MAIDSTONE – Two repeat sex offenders have been returned to prison this week after separate investigations by Kent Police revealed they had violated the terms of their court-mandated supervision.
Andrew McPherson, 53, and Jay Bishenden, 24, were sentenced at Maidstone Crown Court on Wednesday and Thursday, respectively. Both men were subject to Sexual Harm Prevention Orders (SHPOs), which impose strict limitations on their activities to protect the public following previous convictions.
Andrew McPherson
Jay Bishenden
The investigation into Bishenden began in November 2025 when officers suspected he was using an undisclosed device to access the internet, a direct violation of his order. When police executed a search warrant at his home in Sittingbourne, on November 13, Bishenden surrendered two mobile phones and a laptop. A subsequent forensic analysis of the laptop uncovered evidence that he had been using private browsing modes to conceal his online activity.
Bishenden pleaded guilty to seven counts of breaching his SHPO. On Thursday, April 30, a judge sentenced him to two years and three months in prison, a term that included penalties for the new offences and the breach of a prior suspended sentence.
McPherson’s violations were discovered during a routine compliance check at his residence in Gillingham, on January 12, 2026. During the visit, officers identified a laptop and a mobile phone that showed signs of regular use. Further inspection confirmed the 53-year-old had been using the devices to access the internet in contravention of his legal restrictions.
McPherson was arrested and subsequently charged with three counts of breaching his SHPO, to which he pleaded guilty. On Wednesday, April 29, he was sentenced to one year in immediate imprisonment.
Detective Inspector Martin Carter of Kent Police’s Management of Sexual and Violent Offenders (MOSOVO) department said:
‘SHPOs are a valuable tool in catching repeat offenders and making young people safer on the internet. They allow us greater access to the homes and devices of convicted sex offenders so we can eliminate any risk to the wider public.
‘These are just two sentencings of the many our officers secure each year, and I am satisfied that our thorough supervision and subsequent investigations have ensured Bishenden and McPherson are now behind bars.’