KEVIN FISHER BRISTOL AND MAIDSTONE SEX OFFENDER SENTENCED FOR BREACH OF SEXUAL OFFENCES ORDER

In December 2009, Kevin Fisher, a man with a troubling history of sexual offences, was sentenced to serve 20 months in prison after he admitted to violating a court-imposed sexual offences prevention order. Fisher, who previously resided on Waterloo Street in Maidstone, was convicted at Maidstone Crown Court of breaching the specific restrictions placed upon him in January of that year.

The court heard that Fisher had attended Bewl Water Sailing Club, an activity that took place in the vicinity of the popular leisure area near Tunbridge Wells, and during this visit, he interacted with children under the age of 16. This interaction was in direct violation of the order that explicitly prohibited him from being in contact with minors. The authorities confirmed that no additional offences had been reported or disclosed to the police since the breach.

As part of his punishment, Fisher was sentenced to an additional 16 weeks behind bars, which was added to his previous sentence—a suspended two-year term. This means that if he commits further violations, he could face immediate imprisonment for the combined period.

Kevin Fisher’s criminal history dates back to at least 2004, when he was subjected to some of the most stringent restrictions ever imposed on a sex offender in Britain. In May of that year, he became the first individual in the country to be banned from all contact with children under new, tough legislation designed to prevent reoffending. Fisher, who was wheelchair-bound at the time, was prohibited from approaching within 100 metres of any school or playground, entering a residence where children are present, working with minors, or taking photographs of children.

This groundbreaking order, known as a Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO), was issued by Judge Simon Darwall-Smith at Bristol Crown Court after Fisher was sentenced to nine months in prison for child pornography offences. The order was open-ended, reflecting the severity of his crimes and the potential risk he posed to children. Breaching an SOPO automatically results in a six-month jail sentence, but if a person commits a new offence while under such an order, the penalty can extend up to five years in addition to any other sentence.

Fisher’s criminal notoriety was first brought to public attention in November 1996, when he gained media attention for cycling from Bristol to London in a wheelchair to raise funds for Children in Need. However, his reputation was marred in February 2004 when he was exposed as a paedophile while working as a computer technician at Bristol’s Easy Cafe. Staff members discovered a picture of a ten-year-old girl in a swimsuit stored on one of his computers, prompting police investigation.

Further investigations revealed that Fisher possessed 38 indecent images of children stored on CD-ROM disks at his Bristol flat. Authorities also found a collection of child-related literature, including catalogues and books about potty training, indicating a disturbing pattern of interest in children. Fisher admitted to making indecent photographs and possessing indecent images, leading to his initial convictions and subsequent restrictions aimed at protecting the public from his predatory behavior.