Aaron Paul Reece Whitwell

Aaron Paul Reece Whitwell, a 27-year-old man formerly from West Cornforth in County Durham, appeared at Durham Crown Court for a plea hearing where he admitted to further sexual offences against a child. Whitwell, who has a history of targeting underage girls, pleaded guilty to six counts of sexual activity with a child—a girl aged 14 at the time—along with one count of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and one count of breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO). These latest offences occurred between November 2022 and January 2023, while Whitwell was on licence after being released at the midpoint of his previous 33-month custodial sentence.

Whitwell's criminal history dates back to December 2020, when he was sentenced at Durham Crown Court to 33 months in prison for an offence involving a 14-year-old girl. During that incident, the then 22-year-old Whitwell had deceived the victim by claiming to be 17 years old. Despite this conviction, Whitwell reoffended while on police bail prior to court appearances for the first offence. In September 2023, he received a seven-year extended sentence after admitting to six counts of sexual activity with a girl aged 13 to 15 and causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity. As part of that sentence, he was subjected to a 20-year SHPO and required to register as a sex offender for life.

The court heard that Whitwell was brought from HMP Northumberland for the latest hearing. His defence counsel, Chris Morrison, informed Judge Jo Kidd that Whitwell has struggled significantly in custody, stating, 'He’s been bullied, threatened and attacked on many occasions. It’s having a very adverse effect on him. In addition, he has sought refuge in the consumption of the drug ‘spice’ as a coping mechanism.' Judge Kidd, who previously described Whitwell as a 'danger to teenage girls', ordered details of his prior convictions from 2020 and 2023, along with an assessment of his perceived 'dangerousness' from the last sentencing. She also requested an update from his offender manager regarding the impact of his current imprisonment on him, to be included in his personal mitigation.

Sentencing for the new offences was deferred to November 26, 2024, with Whitwell remanded in custody to continue serving his previous sentence until then. The judge noted that Whitwell will not be eligible for parole until 2027. This case, reported by The Northern Echo and covered by crime reporter Bruce Unwin, underscores Whitwell's pattern of reoffending against vulnerable teenage girls despite multiple interventions by the courts and Durham Constabulary.