John Harris Child Sexual Abuser in Bristol

A dangerous sex offender regarded as a parent’s worst nightmare has received a sentence after escaping from an open prison and kidnapping a young student from within a school classroom.

John Harris, aged 36 and previously without a permanent address, escaped from HMP Leyhill near Bristol on October 16, 2018.

Later the same day, he was formally charged with escaping lawful detention, kidnapping, and violating a Sexual Offences Prevention Order.

He had gained access to a school where he succeeded in entering a classroom with a student—who was not familiar to him—and was only stopped when a quick-thinking teaching assistant intervened, ensuring the child's safety.

The convicted sex offender had been transferred to a Category D prison in May 2018, five months prior to the incident.

This move came after he was moved from Brixton prison, a Category C facility, despite warnings from psychiatrists that he continued to pose a significant danger.