SEXO OFFENDER AARON COSTEN FROM RAMSGATE FACES JAIL FOR FAILURE TO UPDATE ADDRESS

On March 4, 2011, a Ramsgate man named Aaron Costen, 20, who is registered as a sex offender, was warned by magistrates that he could face imprisonment for not informing police of his changed address. Costen, of Whitehall Road, was previously cautioned for performing a sexual act on a male minor aged between 13 and 17 in 2009, and was ordered to sign the register.

During the hearing at Margate Magistrates' Court, it was explained that any adult sex offender must notify police of a change of address within seven days. Failure to do so can result in a jail sentence of up to six months.

Prosecutor Julie Hardgreaves stated, “On December 15, police attended the address held on the sex offenders’ register in Abbots Hill, Ramsgate, and established he had moved out two months earlier. Mr. Costen’s flatmate said he was unsure of his whereabouts.”

Costen did not notify police of his new address until December 24, claiming he had been sofa-surfing for six weeks. The court also noted a similar breach occurred on March 1, 2010.

Defending the case, Leanne James argued that the situation was different because Costen hadn’t informed police during a holiday that lasted more than a week. She explained, “The latest breach related to a time when Costen was living with a male friend and did not have a formal tenancy. He read the guidance notes but believed there was no requirement to notify police unless he had a permanent address. He thought he only needed to update them when he found a permanent residence.”

Costen pleaded guilty to a charge of “failing without reasonable excuse to comply with notification requirements as a sex offender.”