ALEXANDRA HAYWARD SENTENCED IN WHITMINSTER FOR SEXUAL OFFENSE WITH A 15-YEAR-OLD BOY

In November 2011, Alexandra Hayward, a 30-year-old mother of two, admitted to seducing a 15-year-old boy she met via Facebook. The prosecutor, Tim Hills, explained that Hayward, described as 'predatory,' sent the boy a friend request on the social networking platform. The boy accepted and later visited her home in Vaisey Fields, Whitminster. During the visit, they shared a kiss and proceeded to a bedroom, where both became partly clothed and engaged in sexual intercourse, which was short in duration. After the act, the boy left feeling 'confused and upset,' but did not disclose what had happened at the time.

Hayward’s misconduct came to light several days later when she confided in a counselor during a session aimed at addressing her personal issues. The counselor was obligated to report this disclosure to authorities. During a detailed interview, Hayward expressed feelings of guilt, stating she believed that as the older individual, she should have prevented the encounter. Mr. Hills noted that the boy’s mother had provided a statement describing her son’s distress, as he was upset when Hayward initially denied the sexual encounter. The mother also conveyed that the boy mistakenly thought he might be charged with rape because Hayward pleaded not guilty. She criticized Hayward for showing 'no concern for us and our feelings.'

Judge Jamie Tabor remarked that the mother viewed Hayward as 'predatory.' He acknowledged the unfortunate situation for the young boy, who was led to believe he was being accused of rape after being seduced by an older woman. Susan Cavender, representing Hayward, explained that her client’s actions occurred during a stressful period while she was suffering from depression and on a high dose of medication. Cavender noted that Hayward had lost her employment and emphasized that the boy was only four months shy of his 16th birthday.

Hayward, who pleaded guilty to engaging in sexual activity with a child on September 22 of the previous year, was sentenced to a 12-month jail term suspended for two years, with conditions including supervision and 200 hours of unpaid work. She was also ordered to register as a sex offender and barred from contacting the boy. Judge Tabor stated, 'I don’t believe you were grooming the boy. It was a one-off – but it was a one-off you should have resisted.' He added, 'There is little evidence of psychological harm to the boy but there has been a period of very considerable trauma for him.'