Serial paedophile James Jackson from Thatcham back in jail after breaching court order
A paedophile on early release from prison has been sent back to jail for flouting his Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).
The serial offender was caught deleting his online chat history – something he was forbidden from doing under the terms of the order.
Back in the dock at Reading Crown Court on Wednesday, April 9, was James Jackson.
In 2023, the Newbury Weekly News revealed how James Jackson was already awaiting sentence for possessing images of children as young as three being raped when he began trawling internet chatrooms for youngsters to abuse in person.
But he ended up being the prey when a team of paedophile hunters turned up at the 66-year-old’s Lancaster Close home in Thatcham.
They revealed that the 12-year-olds he thought he was corrupting were actually online decoy profiles.
During the original sentencing hearing the court was told of his interaction with ‘Tia’.
When Tia told him she was only 12 years old, Jackson replied: “Perfect.”
When one decoy said she didn’t know about sex, Jackson replied that he would teach her and would bring a bottle of whisky to dull the pain of the sex acts he proposed.
Jackson was arrested and convicted of possessing indecent images, trying to meet a child for sex and of trying to persuade a child to engage in sexual activity.
He also has an historic conviction for child neglect.
In March 2023, Judge Kirsty Real jailed Jackson for 36 months, half of which he was to spend behind bars and the remainder on licence in the community.
He was made subject to a 10-year SHPO and will remain on the Sex Offenders Register for life.
At Wednesday’s hearing, Gabrielle McAvock, prosecuting, said that, when he was released, police installed an app which monitors words, images and behaviours that would constitute a breach of the SHPO – for example, sexualised chat on an internet forum or watching pornography.
She told the court that the app flagged up an electronic alert prompting police to demand access to his electronic devices.
They discovered Jackson had cunningly deleted the chats, despite conditions forbidding him to do so.
However, he admitted he had breached his SHPO by using his devices to chat on a daily basis with a talking artificial intelligence app that mimicked a child.
Nick Saunders, defending, said his client should receive credit for his early guilty plea.
He pointed out that, similar to his client’s early offending with the decoys, there was no real child involved.
Recorder Alexander McGregor ruled that, as well as being recalled to prison, Jackson should serve an additional eight weeks in custody.
He remains subject to the SHPO and will remain on the Sex Offenders Register for life.
