Woman Uncovers Partner’s Hidden Sex Offender Past

Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, Lauren believed she had found her ideal partner, characterizing their relationship as a “fairy tale romance.” However, her partner concealed a past conviction for downloading indecent images of children and would later confess to grooming a child online. Lauren stated, “He was very charismatic, he always made me feel special and important.” The couple, who were “in love,” subsequently cohabited in the south of England. It was at this point that her partner disclosed a prior suspended sentence, providing minimal information and referring to it as a “misunderstanding.” Lauren, whose name has been changed, recounted: “I tried to ask questions but I didn’t know what I was asking about. He said it was all a ‘storm in a teacup’… and nothing to worry about…” She added, “Of course, I believed him. Thinking back on it now, I think he groomed me.” The conviction pertained to the downloading of indecent images of children. Lauren, who is in her 50s, only became aware of this information when her partner subsequently pleaded guilty to grooming a 12-year-old girl online, resulting in a two-and-a-half year prison sentence. “My whole world just stopped,” she stated. “The level of disappointment and heartbreak when I found out that this was what he was – I fell apart.” She also mentioned that a police search of their residence had occurred shortly before his guilty plea, but she remained uninformed about the situation at the time, as he had minimized its significance. A family member ultimately informed her of his crimes after his incarceration. Lauren reported that despite immediately terminating the relationship, she experienced altered treatment from some individuals in the local community and was compelled to relocate. She explained, “People just look at you slightly differently because you were so close, people want to know ‘did you know?'” She further asserted, “If I had known of course I would have said something.” Andrew Williams, a principal lecturer in criminology and criminal justice at the University of Portsmouth, has conducted extensive research in this legal field. He stated that child sex offenders “often groom not just the victims but also the significant others.” He elaborated, “In this case it sounds as if he’s groomed the women in order to hide, minimise his previous offending, front-stage ‘normality’ so he can continue offending against external victims under the guise of respectability.” ACTS FAST, a national charity headquartered in Dorset, provides trauma support to both the families of child sex offenders and the parents of abused children. According to Simone Gosden, its chief executive, the organization is experiencing “a rise in demand,” with 94 referrals recorded last year and 165 to date this year. She explained, “For a lot of our clients, it’s the point of the knock; the police investigation; and any subsequent investigations by children’s services, that is all part of that trauma which they are processing and dealing with.” Individuals affected by the issues presented in this report can seek support from the BBC Action Line. For updates, follow BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight on Facebook, X, or Instagram. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC disclaims responsibility for the content of external websites. Information regarding our approach to external linking is available.