DEREK LEE OF TENTERDEN SENTENCED TO SEVEN AND A HALF YEARS FOR SEXUAL OFFENCES IN MAIDSTONE

In May 2014, Derek Lee, of Pittenden, Tenterden, was sentenced to seven-and-a-half years in prison after admitting to sexually abusing a young girl. Lee confessed to his crimes shortly before his trial at Maidstone Crown Court was set to begin. He admitted six counts of sexual activity with a child and one count of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child, all pertaining to offences committed in 2012 and 2013. The defendant also denied two additional charges of sexual activity with a child, which remain on the court record.

It was revealed during the hearing that Lee had engaged in full sexual intercourse with the victim without using a condom. Despite the convictions, Judge Martin Joy stated that Lee did not represent a danger to the public for further offending under the strict legal standards. After his arrest, Lee provided a no-comment interview, and a probation report, which discussed his motivations for the offences, was described by the judge as “interesting.”

The court noted Lee’s previous acquittal on sex offences from 2002 at the same court. Judge Joy commented, “You set out for the probation officer what your motivation was. You explained it. It must have been a somewhat delicate matter for you to raise. There was what the probation officer described as ‘somewhat twisted logic’ behind your explanation.”

As part of his sentence, Lee's name will be included on the sex offenders’ register for life. Additionally, a sexual offences prevention order was issued, prohibiting him from having unsupervised contact with children under 16 until further order.