A convicted sex offender banned from communicating with children met a teenage girl online and then started living in her home report Kent Police
Jake Booth, from Tonbridge, created an internet chat group for motorbike enthusiasts and used the forum to start initial contact with the child. Their conversations moved to Snapchat before Booth made arrangements to meet the girl and her parents.
Booth gained the confidence of her family and after convincing them they were simply close friends he was allowed to stay in their home.
But, unbeknown to the family, Booth was the subject of a sexual harm prevention order following previous convictions for making indecent images of children. The order was made by the courts in 2022 and had a duration of ten years. It included strict measures to protect children and meant he was prohibited from having any unsupervised contact or communication with anyone under 16.
Booth, 22, and from Tonbridge was arrested on 11 April 2024, when he was found by officers in the child’s bed. He was charged with 14 offences relating to breaches of a sexual harm prevention order and sex offender notification requirements. Booth pleaded guilty at Maidstone Crown Court, and on 31 January 2025 was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment.
Leading the investigation was PC Lorny Booth who said:
‘Jake Booth effectively groomed this child and then exploited her family’s trust, whilst he sought to evade the many strict measures designed to prevent him from reoffending. Whilst there is no evidence in this case to directly connect Booth to any sexual abuse offences, the prison sentence passed by the courts demonstrates that he is a manipulative and predatory offender who poses a clear threat to children.’