Justin Hawkins

Justin Hawkins, a 54-year-old former car park manager and Primark employee from Newbury, Berkshire, was involved in a grooming incident that led to his initial sentencing in May at Reading Magistrates’ Court. Believing he was communicating with a young girl named 'Sophie', Hawkins engaged in explicit online interactions as part of a sting operation conducted by paedophile hunters. He sent vile, explicit videos of himself performing a sex act and repeatedly expressed affection, stating he loved her and begging her to keep their interactions secret from her mother.

In the conversations, Hawkins falsely claimed his wife was dead to gain sympathy and warned 'Sophie' not to disclose their exchanges, saying, “Don’t let her know – she won’t like it. I’d love to show you how to have sex. I won’t hurt you – please don’t tell your mum.” He also requested pictures of her. Following his arrest and confrontation by the paedophile hunters, Hawkins' wife and two children disowned him, forcing him to move out of the family home in Mortimer.

At the initial hearing, District Judge at Reading Magistrates’ Court imposed a 12-month prison sentence, suspended for two years. Additionally, Hawkins was required to sign the Sex Offenders Register and was made subject to a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) to restrict his online activities and prevent reoffending. The SHPO explicitly forbade him from using certain online chat applications and required him to notify police of any aliases used online.

However, just months later, routine police checks revealed breaches of the SHPO. On 8 December 2025, at Reading Crown Court, prosecutor Jane Davies outlined that Hawkins had visited prohibited online chat apps twice and failed to disclose his use of an alias for anonymity. Hawkins admitted to these breaches. Despite his compliance with the suspended sentence order up to that point, as argued by his defence counsel Anne-Marie Critchley, who pleaded for bail citing concerns over his accommodation and his four weeks already spent in custody, Judge Amjad Nawaz denied bail.

The judge adjourned the case for pre-sentence reports from the probation service, which were expected to take several weeks. Hawkins was remanded in custody, marking a shift from his previously suspended sentence to immediate imprisonment pending further sentencing. This case, reported by Newbury Today, highlights the enforcement of SHPO measures by Thames Valley Police in the Berkshire area.