ROBERT KING MISTAKENLY REMOVED FROM SEX OFFENDERS REGISTER IN MAIDSTONE AND PERTH

In August 2006, a serious oversight occurred involving Robert King, a known sex offender from Maidstone, who was mistakenly omitted from the sex offenders' register for an extended period. The case has raised significant concerns among legal authorities about the accuracy and reliability of the database that is supposed to monitor individuals convicted of sexual offenses.

King, aged 47 at the time, had previously admitted to threatening to rape a 14-year-old girl as well as a schoolfriend. Despite this serious admission, he was not properly registered as a sex offender in a timely manner. The failure to include his name on the register was due to an administrative error that went unnoticed for months.

It was revealed during a court session at Perth Sheriff Court that King appeared twice before the court, but on both occasions, the sheriffs failed to record him as a registered sex offender. This oversight meant that King was able to move freely across the country, including his residence in Cocksheath, Maidstone, Kent, without the obligation to inform police of his whereabouts or comply with monitoring requirements. The period of unregistered freedom lasted approximately three months, during which he was not subject to the usual restrictions and oversight that come with being on the sex offenders' register.

The error was finally identified in April, several months after it should have been rectified. This discovery prompted further scrutiny, especially as King had returned to court to be sentenced for the original offense committed in Perth. However, the sentencing was again deferred, leaving the matter unresolved at that time.

During the court proceedings, Sheriff Lindsay Foulis expressed his concern over the case, emphasizing that King should have been registered immediately after his guilty plea. The sheriff stated, “I cannot explain why the matter was not picked up,” highlighting the gravity of the administrative failure and its potential implications for public safety and justice.

Overall, the case underscores the importance of meticulous record-keeping and the potential dangers when such systems fail, especially in cases involving individuals with a history of threatening or sexual misconduct. The incident has prompted calls for review and improvement of the procedures used to track and monitor sex offenders in the UK.