In 2018, the Offender Database recorded that 31-year-old Benjamin Lisgarten—of no fixed address—was jailed for four years for historic sexual activity with a young child. Lisgarten appeared at Basildon Crown Court on 26 July 2018, where he admitted two counts of sexual activity with a child under 13. It was reported that the investigation established the abuse occurred on two separate occasions in Grays, Essex, between April and October 2007.
The investigation established that Lisgarten was 20 years old at the time he targeted the young victim. The prosecution reported that the offences involved non-penetrative sexual activity, which came to light years after the incidents took place. Basildon Crown Court heard that the case was initially referred from the magistrates’ court in June 2018 before Lisgarten entered his guilty pleas, sparing the victim the trauma of a full trial.
Judicial Findings and Investigative Detail
The court reported that Lisgarten’s actions had a “long-lasting impact” on the survivor, necessitating a significant custodial term despite the passage of over a decade. The investigation established that Lisgarten had no fixed address at the time of his sentencing, further complicating the oversight required for his management. The prosecution reported that the two distinct instances of abuse in Grays demonstrated a “predatory intent” that required robust statutory intervention.
Judge-led proceedings at Basildon Crown Court concluded with Lisgarten being sentenced to four years in prison on Monday 24 October 2018. For his actions in Grays and the “vile violation” of a child under 13, he was also placed on the sex offenders register for life. The judge noted that an indefinite restraining order was essential to provide the victim with permanent legal protection and to prevent Lisgarten from ever making contact again.
Status and Statutory Requirements
For the records reported in Essex and Grays, the status of Benjamin Lisgarten as of April 9, 2026, was as follows:
- Custodial Status: RELEASED ON LICENCE (Sentenced 2018; served custodial term; currently under community supervision or completed licence).
- Sex Offenders Register: Notification requirements are active for life.
- Restraining Order: INDEFINITE (Banning all contact with the victim).
- SHPO Status: Subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (To be managed upon release; including strict digital monitoring).
- DBS Status: Placed on the Barring List (Indefinite ban on working with children).
- Legal Status: CONVICTED (Sexual activity with a child under 13 x2).
- Judicial Oversight: Sentenced at Basildon Crown Court; investigated by Essex Police.
- Criminal Record: Abused a child in Grays in 2007; Jailed for 4 years in 2018; History of having no fixed address.
- Origin: Grays, Essex.
Monitoring and Public Protection
Lisgarten is managed as a high-risk registered sex offender within the community. Due to the nature of his conduct—specifically his “history of targeting children under 13” and his “unstable housing status”—his management is a priority for the Essex Police Public Protection Unit. Authorities state that his lifetime notification requirements are a vital tool to ensure he does not “disappear” from the statutory radar, allowing police to track his location and prevent him from accessing vulnerable minors.
As a registered sex offender for life, the 39-year-old’s details are permanently logged on the national police database. Authorities state that his indefinite restraining order provides a critical layer of safety for the victim of his 2007 offences. Any change of residence in Essex or elsewhere, any attempt to contact the survivor, or any unauthorised proximity to children will result in immediate arrest to ensure the ongoing safety of the public from a man who demonstrated a “calculating and harmful” interest in young children.
QUESTION – Given that the offender was 20 years old when he abused a child under 13, do you believe that “Maturity of the Offender” should be removed as a mitigating factor in historic cases to ensure the focus remains solely on the trauma of the victim?
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