JAKE PARADISE FROM BAGSHOT AVOIDS JAIL DESPITE BREACHING COURT ORDER BY TALKING TO YOUNG GIRLS ONLINE

In December 2020, a case involving Jake Paradise, a resident of Bagshot in Surrey, drew significant attention from the local community and legal authorities. Paradise, known for his distinctive green hair, found himself in court after breaching a court-imposed Sexual Harm Prevention Order by engaging in online conversations with young girls, some as young as 10 years old. These conversations took place via social media platforms Facebook and WhatsApp Messenger, and involved discussions about wrestling and films, which were deemed non-sexual in nature by the court.

Paradise’s actions were particularly concerning because the girls he communicated with were known to him, and their parents were unaware of his previous convictions. The court heard that Paradise, aged 28 at the time, had a history of serious offenses dating back to 2015, which led to the initial court order in 2016 banning him from speaking to any children. Despite this, he continued to contact minors, including a 12-year-old girl for at least 25 days starting June 15, 2017, and later a 10-year-old girl from April 1, 2018.

Sophie Murray, the prosecutor, explained that the case was classified as Category-A due to the persistent nature of the communications. She clarified that, upon detailed review, there appeared to be no sexual content in the messages, which focused on topics like wrestling and movies. The prosecutor also emphasized that the parents of the girls were unaware of Paradise’s past convictions at the time of the communications. Paradise himself claimed to be homosexual and stated he had no interest in females, asserting that his previous convictions involved boys rather than girls.

During the court proceedings at Reading Crown Court, Paradise appeared with his characteristic green hair, which was styled in a long ponytail with streaks of light blue at the ends. He was dressed in a blue hoodie and fingerless fishnet gloves. He admitted to two counts of breaching the Sexual Harm Prevention Order and was present for sentencing. A pre-sentence report recommended that Paradise be spared jail time, provided he completed a rehabilitation program aimed at preventing future offenses.

Judge Paul Dugdale, presiding over the case, expressed his view that the communications did not appear to be of a sexual nature and suggested that Paradise’s contact was likely a foolish mistake rather than malicious intent. The judge acknowledged Paradise’s assertion that he had no sexual interest in the girls and noted that the nature of the messages did not suggest any sexual content.

In his sentencing, Judge Dugdale emphasized the seriousness of breaching court orders and warned Paradise about the potential consequences had there been any indication of sexual intent. The judge stated, “If there was any suggestion that this contact was anything other than a foolish error of judgment, and that there was anything sexual in it at all, you would have been going straight inside.”

Paradise was sentenced to a 30-month community order, which included a requirement to participate in the Horizon rehabilitation program for 30 days. The judge’s decision reflected a balance between the need for accountability and the recognition of the context of the communications, with an emphasis on rehabilitation and the importance of understanding the gravity of breaching court orders.