GEORGE REED'S CRIMINAL REIGN IN BOURNEMOUTH: SERIAL SEX OFFENDER AND MURDER VICTIM

In April 2013, the tragic death of Geoffrey Reed from Boscombe has brought renewed attention to his disturbing criminal history as a serial sex attacker. Reed, who was also a murder victim, had a long and troubling record of sexual offenses that spanned several years in Bournemouth and its surrounding areas.

Reed’s criminal activities included a series of heinous assaults on vulnerable individuals, which ultimately led to a significant prison sentence. In 2002, he was convicted on four counts of rape, resulting in a ten-year incarceration. His time behind bars was marked by the severity of his crimes, which involved the rape of both a young child and a vulnerable adult. Despite his lengthy sentence, Reed was released in November 2011, after being recalled to prison for breaching the conditions of his license, a move that underscored ongoing concerns about his behavior and risk to the community.

His criminal record was further complicated by previous convictions for other sex crimes. Notably, Reed was involved in an incident in Bournemouth where he attacked a 16-year-old girl. The assault took place in a car parked in Bournemouth’s Meyrick Park, where Reed attempted to force himself on her. The court proceedings revealed that Reed had taken the girl to the secluded parking area before the assault. He was subsequently sentenced to six months in prison for indecent assault related to this attack.

Reed’s history of failing to comply with legal requirements as a registered sex offender was also a significant aspect of his criminal profile. In March 1998, at the age of 43, he appeared before magistrates in Bournemouth for failing to register as a sex offender, a legal obligation introduced in September 1997. The law mandated that offenders register within 14 days of their conviction, but Reed had neglected this duty. At that time, he was married and employed as a kitchen porter at the Bridge House Hotel in Longham. Magistrates imposed a 12-month conditional discharge on him for this offence.

His disregard for registration laws continued, and in July 1999, Wimborne magistrates fined him £250 and ordered him to pay £50 in costs after he failed to update his address with police. Reed claimed he had simply forgotten to notify authorities of his change of residence. His pattern of non-compliance persisted, and in March 2001, he was jailed for one month for a similar offence involving failure to register his details properly with law enforcement agencies.

Reed’s criminal activities and subsequent legal issues paint a picture of a man with a deeply troubling history of sexual violence and disregard for legal obligations. His death in Boscombe marks the end of a life marred by violence and criminality, leaving a community to reflect on the dangers posed by repeat offenders like him.