Maidstone Man Jailed for Ignoring Child Protection Order
A Maidstone man has been locked up for breaching a court order designed to shield children from sexual offences. Adrian Scarlett was slapped with a sexual harm prevention order back in 2015 after a criminal conviction.
Breaking the Rules: Secretly Befriending Teen Girls
The order banned Scarlett, 44, from unsupervised contact with anyone under 16 — including online. Despite this, in 2017, concerns were flagged to Kent Police about his behaviour towards two teenage girls.
Police uncovered that Scarlett hid his previous sexual offences conviction from the teens and their families. He tried to befriend the girls over time, even stalking them at work and falsely claiming to be related to one of them.
Police Crack Down: Digital Evidence Seized
On 14 September 2018, officers raided Scarlett’s St Peter’s Street home and confiscated his phone and tablets. They found proof he used social media accounts to follow and comment on numerous young girls’ profiles.
Guilty Plea and Prison Sentence
Scarlett pleaded guilty to two counts of breaching his sexual harm prevention order at Maidstone Crown Court. On 7 February 2020, he was sentenced to two years behind bars.
“Scarlett has previously been given every opportunity to engage in rehabilitation and was subject to strict measures designed to reduce the risk he posed to children,” said Detective Constable Wes Marston. “He has been unable to adhere to these restrictions and actively set out to reoffend.”
“He shows no understanding of the gravity of his actions and continues to try to have unsupervised contact with children, including online.”
“Orders like these protect children. Kent Police will do everything to ensure offenders face justice.”
