A man has been jailed after causing a child to watch a video of him performing a sexual act and exposing himself in a female toilet block.
Jody Hawkins was sentenced at Bristol Crown Court (Thursday, 29th June) after pleading guilty to seven offences.
The 41-year-old came to police attention in another part of the country in May last year when a teenage girl was contacted directly by Hawkins.
During that call he initiated a sexual conversation and encouraged the victim to perform a sexual act on herself, while he played a pornographic video of himself. The girl refused, hung up and the matter was reported to the police.
In late-October, Hawkins then committed a number of offences against four other victims.
On one evening he was found in a female toilet block in Keynsham exposing himself to a woman. He then showed another woman an inappropriate private photograph of himself a few minutes later and again exposed himself.
That same evening two 16-year-olds reported Hawkins had tried to engage in a sexual conversation with them and showed them the same photograph.
Hawkins, of HMP Bristol, pleaded guilty to the following offences:
- Inciting a child to engage in sexual activity
- Sexual activity in the presence of a child
- Causing a child to watch a sexual act
- Two counts of indecent exposure
- Two counts of intentional causing fear/harassment/alarm/distress
Hawkins was sentenced to two years and four months imprisonment for five of the seven offences. He will be sentenced for latter two harassment charges at Bristol Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, 5th July.
He was also made subject of a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order and given a restraining order to prevent any contact with his victims.
Officer in the case, Detective Constable Heather McGowan, said: “Jody Hawkins has been shown to be a sexual predator that deliberately targets vulnerable victims and I welcome the prison sentence he has received today.
“The victims in this case have all shown tremendous strength and courage throughout this investigation and court process. Hawkins' will no doubt have a continued negative impact on their lives, but I hope his jail sentence will give them the peace of mind they deserve.
“I would like to thank the members of the community in Keynsham who came forward with information to support this investigation. I would also like to thank the CPS and the trial barrister for their support in bringing this offender to justice.
"We would always encourage any victims of a sexual offence to come forward to the police. You will be believed, you will be offered support that you may need and crimes will be fully investigated."