Gravesend sex offender jailed for child rape

A child sex offender from Gravesend has been sentenced to 14 years’ imprisonment.  

Thomas Hawkwood was responsible for abuse spanning almost a decade, during which his young victim was also subjected to physical assaults and threats of harm.

Hawkwood, 69, was arrested in November 2020 as part of enquiries by the Medway Vulnerability Investigation Team.

He denied any wrongdoing but was charged with multiple offences which stretched back to the 1990s, including rape, indecent assault and inciting a child into sexual activity.

A trial took place at Woolwich Crown Court where Hawkwood, of Wrotham Road, Gravesend was found guilty by a jury on eight counts.

On Monday 21 August 2023, he was sentenced to 14 years in prison. The judge also imposed an indefinite sexual harm prevention order.

Threats and terror

Leading the case was Vulnerability Investigator Luke Grimmett, who said: ‘Hawkwood is a depraved and intimidating individual who has shown no remorse for his appalling actions. He terrorised a vulnerable child with threats of violence and subjected them to the most abhorrent abuse. ‘Offenders like Hawkwood wreak incalculable damage upon their victims and it is sometimes extremely hard for them to come forward and report what they have experienced to the police. In this case, the victim has thankfully found tremendous courage to provide evidence and ensure Hawkwood has now faced justice. ‘I do hope this sentence reassures the public that we will do everything we can to put offenders behind bars and support survivors as much as we can. It is never too late to report any sexual offence, you will be supported by specially trained officers throughout the process, and we always treat any information with the utmost confidence and sensitivity.'