LEWIS JEANES FROM MARKS TEY SHOCKS WITH SHAMEFUL SEX OFFENCES NEAR COLCHESTER AND HAMPSHIRE

In October 2017, Lewis Jeanes, a soldier with a troubling history of sexual misconduct, faced serious charges related to multiple indecent acts and voyeurism. The incidents spanned over a year and involved disturbing recordings and inappropriate behavior in various locations, including Hampshire and Colchester.

Jeanes, who hails from Marks Tey, was found guilty of four vile acts that included flashing his genitals at a schoolgirl and secretly recording a woman showering. These offences came to light after police investigations revealed a pattern of disturbing conduct, which had begun with his sending explicit videos to young girls and escalated to more invasive acts.

The first of these offences occurred in April 2014, when Jeanes traveled to a rural path in Hampshire near Hook. There, he exposed himself and recorded the act on his mobile phone, just hours after attending a hearing related to previous allegations involving explicit videos sent to four young girls. On that same day, he was seen standing on the side of the footpath close to the A30, masturbating as a young woman walked past, an act that added to the list of his disturbing behaviors.

Further offences took place during a trip to London in May 2014, where Jeanes attended an Army and Navy Rugby event at Twickenham. During this visit, he used his phone to secretly film a young woman as she showered at the Restup Hotel on New Kent Road, recording her through the shower cubicle. He then positioned his phone at a sink, capturing both himself and the victim, before beginning to masturbate as she brushed her teeth, an act of voyeurism that was captured on video.

Two weeks later, Jeanes was caught on camera again, this time on a pathway leading to the Willows estate in Colchester, which runs alongside Thomas Lord Audley School. During this incident, he attempted to engage a young girl in conversation, asking her to say “Hi” and claiming he “didn’t mean to scare” her, further demonstrating his predatory behavior.

Jeanes’s criminal activities were uncovered after police visited his home on December 20, 2015. During the visit, officers conducted a thorough inspection of his iPhone, which revealed the four explicit videos from April and May 2014. These videos were committed shortly before he was convicted for similar offences in the autumn of 2013, when he had sent explicit images to four schoolgirls via Snapchat.

The prosecution, led by Samantha Lowther, highlighted that Jeanes had a prior conviction for sending explicit images to young girls, which resulted in a community order and a Sexual Harm Prevention Order. The recent offences involved young women and a young girl, emphasizing the ongoing pattern of inappropriate and illegal conduct.

In September, a jury found Jeanes guilty of three counts of indecent exposure and one count of voyeurism related to the 2014 incidents. During the sentencing hearing at Chelmsford Crown Court, his defense lawyer, Matthew Morgan, emphasized Jeanes’s long military service, including tours in Northern Ireland and Afghanistan, and his receipt of a Queen’s Award for nearly 18 years of service. Morgan described Jeanes as embarrassed and noted that his future prospects were severely compromised by his actions.

Throughout the hearing, Jeanes, dressed in a navy suit and tie, remained mostly silent, only confirming certain facts with his barrister. Judge David Turner QC addressed him directly, acknowledging his impressive military record but also condemning his sexual misconduct. The judge pointed out that Jeanes had joined the army at 16 and had served for nearly 18 years, with his service being a significant part of his life.

Judge Turner criticized Jeanes for lying during his trial, specifically denying that he derived a “rush of sexual excitement” from voyeurism and exposure, and for not fully disclosing his exploits to his fiancée. The judge also noted that Jeanes was emotionally troubled by the media attention surrounding his case and that he had begun drinking heavily as a consequence.

While considering the possibility of a custodial sentence, Judge Turner ultimately decided against immediate imprisonment, citing the severe repercussions it would have on Jeanes’s military pension, which he would be unable to access until age 60. Instead, he imposed a three-year community order, including supervision, 200 hours of unpaid work within a year, and mandatory participation in the Horizon sex offender treatment program. Jeanes was also ordered to pay a victim surcharge, contribute £2,000 towards prosecution costs, and sign the Sex Offender Notification Register for five years.

Additionally, Jeanes is now subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order that prohibits him from sending any images of his genitals or entering female toilets and changing areas, further restricting his conduct and ensuring public safety.