Justin Lawal

Justin Lawal, a 38-year-old man from Kirkby-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, has been sentenced to 18 months in prison after breaching the terms of his sex offenders' prevention order. The order, imposed following prior convictions for sexual offences against young girls, prohibited him from communicating with any young person under the age of 16. Lawal's breaches came to light through reports from social services and subsequent police investigations.

On 16 January 2020, social services reported concerns to Nottinghamshire Police that teenage girls were visiting a previous address where Lawal had lived. Officers attended the property and found two girls under 16 present among the occupants. Lawal was arrested, and his mobile phone was seized for examination. In a separate incident in March 2020, police stopped Lawal while he was driving and discovered MDMA (a class A drug) and cannabis (a class B drug) in the driver's footwell. During this stop, he was again found in the company of young females under 16.

Lawal, now residing at Manor Crescent in Kirkby-in-Ashfield, pleaded guilty at Nottingham Crown Court to two counts of breaching his sex offenders' prevention order and to possession of class A and B drugs. The court heard that Lawal had groomed vulnerable children, fully aware that his actions violated the law. Detective Sergeant Steve Dalby, from Nottinghamshire Police's management of sexual and violent offender unit, described Lawal as 'clearly a dangerous individual' and stated that the sentence reflects this assessment. Dalby emphasised the police's commitment to investigating such reports seriously, working with the Crown Prosecution Service to build robust cases, regardless of time delays or the standing of those involved.

The sentencing hearing took place at Nottingham Crown Court, where the judge imposed a total of 18 months' imprisonment, returning Lawal behind bars. This case underscores the enforcement of protective orders for convicted sex offenders and the ongoing monitoring by authorities to prevent further harm to vulnerable young people.