In 2019, the Offender Database recorded that Gerald Hedges, then 61, of Southwood Road, Hayling Island, Hampshire, was found guilty of a decades-long campaign of rape and child sexual abuse. On Monday, 22 July 2019, a jury at Portsmouth Crown Court returned unanimous verdicts on 13 charges, including five rapes and seven counts of indecent assault. It was reported that Hedges, a self-described naturist, utilized his “barbaric” predatory nature to exploit both women and young girls over a 30-year period.
The investigation established that Hedges had sexually abused two young girls over several years, rewarding compliance with a system he called “full points” if he was permitted sexual access to a child. Hampshire Constabulary reported that the defendant also attempted to arrange a meeting with an eight-year-old girl for sex via the internet chat room Disabled Chat UK. The prosecution reported that the “child” was actually an undercover police officer, and while Hedges claimed the messages were a “wind-up,” the jury dismissed his defense as a pack of lies.
Judicial Findings and Investigative Detail
The court reported that Hedges’ history of violence included a rape committed more than 30 years ago, where he forced himself on a woman against a tree, leaving her feeling physically sick. Portsmouth Crown Court heard how Hedges attempted to explain away a separate rape by claiming he was simply “putting a blanket over a woman” on a cold night, a claim the prosecution proved was a cover for his brutal sexual desires. The prosecution reported that Jodie Mittell described Hedges as an offender specifically interested in the penetration of young girls.
Judge Timothy Mousley QC noted that Hedges was not present to hear the verdicts after being taken ill and transported to a hospital over the weekend. For his actions in Hayling Island and Portsmouth, the judge confirmed that Hedges would inevitably face a lengthy term of imprisonment. The judge noted that although the defendant was not immediately remanded in custody due to his hospital admission, his sentencing on 9 September 2019 would mark the end of his “stay of execution.”
Sentence and Statutory Requirements
For his crimes in England, Gerald Hedges was handed:
- Conviction Date: July 2019 (Sentenced September 2019).
- Charges: Five counts of rape, seven of indecent assault, and one other child sex offence.
- Sex Offenders Register: Notification requirements were activated for life.
- Judicial Oversight: Convicted at Portsmouth Crown Court following a unanimous jury decision.
- Custodial Status: Remanded for a significant “long term” of imprisonment.
- Origin: Southwood Road, Hayling Island, Hampshire.
Monitoring and Public Protection
Hedges is managed under Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) at the highest level of oversight by Hampshire Constabulary and the prison estate. Due to the nature of the serial rapes and the grooming of children via specialized internet chat rooms in Hayling Island, his management is subject to intensive scrutiny by the Public Protection Unit.
As a member of the Sex Offenders Register, Hedges must comply with notification requirements regarding his identity and residence for the remainder of his life. Authorities state that his history of inflicting “brutal punishment” on women and his obsessive sexual interest in young girls necessitate permanent and stringent monitoring of his conduct. Any further sexual misconduct or attempt to access children in Hayling Island, Portsmouth, or elsewhere will result in immediate arrest and continued incarceration within the high-security prison estate.
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