PETER ASHFORD FROM THETFORD BUSTED IN LOWESTOFT FOR SEXUAL HARM ORDER BREACHES

In May 2019, a serious legal case unfolded involving Peter Ashford, a man originally from Thetford, who found himself at the center of a criminal investigation in Lowestoft. The case culminated in Ashford being sentenced to a total of six years in prison after he was convicted of multiple breaches of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).

Ashford, aged 66 and residing on Wellington Esplanade in Lowestoft, admitted to five separate violations of the SHPO, as well as breaching a suspended sentence order. His appearance before Ipswich Magistrates Court on 14 May 2019 resulted in a significant sentence, including an indefinite sexual harm prevention order being imposed upon him, reflecting the severity of his violations.

The investigation into Ashford’s conduct was initiated after authorities received reports suggesting he had been violating the conditions of his SHPO. One of the key restrictions of this order prohibited him from loitering within 20 meters of playgrounds, parks, or designated play areas where children under the age of 16 might be present. On 30 January 2019, a public protection officer observed Ashford in close proximity—just 10 meters—of the boundary fence of Gunton Primary School. This observation led to his immediate arrest.

Between September 2018 and January 2019, Ashford was found to have breached the terms of his SHPO on five separate occasions. These breaches raised serious concerns about his compliance with the restrictions designed to protect children and the community at large.

In a related incident in April 2019, Ashford was caught loitering outside a primary school in Lowestoft, further violating the SHPO. He claimed to have been showing flowers to a stranger just meters from Gunton Primary School on January 30. However, magistrates found his explanation unconvincing and convicted him of loitering near the playground, which was explicitly prohibited by the order issued earlier that month at Great Yarmouth Magistrates’ Court.

During the incident, plainclothes police officer PC Darren Benford-Brown, accompanied by a police dog, was monitoring the area. He had previously observed Ashford in the woods earlier that day. PC Benford-Brown recounted that Ashford was seen talking to a man with a camera, and upon noticing the officers, Ashford appeared to communicate with the man and both seemed to take photographs of the grass and mud. The officer noted that Ashford’s behavior appeared deliberate once he spotted the police presence.

Ashford’s explanation to police was that he was simply walking his dog in the park, which he claimed he had been doing twice daily for the past two years. He insisted that he was only interested in flowers and was curious about their names, claiming he had no intention of loitering or taking photographs of children. He described the flowers as “ranunculales” and said he was trying to learn their names, which he communicated to the stranger he was talking to.

Despite his claims, magistrates found Ashford guilty of breaching the SHPO and remanded him into custody. His sentencing was scheduled for June 18, 2019.

Earlier in January 2019, Ashford’s criminal record was further scrutinized when it was revealed he was a repeat sex offender. He had previously been convicted of sexual offences and was required to sign the sex offender register for life in 2001. During this period, he engaged in disturbing communications with a former cellmate, discussing fantasies involving young children, including a five-year-old girl with learning difficulties. These messages, which Ashford later claimed were mere fantasies, were described as “horrific and appalling” by prosecutors.

Prosecutor Nicola Pope detailed that Ashford had used a mobile phone to send approximately 40 grossly offensive messages between March and July of that year. These messages involved conversations with a sex offender from Romania, and included disturbing references to young girls in parks. Ashford admitted to sending these messages but insisted they were fabricated fantasies without any real victims involved.

He also destroyed his SIM card shortly before his arrest, although some messages were recovered. His criminal history, which includes convictions spanning several decades, underscored the ongoing risk he posed to the community.

At a court hearing in November 2018, Ashford pleaded guilty to sending offensive and indecent messages. His defense argued that the messages were part of a fantasy and that he was ashamed of his actions. Magistrates sentenced him to 16 weeks in prison for the offensive messages, with an additional four weeks for failing to comply with notification requirements for the sex offender register. Both sentences were suspended for 18 weeks. Ashford was also ordered to adhere to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order, complete 30 days of Rehabilitation Activity Requirements, and pay court costs and victim surcharges.

Throughout these incidents, Ashford’s history of sexual offences remained a grave concern. His previous conviction in 2001 for filming sex sessions with underage girls he met online was a stark reminder of his dangerous behavior. That case resulted in an eight-year prison sentence, with a subsequent requirement to register as a sex offender for life. The court had warned about the dangers of internet chatrooms, emphasizing the risk of young girls being targeted by predators like Ashford.

In 2014, Ashford was living in Kessingland, Suffolk, and was known to attend car boot sales, indicating his continued presence in the community despite his criminal record. The ongoing investigations and court proceedings highlight the persistent threat posed by individuals with a history of sexual offending, especially when they breach protective orders and continue to engage in suspicious behavior near vulnerable areas such as schools and parks.