In 2019, the Offender Database reported that James Hewlett, then 36, was released from prison and returned to live in Worcester after serving a sentence for predatory sexual offences against a minor. Hewlett had been initially jailed in December 2016 at Worcester Crown Court after admitting to inciting a 15-year-old girl to engage in sexual activity and possessing indecent images of her.
The court heard that Hewlett exploited a significant age gap to target his victim through webcam chats. When the girl attempted to resist his advances and refused to meet him in person, Hewlett resorted to blackmail, threatening to use the indecent images he had captured during their online interactions to coerce her. Judge Juckes, presiding over the case, described the blackmail as a “significant aggravating factor” and noted that Hewlett’s actions had stripped the victim of her self-confidence entirely.
During the 2016 sentencing, Hewlett pleaded guilty to two counts of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, one count of possessing Category A indecent images (the most severe legal classification), and one count of possessing Category B images. Judge Juckes remarked that these were offences for which the public holds a “great abhorrence.” Hewlett was sentenced to four years in prison, with the shorter sentences for image possession to be served concurrently.
Following his release in 2019, Hewlett remains subject to strict legal controls. He was handed a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO), which specifically prohibits him from having any contact with children between the ages of 11 and 16. Any breach of these conditions constitutes a criminal offence, which may result in an immediate return to custody for up to five years.
James Hewlett is a registered sex offender and is managed by West Mercia Police under Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA). These arrangements involve regular home visits and monitoring of his digital activities to ensure he adheres to the lifetime notification requirements of the Sex Offenders Register. His return to the Worcester area is monitored by specialised offender management units to safeguard the local community.
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