, and depicting abuse across all three categories of seriousness.

James Burke, defending, told the sentencing hearing on Friday, August 23 that as a result of his offending, Rickards had "lost his marriage and lost his friends".

But his assertion that the defendant's "paedophilic interest" was linked to his poor mental health was rejected by Judge Simon Taylor KC.

"It may be convenient for the defendant to identify that link and may assist him in coming to terms with his offending, but on the evidence available before me there is no link whatsoever," he said.

He also dismissed any suggestion that Rickards could not recall his offending, and said any anxiety he was experiencing was "a consequence of being caught".

Jailing him for a total of two years and 10 months, Judge Taylor said the use of two different personas demonstrated "sophisticated and highly manipulative" offending.

Rickards, who had sat in the dock shaking throughout much of the hearing, mouthed the word 'sorry' to his father, who had attended court in support, as he was led away to start his prison sentence.

On release, he will be subject to indefinite sex offender notification requirements and a 10-year sexual harm prevention order.