Natalie Harris

Natalie Harris, a 36-year-old mother of six from Waterlooville, Hampshire, has been jailed for four years after admitting to four counts of engaging in sexual activity with a child. The case, heard at Portsmouth Crown Court, centred on her grooming and sexual exploitation of two 13-year-old boys in November 2022.

The incident came to light in January 2023 when a video, filmed by one of the boys during the threesome, began circulating around their school. A concerned parent alerted the police, prompting an investigation. Prosecutor Matthew Lawson told the court that Harris had started sending sexual messages to one of the boys on Snapchat and via text, saving his contact under a female name, 'Rachel', to disguise her identity. She invited both boys to her home, making it clear they were going there for sex. Upon arrival, she led them to her son's bedroom, where the sexual activity took place for approximately 40 minutes before they left to avoid her own son returning from school.

Harris was identified through distinctive hand tattoos visible in the video. When arrested, she initially denied knowledge of the events but was later confronted with a thread of incriminating messages on her seized mobile phone. In the messages, she urged the boy to keep the encounter secret, warning that she could go to prison and promising to 'stick up for him' if questioned. The boys, who cannot be named for legal reasons, initially denied involvement but one eventually confessed to his mother, confirming the details of the grooming and assault.

• Harris developed an 'obsession for sex with young boys' following a break-up, as described by Judge Sarah Munro KC.
• The judge noted Harris's 'total disregard of any moral compass' and significant planning in her grooming behaviour.
• A mother of one victim stated in a impact statement: 'Natalie has completely turned our family upside down. The worst thing about all of this is she has taken away his childhood and I will never forgive her.'

In mitigation, defence barrister Berenice Mulvanny argued that Harris was 'deeply remorseful' and her actions were triggered by a manic episode amid a diagnosis of bipolar disorder and multiple personality disorder after her split from a partner. The judge acknowledged the break-up as a catalyst, stating: 'You reacted to his departure in a dramatic way. In your behaviour you became extremely promiscuous... an obsession in you for sex with young boys.' However, she emphasised the profound harm caused, saying: 'No sentence I can pass can give [him] his childhood back or undo the damage you have done to him.' Harris wept in the dock during sentencing on 15 August 2024.

Alongside the four-year custodial sentence, Harris was made subject to a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order and a 10-year restraining order. The case was investigated by Hampshire Constabulary, highlighting the severe impact of her actions on the young victims, one of whom has since withdrawn from hobbies and become reclusive.