RYAN GILES FROM HADLOW JAILED FOR EXPOSURE INCIDENTS IN EAST PECKHAM AND TONBRIDGE

In October 2017, Ryan Giles, a man residing in Hadlow, was sentenced to prison after a series of disturbing incidents involving public exposure and indecent behavior targeting women and teenage girls in the East Peckham and Tonbridge areas.

Giles's offending spree began when he approached a woman working at a petrol station in East Peckham. During this encounter, he exposed himself in a manner that caused her significant distress. The victim recounted the incident, describing how Giles confronted her and exposed himself, prompting her to react sharply. Her response was memorable, as she reportedly told him, “I’ve seen bigger things on a cocktail stick,” a remark that underscored her disgust and disbelief.

Prior to this, Giles had already been involved in other inappropriate acts. Just a week earlier, he had targeted two women walking their dogs, a woman out jogging, and a group of teenage girls participating in a Duke of Edinburgh Award hike. His pattern of behavior was increasingly alarming, with multiple victims reporting similar encounters.

One particularly disturbing incident involved Giles attempting to engage a dog owner in conversation at a different location. As the dog barked at him, Giles tried to stroke the animal and initiated a conversation with the owner. However, during this interaction, he unzipped his fly, revealing his inappropriate intentions. The dog barked at him, and the owner was left shocked by his behavior. Giles was subsequently arrested for these actions, but while he was on police bail, he committed further offenses at a service station in East Peckham.

Giles, of The Paddock, Hadlow, admitted to multiple charges, including three counts of exposure, one of outraging public decency, and one of engaging in a sexual activity in the presence of a child. The court heard that his actions were “disinhibited” due to a combination of cocaine and lager he had consumed at the time of the offenses.

Further incidents occurred on July 8 of that year, when Giles followed three lone women and a group of 14-year-old schoolgirls along wooded paths near Tonbridge, specifically in Forstal. Dressed in a distinctive bright yellow T-shirt and shorts, and drinking from a can, he approached a jogger and asked if she was enjoying her run before exposing himself to her. Prosecutor Martin Yale detailed that within minutes, Giles ducked into and out of bushes as he followed the schoolgirls, who had left Hadlow College for Tonbridge as part of their Duke of Edinburgh activities. During this pursuit, he performed a sexual act on himself in the middle of a path and then confronted another dog walker.

The second dog walker was understandably frightened, and she quickly put her dog back on its lead. Giles attempted to make friends with her dog, but then she noticed that his zipper was undone. She decided to walk away from him while he was still “fumbling with himself,” according to the prosecutor.

Regarding the incident at the service station, the victim described her disgust and her attempt to escape, remarking, “I have seen bigger things on a cocktail stick.”

Giles had a prior caution for exposure issued in October 2013, indicating a history of similar behavior. His sentencing was handed down by Judge Adele Williams at Maidstone Crown Court, who sentenced him to 18 months in prison. The judge emphasized the impact of Giles’s actions, stating, “You caused great distress and fear to all these women and girls. The victim personal statement of one 14-year-old makes plain how frightening and traumatic she found it.”

As part of his sentence, Giles’s name will be entered onto the sex offenders’ register for a period of ten years. Additionally, he will be legally barred from working with children and vulnerable adults, reflecting the serious nature of his offenses and the potential risk he poses to the community.