Basildon: "The officer is our hero. I’m so thankful to him. He saved our lives.”

“We’ve got a life ahead of us and that is thanks to the justice Essex Police helped us achieve.
"The officer is our hero. I’m so thankful to him. He saved our lives.”

Those are the words of a mother after her child’s sexual abuser was jailed for four and half years on Monday 14 October at Basildon Crown Court.

“He was like a wolf in sheep’s clothing. He appeared charming, friendly, and seemed so shy.
"But I know it was all an act and he is, in fact, a monster.”

The woman said she and her daughter now have a future and that is because of the support they have had from Essex Police and others.

“We have been believed and I would say to anyone else who finds themselves in this position to go to the police and report it. You will be listened to and treated with respect.
"It feels like a black cloud has been lifted from over our heads and we can start to rebuild our lives.”

Harrison Hawkins, 37, of Kings Road, Steeple View, Basildon, was sentenced to a total of 54 months in prison.

At the same court in May, Hawkins admitted three counts of sexual assault on a child under 13, two counts of taking indecent images of a child and one count of possession of extreme pornographic material.

Officers launched an investigation in June 2020 after receiving reports of indecent images of a child on Hawkins’ phone.

Then, allegations of sexual abuse were put to Hawkins in November 2021 after the victim bravely told officers from our Child Abuse Investigation Team (CAIT) about further incidents.

Hawkins was interviewed about these allegations and replied “no comment” when questioned.

He was subsequently charged and pleaded not guilty to all charges but changed his plea to guilty midway through the trial.

He was sentenced to 54 months behind bars for sexual assault of a child and 24 months behind bars for two further counts of sexual assault on a child.

He was also jailed for nine months for each count of taking indecent images of a child and three months for possession of an extreme pornographic image. All the sentences will run concurrently.

He was also given a 10-year restraining order and a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO). The court ordered forfeiture and destruction of devices connected to images and to pay a victim surcharge of £120.

He has been placed on the sex offenders register indefinitely.

Detective Constable Ian Burgess, who led the investigation, said:

“This sentence reflects the gravity of Hawkins’ offending.
"I want to pay tribute to the victim and her family who has been through an awful ordeal. They have displayed immense courage and dignity throughout.
"I hope today’s result brings some closure for them.”

The victim’s mother wanted to say “thank you” to Det Con Burgess for the support he has provided over the last four years.

She said:

“Ian is our hero. I’m so thankful to him. He saved our lives. I also want to say thank you to Anjie, our independent sexual violence advisor, who was fantastic throughout.”

Synergy Essex