ANDREW SHORT, THE KETTERING CHILD RAPIST, SENT BACK TO PRISON FOR BREACHING COURT ORDERS
| Red Rose Database
Kettering Rapist
In April 2021, Andrew Short, a man with a deeply disturbing criminal history rooted in Kettering, was once again incarcerated after violating a court-imposed order designed to monitor and restrict his contact with minors. Short, aged 55, had previously been convicted in 2010 of heinous crimes involving child abuse, including child rape and the filming of his abuse, which police described as some of the most disturbing cases they had encountered.
Following his 2010 conviction, a judge deemed him an extreme danger to society and sentenced him to an indeterminate public protection sentence. The court explicitly stated that Short would not be eligible for release until it was deemed safe and he had served a minimum of seven and a half years behind bars. This severe sentence reflected the gravity of his offenses and the threat he posed to the community.
After his release, authorities imposed a sexual harm prevention order in 2019, which aimed to restrict his use of electronic devices and limit his contact with females under the age of 18. The purpose of this order was to monitor his activities and prevent any further offending. However, in January of this year, Short found himself back in legal trouble after breaching this order.
His breach was linked to his actions at his residence on Cecil Street in Kettering, where he attempted to reformulate his laptop by reinstalling the Windows operating system. This action was a violation of the restrictions placed upon him, as reformatting a device could potentially erase evidence or circumvent monitoring measures. The incident occurred while he was trying to sell an item on eBay, and he encountered technical difficulties during the process.
According to court reports, Short explained to authorities that he experienced a black screen while attempting to sell an item online. Frustrated, he believed that reinstalling the Windows system on his laptop would resolve the issue, so he proceeded to do so, despite knowing that reformatting was prohibited under his court orders. His actions led to the complete reinstallation of the operating system, which was detected during police inspections.
Following the reformatting, Short contacted his offender manager and the probation service, acknowledging the potential breach. Nevertheless, police officers visited his home to inspect the laptop, which had been entirely reformatted, and he was subsequently arrested. His breach of the sexual harm prevention order resulted in his recall to prison, where he remains on license, with any future release contingent upon a decision by the parole board.
At a hearing held via videolink from HMP Lincoln, Short admitted to breaching the order. The court considered the case and sentenced him to 21 months in prison earlier this week at Northampton Crown Court. The prosecution highlighted that the incident involved him attempting to resolve technical issues with his laptop, which led to the reinstallation of software capable of deleting or cleaning data, further violating the restrictions placed upon him.
The court also noted that a second charge related to installing software capable of cleaning functions was dropped, but the primary breach was sufficient to warrant the sentence. The case has been scheduled for sentencing on March 5, where further details and potential penalties will be determined.
Andrew Short’s criminal record is extensive. In 2010, he admitted to 18 offenses, including child rape, sexual activity with a child, and possession of thousands of indecent images of children. His crimes involved grooming and abusing a young girl over a period of four years, from the ages of 11 to 14, with some abuse recorded on video. The victim, now 16, expressed her relief that Short remains behind bars, stating, “I hope he stays in prison for life so he can’t do this to anyone else. It’s a big weight off my shoulders now he’s in prison.”
Short’s last known address was in Crispin Close, Burton Latimer, but he had also lived in Corby, Wellingborough, and Rushden over the years. His trust was exploited by the victim’s family, who allowed him to look after her alone, believing him to be trustworthy due to gifts and holidays he provided. The victim recounted her realization of his misconduct, including an incident where he was found in her bed, claiming he was cold, which she initially dismissed. However, the abuse escalated, culminating in a rape during a holiday when she was 14. She reported the incident to police afterward, but evidence was limited because Short had removed his computer’s hard drive during the investigation.
Despite his admission to multiple sexual offenses, the Crown Prosecution Service stated that insufficient evidence prevented further charges from being brought against him at that time. Short’s case remains a stark reminder of the ongoing threat posed by individuals with such a criminal history, and his repeated breaches of court orders highlight the challenges law enforcement faces in monitoring and controlling dangerous offenders.
Following his 2010 conviction, a judge deemed him an extreme danger to society and sentenced him to an indeterminate public protection sentence. The court explicitly stated that Short would not be eligible for release until it was deemed safe and he had served a minimum of seven and a half years behind bars. This severe sentence reflected the gravity of his offenses and the threat he posed to the community.
After his release, authorities imposed a sexual harm prevention order in 2019, which aimed to restrict his use of electronic devices and limit his contact with females under the age of 18. The purpose of this order was to monitor his activities and prevent any further offending. However, in January of this year, Short found himself back in legal trouble after breaching this order.
His breach was linked to his actions at his residence on Cecil Street in Kettering, where he attempted to reformulate his laptop by reinstalling the Windows operating system. This action was a violation of the restrictions placed upon him, as reformatting a device could potentially erase evidence or circumvent monitoring measures. The incident occurred while he was trying to sell an item on eBay, and he encountered technical difficulties during the process.
According to court reports, Short explained to authorities that he experienced a black screen while attempting to sell an item online. Frustrated, he believed that reinstalling the Windows system on his laptop would resolve the issue, so he proceeded to do so, despite knowing that reformatting was prohibited under his court orders. His actions led to the complete reinstallation of the operating system, which was detected during police inspections.
Following the reformatting, Short contacted his offender manager and the probation service, acknowledging the potential breach. Nevertheless, police officers visited his home to inspect the laptop, which had been entirely reformatted, and he was subsequently arrested. His breach of the sexual harm prevention order resulted in his recall to prison, where he remains on license, with any future release contingent upon a decision by the parole board.
At a hearing held via videolink from HMP Lincoln, Short admitted to breaching the order. The court considered the case and sentenced him to 21 months in prison earlier this week at Northampton Crown Court. The prosecution highlighted that the incident involved him attempting to resolve technical issues with his laptop, which led to the reinstallation of software capable of deleting or cleaning data, further violating the restrictions placed upon him.
The court also noted that a second charge related to installing software capable of cleaning functions was dropped, but the primary breach was sufficient to warrant the sentence. The case has been scheduled for sentencing on March 5, where further details and potential penalties will be determined.
Andrew Short’s criminal record is extensive. In 2010, he admitted to 18 offenses, including child rape, sexual activity with a child, and possession of thousands of indecent images of children. His crimes involved grooming and abusing a young girl over a period of four years, from the ages of 11 to 14, with some abuse recorded on video. The victim, now 16, expressed her relief that Short remains behind bars, stating, “I hope he stays in prison for life so he can’t do this to anyone else. It’s a big weight off my shoulders now he’s in prison.”
Short’s last known address was in Crispin Close, Burton Latimer, but he had also lived in Corby, Wellingborough, and Rushden over the years. His trust was exploited by the victim’s family, who allowed him to look after her alone, believing him to be trustworthy due to gifts and holidays he provided. The victim recounted her realization of his misconduct, including an incident where he was found in her bed, claiming he was cold, which she initially dismissed. However, the abuse escalated, culminating in a rape during a holiday when she was 14. She reported the incident to police afterward, but evidence was limited because Short had removed his computer’s hard drive during the investigation.
Despite his admission to multiple sexual offenses, the Crown Prosecution Service stated that insufficient evidence prevented further charges from being brought against him at that time. Short’s case remains a stark reminder of the ongoing threat posed by individuals with such a criminal history, and his repeated breaches of court orders highlight the challenges law enforcement faces in monitoring and controlling dangerous offenders.