PAUL WILLMOTT FROM TICEHURST AND TUNBRIDGE WELLS JAILED FOR CHILD SEX OFFENCES

In a case that has sent shockwaves through the local communities of Ticehurst and Tunbridge Wells, Paul Willmott, a man with a background in sports promotion within West Kent schools, has been sentenced to four and a half years in prison for a series of disturbing offences involving the grooming and sexual exploitation of teenage girls.

Willmott, aged 37, was found guilty after a detailed investigation revealed a pattern of predatory behavior carried out primarily through online chatrooms and social media platforms. His actions included grooming young girls under the age of 16, engaging in sexual conversations, and ultimately meeting two of his victims in person for sexual acts. His full confession played a crucial role in enabling authorities to identify additional victims who had not previously come forward.

During the sentencing at Maidstone Crown Court, Judge Philip Statman delivered a stern warning about the dangers posed by online grooming. He emphasized that chatrooms often serve as hunting grounds for predators like Willmott, who can easily deceive young people by using false images, cartoons, or fake profiles to conceal their true identities and age. The judge explained that such individuals often gain the trust of their victims over time, eventually persuading them to perform sexual acts via webcams, and then arranging face-to-face meetings that lead to contact offences.

Willmott was charged with multiple serious offences, including two counts of meeting a child following sexual grooming, two of engaging in sexual activity with a child, and causing a child to be involved in pornography. He also faced charges of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, three counts of taking indecent photographs of a child, and two counts of making indecent images of a child. He entered guilty pleas on December 19 and requested to be remanded in custody pending sentencing.

Prosecutor Dale Sullivan outlined that Willmott, who resided at The Gables in Ticehurst, East Sussex, held a supervisory role in sports development at various schools, although none of his victims were pupils. The investigation was triggered when a parent in Colchester, Essex, discovered that her 15-year-old daughter had sneaked out of the house during the night. The girl’s mobile phone contained evidence of sexual chats with Willmott, revealing that she had been in contact with him for an extended period. She admitted that Willmott had asked her to send nude pictures and had even told her he intended to film her after stripping her school uniform.

Further evidence showed that Willmott had met another 15-year-old girl in Leicester on two occasions. Their initial contact was made two years prior, during which he falsely claimed to be 17. The girl performed a sexual act on him in his car during one of their meetings, an act that the judge described as the most serious offence committed by Willmott.

Authorities also seized Willmott’s computer, uncovering a disturbing collection of images depicting other young girls, some as young as 14, exposing themselves or engaging in sexual acts. It was revealed that he had deleted over 300 images related to child sex abuse from his device, indicating a deliberate attempt to conceal his activities.

In response to his crimes, Judge Statman imposed a sexual offences prevention order that will last for ten years, disqualified Willmott from working with children, and mandated that his name be entered onto the sex offenders’ register for life. This case underscores the ongoing risks associated with online grooming and the importance of vigilance in protecting vulnerable young people from predators like Paul Willmott from Ticehurst and Tunbridge Wells.