Registered sex offender from Kenilworth jailed after breaching court order

A registered sex offender who breached the terms of a court order by having sexualised conversation online with two people he believed to be 14-year-old girls has been jailed.

Bradley Warner, 26, of Warwick Road, Kenilworth was jailed for 26 months following an investigation by the South Warwickshire Police Sex Offender Management Unit (SOMU).

According to Warwickshire Police, the conversations took place in September and were reported to police the following day and Warner was arrested.

After being convicted of online child sex offenses last year and given a community order, Warner was made subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) that, amongst other things, prohibited him from using the internet to contact anyone known or believed to be under the age of 16.

Investigating officer, Detective Constable Ben Gadsdon from the SOMU said: “Despite being given an opportunity to rehabilitate in the community ordered by a judge previously, Warner has shown himself incapable of changing his extremely concerning behaviour, even though being managed by police and probation.

"As a result, he will now spend time in jail where he will no longer present a risk to vulnerable people online and in the community. While in prison he can seek the help that he needs.”

The South Warwickshire SOMU is responsible for monitoring the behaviours of registered sex offenders and checking those subject to a SHPO are adhering to the terms of the order.

The team’s work often goes unnoticed. They understandably like to keep a low profile given the sensitive nature of the work they do. However, they do vital work in keeping a check on some of the highest risk offenders in Warwickshire.

Detective Inspector Katie Reynolds from the RSOMU said: “It understandably makes local people feel uncomfortable that there are sex offenders living in our communities, but the reality is that if offenders do not get a jail sentence or when they are released from prison they need to live somewhere.

"Our job is to make sure this happens while minimising the risk of them reoffending. And if they do reoffend, we need to make sure we act promptly to arrest them.”

Many convicted of a sexual offence in Warwickshire will now be subject to a SHPO, the terms of which must be linked to the nature of the offence he or she is convicted of.

So, for example, anyone convicted of accessing indecent images of children will have restrictions put on their use of electronic devices and someone convicted of contact sexual offences with a child will have restrictions put on their contact with children.

DI Reynolds continued: “While people will always be concerned about sex offenders living in the community, I believe they should be reassured by the level of scrutiny we place them under.

"SHPOs are extremely powerful tools that allow us to monitor and restrict the behaviour of sex offenders.

"They are also aware that we are constantly breathing down their neck and waiting for them should they breach the terms.”