Some readers may find this story disturbing.
NORTHAMPTONSHIRE, UK (KSNW) — A registered sex offender in England is being sent back to prison for harassing a mother selling baby items online.
Northamptonshire Police say 24-year-old Josh Guilder, previously of Northampton, was under strict conditions of release when he began sending harassing messages to the mother in May. At first, the woman believed he was genuinely interested in purchasing baby items. However, he began sending her messages about wanting her baby to “suck on the dummies (pacifiers),” wanting “them used,” and “Can I take the dummy out of your baby’s mouth and suck on it?”
He is also accused of deleting messages on WhatsApp and having contact with two unknown children when buying used baby products online, in violation of his Sexual Harm Prevention Order. He was charged and convicted in June with one count of harassment without violence, two counts of breaching his SHPO and one count of attempting to breach his SHPO.
Guilder was sentenced this week to one year and six months in prison. He had previously been sent to prison for incidents in 2023 where he stole pacifiers from the mouths of multiple babies in the county of Essex in southeast England.
Josh Guilder wasn’t long out of prison when he committed these strange and disturbing offences. For that reason, I’m really pleased he is back behind bars and unable to commit further crimes.
Registered sex offenders are very closely managed by our team and I want to be clear that any breaches are dealt with robustly. We do not give second chances or ‘the benefit of the doubt’ – anyone who breaches their order is charged and brought before the courts with a view to sending them to prison.
I’m pleased to see Guilder jailed as it means the streets of Northamptonshire are that little bit safer.
PC Carl Gardner
Lead Investigator, Northamptonshire Police MOSOVO Team