A 77-year-old Kent pensioner has received an immediate custodial sentence of four years and six months at Maidstone Crown Court after being convicted of a series of sexual offences committed against a child.
Anthony Haines, residing at Woodchurch Crescent, Gillingham, appeared in the dock for sentence on Wednesday 4 November 2026, having been found guilty by a Crown Court jury.
The prosecution outlined that Kent Police initiated a child protection inquiry in August 2021 after a vigilant member of the public recorded mobile phone video footage capturing Haines kissing the young victim. The witness passed the recording to the authorities, prompting immediate police intervention.
Specialist officers conducted a formal achieving best evidence (ABE) interview with the young child, which uncovered a series of sexual offences that Haines had perpetrated against the victim starting from early 2021.
Haines was arrested, interviewed, and charged with multiple offences. Throughout the criminal proceedings, he maintained his innocence and entered not guilty pleas.
In August 2026, the case proceeded to trial at Maidstone Crown Court, where a jury heard the evidence, rejected Haines’s denials, and returned guilty verdicts across the indictment:
Four counts of sexual activity with a child
One count of causing a child to engage in sexual activity
Under the provisions of the Sexual Offences (Amendment) Act 1992, the child victim is protected by mandatory, lifelong statutory anonymity. Any publication, broadcast, or public dissemination of information capable of leading to the identification of the child is strictly prohibited under UK law.
Sentencing Haines, the presiding judge highlighted the profound breach of trust and the vulnerability of the young victim, ordering the 77-year-old to serve an immediate prison term of four years and six months.
In addition to the custodial sentence, Haines was made subject to statutory notification requirements on the Sex Offenders Register and ordered to comply with post-conviction protective restrictions.
Image – Anonymous Artist Impression
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