HENRY THWAITES AND THE CITROEN XSARA SEIZED IN CANTERBURY

In December 2012, a Citroen Xsara vehicle used by 75-year-old sex offender Henry Thwaites was confiscated following a court order. Thwaites, known for an extensive record of sex offences, had picked up a 13-year-old boy and driven him from Thanet to London. Canterbury Crown Court was told that the young boy, described as "a damaged young boy who had run away from Thanet," had gone to public toilets seeking money in exchange for sex.

Judge Heather Norton stated, "Thwaites had gone to a place where people have sexual encounters," and added, "And you found a 13-year-old willing victim."

The court heard that last September, Thwaites met the boy and drove him in his distinctive green and blue Citroen, passing through Canterbury and Ashford on the way to London.

Authorities were alerted after the boy was reported missing, and the police retrieved him in London, where he disclosed the details of the incident. Prosecutor Richard Barton explained that police traced Thwaites’ car using ANPR data, which records vehicle registration plates.

Thwaites, of Ethelbert Terrace, Margate, was convicted of sexually abusing a child. He denied the charges.

The judge sentenced him to three years in prison, emphasizing, "You knew that what you did was wholly wrong. You called your victim a liar, but the lies came from you," and ordered the forfeiture of the vehicle involved in the offence.