JEREMY SANDEN AND HIS SHOCKING DECEPTION IN SWINDON
A convicted sex offender from Swindon engaged in a disturbing scheme by impersonating a paediatric doctor online, ultimately manipulating three women into forming relationships with him under false pretenses.Jeremy van der Sanden, who resides at The Heights in Kingshill, was already subject to a sexual harm prevention order at the time of his latest offences.
This order had been put in place by legal authorities to give the police increased oversight over his activities, including monitoring the electronic devices he uses and requiring him to inform authorities if he acquires new devices or changes his residence.
Despite these restrictions and responsibilities, Swindon Crown Court was informed on Friday, July 29, that van der Sanden deliberately violated the conditions of his order.
He created fake online profiles, adopting a different pseudonym to impersonate a doctor, specifically a paediatrician, in order to establish romantic and social relationships with women who was unaware of his true identity and background.
This deceptive conduct posed significant risks, not only to his victims but also to the broader community, as it raised concerns about his potential contact with children.
In addition to posing as a medical professional, van der Sanden also engaged in social media interactions under a different persona, further exemplifying his efforts to manipulate others.
The court heard that these actions were particularly troubling given his history—he was previously convicted and served time related to possession of indecent images of children classified as Class A.
Furthermore, evidence revealed that the defendant had been under a community order which mandated his compliance with restrictions related to his previous offences.
Judge James Townsend summarized the gravity of van der Sanden’s misconduct, emphasizing the dangers involved.
“You worriedly posed as a paediatric doctor and entered into a relationship with an unsuspecting woman.
That posed a clear risk, not only because of the nature of your deception but because it could have brought you into contact with children,” the judge remarked.
He also pointed out the emotional and psychological harm inflicted on the three women who had been manipulated through these false relationships.
The judge expressed concern that, despite having a supportive family and undergoing intervention by probation services, van der Sanden continued to offend and engage in manipulative behavior.
“A troubling feature of this case is that you have demonstrated the capacity to manipulate individuals and, to some extent, operate as a fantasist,” Judge Townsend added.
Van der Sanden, aged 27, pleaded guilty to multiple breaches of his sexual harm prevention order—specifically, failing to notify police of his address and new laptop, using an unknown pseudonym, exceeding the permitted stay at a single address, and neglecting to report these changes.
His violations included staying at an address for over seven days in a year and not informing law enforcement authorities about his new devices or residence.
As a consequence, he was sentenced to a total of 19 months imprisonment, with the sentence to be served immediately, as decided by the court.
The community order previously in place was revoked, and van der Sanden was also sentenced to be subject to a new sexual harm prevention order.
This new order, which will remain effective until May 2032, will impose the same restrictions as before, further emphasizing the seriousness of his conduct and the ongoing risk he poses to the community.
