JAMIE GOODCHILD'S CRIMINAL REIGN IN CHELMSFORD AND CREWKERNE: SEX OFFENDER'S REPEATED BREACHES AND GROOMING SCANDALS

In August 2019, Jamie Goodchild, a known sex offender from Crewkerne, found himself at the center of a disturbing case that highlighted his ongoing violations of court orders and his failure to disclose his criminal status to a new partner. Despite being under strict legal restrictions, Goodchild spent three consecutive nights in the same household as a woman’s children, without informing her of his status as a registered sex offender. This breach occurred in direct defiance of a court-imposed sexual harm prevention order issued by Chelmsford Crown Court in 2016.

On Friday, July 26, 2019, Goodchild, aged 26, appeared via video link at Taunton Crown Court to face charges related to these breaches. He had previously pleaded guilty to four separate violations of the sexual harm prevention order, which prohibited him from engaging with individuals under the age of 16 without police approval. The court was informed that Goodchild has been a registered sex offender since 2014, a status that significantly restricts his interactions with minors.

The case revealed that Goodchild had met his new partner through the dating website Plenty of Fish earlier in 2019. According to the prosecutor, Mr. Russell, the couple began a relationship that year, with Goodchild only visiting her home for the first time from June 8 to June 11. The woman has three children of varying ages, and it was during this period that Goodchild’s criminal background was inadvertently exposed on social media. When confronted by his partner about his status, Goodchild left her residence. During police interviews, he claimed to have been seeing her for five months but denied ever having been at her home, a statement that conflicted with the facts.

Goodchild’s criminal history is extensive. In 2017, he was sentenced to 20 months in prison after being convicted of meeting a child following sexual grooming and breaching previous court orders twice. His past convictions include instigating a relationship with a 14-year-old girl between 2012 and 2013, and he has a history of breaching court orders multiple times over the years.

During the recent sentencing, Judge David Ticehurst expressed serious concerns about Goodchild’s repeated breaches and his apparent interest in younger females. The judge highlighted that Goodchild had breached court orders in 2016, 2017, and 2018, with the latest breach occurring in 2019. The judge emphasized the gravity of these violations, stating, “In four conservative years, you have made a further breach of the order. There have been persistent breaches of the order and it is of serious aggravation by your frequent breaches.”

As a result, Goodchild was sentenced to two years in prison, ordered to pay £140 in costs, and his sexual harm prevention order was extended until 2026. The judge warned that if Goodchild continued to breach the order, his prison time could be extended, but if he behaved himself, he might serve only half of the sentence.

Earlier incidents in Goodchild’s criminal career include a March 2017 case where he was caught laughing and winking in court as his past convictions for grooming a 14-year-old girl were read out. At that time, he was sentenced to 20 months in prison and placed under a ten-year sexual harm prevention order. Despite serving part of that sentence, Goodchild was recalled to prison in February 2018 after breaching the order again, this time for failing to declare address changes and internet devices. During this hearing, he was observed typing on a phone in court, which he admitted was his, leading to his arrest.

Further back, in April 2016, Goodchild was jailed after attempting to meet a 14-year-old girl in Chelmsford. The court heard that he had been grooming the girl over Facebook and text messages throughout 2015, during which he falsely claimed to be older than his actual age. His victim reported his conduct to the police, prompting his arrest. He had previously served 12 months in a young offenders’ institution for a similar pattern of grooming a different 14-year-old girl between 2012 and 2013.

Throughout these incidents, Goodchild’s behavior has demonstrated a pattern of repeated violations and disregard for court orders designed to protect minors. His latest breaches, involving staying in the same house as children without disclosure, underscore the ongoing risks he poses. The courts have consistently responded with prison sentences and extended restrictions, reflecting the seriousness with which his offenses are viewed by the justice system.