JACOB BEAN FROM CANTERBURY SENTENCED FOR CHILD SEX OFFENCES INVOLVING LOCAL GIRL
The father of a 10-year-old girl from Canterbury, who was groomed through Snapchat and WhatsApp by a paedophile posing as a teenage boy, expressed his profound anguish and feelings of failure during a court hearing.In a heartfelt statement read aloud at the sentencing of Jacob Bean, a resident of Chartham near Canterbury, the father detailed the devastating effects of the grooming on his young daughter, describing her as having been exposed to one of the most heinous forms of evil.
He lamented the loss of the girl he once knew, stating, "As a father you never want anything bad to happen to your children.
You do what you can to protect them and right now I feel like I have failed.
My 10-year-old daughter has been exposed to one of the world's greatest evils.
We have lost our daughter, the way we knew her to be." The father also revealed the emotional toll the ordeal has taken, including her attempts to self-harm, such as trying to stab herself, and her anger stemming from the trauma.
He expressed helplessness in alleviating her pain, saying, "I cannot explain how hard that is to see and not be able to take her pain away." The father further described how the child's innocence has been stripped away, and how her childhood has been marred by the obscene and manipulative communications from the offender, Jacob Bean.
Despite the ongoing legal process, he committed to supporting his daughter and being there for her in any way possible.
During the court proceedings at Canterbury Crown Court, it was revealed that Jacob Bean's disturbing conduct included sending the girl explicit videos and photographs of his genitals, as well as encouraging her to perform sexual acts on herself.
The 23-year-old from Highland Road, Canterbury, also discussed rape with her, insisting he would continue even if she told him to stop or said no.
He attempted to involve her in recruiting her friends to watch him engage in sexual acts and masturbation.
The girl later confided to police that she had deleted some of their messages, fearing she might get into trouble.
It was also disclosed that at the time of these events, Bean was under investigation for grooming three other underage girls, one of whom was reportedly living in Germany.
He was also found to have made indecent images, including one of a child as young as 12 months old.
Prosecutor Paul Valder highlighted that Bean had asked one victim to call him “a pervert” and told another 13-year-old girl that he wanted to make her pregnant.
Following his arrest in August of the previous year, Bean claimed that his accounts had been hacked and accessed by others.
He also stated that a friend had regular access to his phone and denied knowledge of the 24 child abuse images discovered, which included a picture of a victim as young as a year old.
After the abuse of the 10-year-old girl was uncovered in July this year, Bean pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including four counts of sexual communication with a child, four counts of making indecent images, two counts of attempting to cause a child to watch a sexual act, and inciting a child under 13 to engage in penetrative sexual activity.
Defence lawyer Shanda McAteer acknowledged that Bean did not offer excuses for his actions and expressed genuine remorse.
She explained that the defendant struggled to understand his motives, citing his low mood, social isolation, and difficulty opening up to his family as factors that led him to seek solace online, which ultimately resulted in his offending.
McAteer emphasized that Bean does not attempt to justify his conduct and has now recognized the profound impact of his actions.
Bean, who has no prior convictions, was sentenced to a total of five and a half years in prison.
Judge Simon James, presiding over the case, stated that Bean had actively used the internet to pursue his sexual interests in children.
While acknowledging that Bean was suffering from mental health issues at the time, which may have influenced his reckless decisions, the judge expressed difficulty in understanding how depression could directly cause such predatory behavior.
Addressing the impact on the young victim and her family, Judge James underscored the importance of the courts in protecting children from adults who seek to exploit them online.
He pointed out that the significant age difference between Bean and his victims, along with his pretense of being a peer to gain their trust, were aggravating factors in the case.
Upon release, Jacob Bean will be subject to indefinite sex offender notification requirements and a sexual harm prevention order, ensuring ongoing monitoring and restrictions to prevent further harm.
