JAIMIE BENT, AMBULANCE TECHNICIAN FROM BURTON, SENTENCED TO OVER FIVE YEARS FOR CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE
In September 2014, Jaimie Bent, a 49-year-old ambulance technician from Barton Marina, Barton under Needwood, was sentenced to five and a half years in prison for sexually abusing a young girl and sending numerous explicit text messages to another 12-year-old girl from Burton.Bent had sent approximately 4,600 texts to the younger girl, whom he met on several occasions at Shobnall Park.
Following his arrest, a second victim came forward, describing how Bent had groomed her and sexually assaulted her.
Judge Michael Challinor described Bent as "a risk to young girls" and imposed an additional five and a half years on a court extended license period aimed at public protection.
Bent's full sentence is set to be served until 2025.
During the hearing, the judge told Bent: "Perhaps many people owe their lives to you for the care you gave them," but emphasized that Bent had shown "a high degree of persistence" in grooming the girls.
He further added, "Currently you still present a significant risk of causing serious harm by committing similar offences against young girls." In addition to his prison term and extended license, Bent was prohibited from working with children and ordered to register as a sex offender for life.
Initially denying all charges, Bent changed his pleas on two counts during his trial in July, after the girls had been called to give evidence.
His lawyer, Darron Whitehead, stated that Bent’s guilty pleas had spared the victims from having to testify.
Whitehead explained, "In 2010 my client and his wife parted company.
Up until that age, he had lived a very good, hard-working, healthy life.
Sadly, he couldn’t help himself.
He is now branded and will remain so for the rest of his life." In July 2014, it was reported that Bent, an ambulance driver, had admitted to sexually abusing a girl and bombarding another 12-year-old girl with explicit texts.
Judge Challinor ordered Bent to be remanded in custody for reports to assess whether he posed a danger to children, stating, "A sentence of imprisonment is absolutely inevitable." Bent initially denied all offences but changed his pleas to admit one charge of sexual activity with a 13-year-old and another of inciting a 12-year-old to sexual activity.
He acknowledged kissing and hugging the first girl on several occasions and touching her inappropriately, while maintaining that there had been no sexual activity between him and the Burton girl, aside from the text messages.
Prosecutor Nick Tatlow revealed that the texts were discovered after the girl’s phone broke and her sister brought it in for repair.
Following Bent’s arrest and bail, another girl came forward in January, alleging he had been grooming her since she was 12 and had touched her inappropriately.
On Bent’s computer, authorities found 96 emails between him and the girl that, while not overtly sexual, contained intimate content and expressed intentions of forming a future family together.
Bent wrote about plans to leave his partner for the girl as well.
His sentencing is scheduled for a later date, and his lawyer requested that he be remanded on bail; however, Judge Challinor refused, citing Bent’s previous suicide attempts and current vulnerability, emphasizing, “A sentence of imprisonment is absolutely inevitable.”
