AARON LOVERIDGE FROM HEREFORD SENTENCED FOR BREACHING SEXUAL HARM PREVENTION ORDER IN WORCESTER
In May 2019, a disturbing case unfolded involving Aaron Loveridge, a resident of Hunderton Road in Hereford, who was found to have violated a court-imposed sexual harm prevention order through a series of inappropriate and illegal actions.At Worcester Crown Court, Loveridge, aged 22, faced serious allegations after it was revealed that he had engaged in sexual activity with a 16-year-old girl and had also embraced another girl, both in direct breach of the strict conditions set by his previous court orders.
These breaches occurred despite Loveridge’s prior convictions and the restrictions placed upon him to prevent further harm.
The sexual harm prevention order was originally issued on March 10, 2017, following Loveridge’s earlier sexual offence involving a minor.
The order explicitly prohibited him from having unsupervised contact with individuals under the age of 18.
However, evidence presented at the hearing indicated that Loveridge had repeatedly flouted these restrictions.
Prosecutor Amanda O’Mara detailed that Loveridge’s first breach occurred just one day after he appeared in court on February 22 of the same year.
During that hearing, he was sentenced to a community order with a requirement to undertake 40 days of rehabilitation activities.
Despite this, Loveridge continued to maintain contact with minors, notably using fake Instagram accounts to communicate with the victims.
The victim, who had a sexual relationship with Loveridge, described him as being “very clever in the way he had minimised what he had done,” which made it difficult for her to focus on her schoolwork and daily life following the incident.
Her testimony highlighted the manipulative nature of Loveridge’s actions and the ongoing impact on her well-being.
Further breaches were documented on February 26, just four days after his court appearance.
On that day, police observed Loveridge with another girl, who expressed discomfort because she did not know him well.
When questioned about her age, Loveridge was confronted and subsequently arrested.
During police interviews, Loveridge claimed that he had simply walked after the girl because she had “stormed off” and that his attempt at a hug was more of a “shoulder barge,” dismissing it as harmless.
Since his arrest on February 28, Loveridge has been held in custody, awaiting sentencing.
His defense attorney, Martin Butterworth, acknowledged the gravity of the situation, describing his client as “a rather odd fish” with educational difficulties, including ADHD, dyslexia, and possibly Tourette’s syndrome.
Butterworth portrayed Loveridge as a “lonely and isolated character,” which he argued contributed to his odd behaviour.
Judge Daniel Pearce-Higgins QC considered the breaches to fall under category 2A in the sentencing guidelines, which typically warrants a custodial sentence of around two years.
The judge noted that the case was aggravated by the fact that Loveridge had committed multiple breaches and had previously violated the same order.
He emphasized that the last two months spent in custody should serve as a stark warning to Loveridge about the consequences of his actions.
Ultimately, the court sentenced Loveridge to a three-year community order, including 20 days of rehabilitation activities.
He is also required to complete the Horizon programme, designed to address his sexual offending behaviour.
The existing sexual harm prevention order will remain in effect indefinitely, ensuring ongoing restrictions to protect potential victims from further harm.
