In January 2026, the Offender Database reported that Benjamin Garner, 42, of no fixed address, was sentenced to two years in prison at Lincoln Crown Court. Garner, who uses a wheelchair, was convicted of sexually assaulting a young girl at a newly opened play area in Wyberton, near Boston, Lincolnshire, while in blatant breach of existing court orders.
The court heard that on July 15, 2024, the victim was attempting to walk her bike through the park on Parthian Avenue shortly after 6:00 pm. The paedophile repeatedly manoeuvred his wheelchair to block her path, preventing her from passing. Once he had cornered her, he molested the child by touching her thigh. The victim later disclosed that she was terrified that Garner intended to kidnap her. Following the assault, police found Garner drinking on a nearby bench. He was then 41 years old and already subject to a Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO) and a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) due to his previous criminal history.
Despite the restrictions placed upon him, Garner continued his predatory and antisocial behaviour. On November 2, 2024, he was spotted naked from the waist down in the village of Witham St Hughs, committing a further breach of both his SHPO and his CBO, which prohibited him from drinking in public. During mitigation, his counsel claimed Garner was “sexually frustrated” but denied he specifically targeted children—an argument the court weighed against the predatory nature of the park incident.
Passing sentence, Judge Simon Hirst described the act of using a wheelchair to trap a child as a significant aggravating feature. He noted the profound impact on the victim and her family, who had believed the new park was a safe environment. Judge Hirst warned Garner that he would have classified him as a “dangerous offender” with a much longer sentence if the current legal framework permitted it for these specific charges.
Benjamin Garner was sentenced to two years in prison. In addition to his custodial sentence, he remains a registered sex offender for life. He is managed under the highest level of Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) in Lincolnshire. Upon his release, he will be subject to an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) and a Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO), with strict conditions monitored by Lincolnshire Police to prevent him from accessing public parks or consuming alcohol in public spaces.
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