KEVIN HARRISON IN STOCKTON FACES CRITICISM AFTER CHILD SEX OFFENCE SENTENCE

In February 2007, anger was expressed towards the judicial system after Kevin Harrison, a 51-year-old former security guard from Stockton, was given a relatively lenient sentence for a serious offence involving a vulnerable 16-year-old girl. Harrison was fined £500 and ordered to pay £150 in costs by Judge Jim Spencer, who reportedly warned him to "keep himself to himself" following his admission of paying for sexual favours from the underage girl. The offence, which breaches laws prohibiting sexual activity with minors under 18, carries a maximum penalty of seven years in prison.

The case was heard at Teesside Crown Court, where it was revealed that Harrison made contact with the girl via her mobile phone. The pair were ultimately spotted in his car by undercover police officers on an industrial estate in Thornaby, Stockton, on 27 March 2006. The girl claimed to be his niece, but was unable to answer basic questions about his personal details, leading to his arrest.

Wendy Shepherd, a specialist from Barnardo’s SECOS (Sexual Exploitation of Children On the Streets) project in Middlesbrough, criticized the leniency of the sentence. She stated, "The judge has not used the full weight of the law available to him." She added, "We were not expecting the full seven years but the fact is he could have imposed a prison sentence, and he certainly could have imposed a Sex Offences Prohibition Order to prevent him from being in the company of under-18s, or even with under-18s in a car. This was not a one-off offence. The judge has failed to see the danger that this man poses."

She disclosed that she knew the victim through her work with vulnerable children, emphasizing that the girl had been exploited and abused throughout her life. The victim entered into the arrangement with Harrison to fund her drug habit.

Harrison, who resided on Yarm Road, Stockton, had previously given up his job after pleading guilty at a magistrates’ court, expecting to face jail time. The case was transferred to Crown Court as magistrates believed they lacked the authority to impose a suitable sentence. Judge Spencer fined him and added a warning to "keep yourself to yourself so far as youngsters are concerned." In a notable remark, the judge questioned the possibility of the girl choosing to have sex with Harrison, saying, "Why should a girl of 16 who wants to sleep with him not be able to — it is not a crime, is it?"—a comment believed to refer to the age of consent.

Harrison’s criminal record includes multiple offenses against children dating back to 1979, when he was jailed for two years for enticing two girls into his car and abusing them.