Sex Offender Dons Elderly Woman Disguise to Grope Victims – Jailed for Three Years
A twisted sex offender who disguised himself as an elderly woman to sexually assault people in Chatham and Maidstone has been locked up for three years.
Paul Reed’s Shocking Attacks
Paul Reed, 56, from Gorse Avenue, Chatham, wore women’s clothes to prey on victims between late 2017 and early 2019. Despite being slapped with a Sexual Harm Prevention Order, he brazenly struck three times.
Reed pleaded guilty to three sexual assaults and eight breaches of the order. Maidstone Crown Court sentenced him on Monday 1 July 2019.
Victims Targeted While Waiting for Buses
- December 2017: Reed, with face partially covered, approached a schoolgirl at a bus stop in Maidstone, struck up conversation, then inappropriately touched her. She fled to a nearby shop for help.
- December 30, 2018: Draped in a scarf that masked his face, Reed sat next to a woman waiting for a bus in Chatham. He chatted about the cold before touching her inappropriately.
- March 2019: Back in women’s clothing on Chatham High Street, Reed approached another woman, engaged her in talk, then wrapped a scarf around her shoulders before touching her.
Ignored Court Orders, Ignited Fear
Reed was already banned from approaching unknown women unless unavoidable and from covering his face in public. Yet he ignored every restriction.
Police Constable Jacqueline Little said: “Reed has persistently shown himself to be a nuisance to women and his behaviour cannot be allowed to go unchallenged. Despite numerous restrictions being placed on him, he continued to breach them and caused a significant amount of distress in the process. The sentence imposed is entirely justified and I am pleased he is no longer able to cause distress to innocent members of the public.”
