Library image: Maidstone Crown Court
A convicted sex offender from Maidstone has been sentenced to two years and eight months in prison after breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) and the subsequent discovery of a cache of weapons at his home.
Owen Payne, 24, was previously given a suspended sentence for attempting to incite a child into sexual activity. He was also subject to an SHPO, requiring him to register any internet-enabled devices with police. However, during a routine home check in September 2024, officers seized three mobile phones, a tablet, a gaming device, and a computer. Payne had failed to notify police of any of these devices, or his 16 online aliases, as required by the SHPO.
A subsequent search of the property uncovered nine bladed weapons, including knives and swords.
Payne admitted to breaching the SHPO, failing to comply with notification requirements, and multiple counts of possessing illegal weapons in a private place. He was sentenced at Maidstone Crown Court on Tuesday, February 4, 2025.
Investigating officer Mark Deacon said:
‘Owen Payne had already been convicted of sexual offences and rather than change his ways he chose to continue offending by breaching the conditions of his court order.
‘Not only did Payne think he could evade capture by failing to notify police of seven internet-enabled devices and 16 online usernames, but he also thought himself above the law when it came to owning numerous illegal weapons.
‘Payne has proven himself to be a calculating and dangerous sexual offender, who has been rightly handed a custodial sentence for his crimes.’