Gillingham sex offender jailed after deleting messages

A Gillingham sex offender whose phone was searched the day he was released from prison has been jailed.

Officers made an unannounced visit to Ian Foreman’s home on The Willows on 1 July 2026 and reviewed his phone as part of a previously imposed Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).

The checks uncovered conversations in which the messaging platform’s ‘view once’ feature had been used multiple times, breaching a condition of his SHPO in which he can’t delete messages from his phone. He was charged with this breach on 5 August.

Second review

A further review of his mobile device took place during a scheduled meeting at Medway Police Station on Monday 18 August. Foreman, 40, admitted having met a woman for sexual activity, however no messages could be found between the two.

Enquiries showed the pair had been in communication for five days, identifying that he had deleted numerous messages.

Two more incidents of ‘one time view’ messages being used were also identified.

Foreman was consequently arrested and charged with two further breaches.

Court

He pleaded guilty to all three charges at Maidstone Crown Court in August, and appeared before the same court on Tuesday 13 October for sentencing.

Foreman was sentenced to 9 months’ imprisonment for the SHPO breaches with an additional year added for breaching a suspended sentence.

Investigating officer Police Constable Harriette Barraclough said:

‘Foreman wilfully disobeyed the restrictions that he was fully aware were in place through his SHPO. ‘These orders are in place to lower offenders’ risk to the public in general, and he has been rightly imprisoned for his persistent breaches of this safeguarding tool. ‘We hope this sentence will make him realise he cannot do as he pleases without suffering severe consequences as a result.’