Sex Offender Ian Willett Busted After Ditching Approved Home
Ian Willett, 23, was locked up last year for 40 months for sexual assault, kidnapping, and assault by beating. His crime? Dragging a woman from Newport bus station to Church Litten Park on the Isle of Wight back in August 2020.
Luckily, the woman fought back and managed to 1.
Flouts Licence, Runs Off – Warrants Issued
After his release, Willett had strict licence conditions. He had to stay at an approved address in Waterlooville and notify police of any address changes within three days. Plus, he needed to register any online usernames.
But Willett went rogue. On June 5 this year, he fled his approved premises and secretly created unregistered online usernames. Police launched inquiries and put out a public appeal to find him on June 15.
Snapped Up on Isle of Wight, Jailed Again
Thanks to tips from locals, Willett was arrested the very same day on the Isle of Wight. Charged with two counts of failing to comply with sex offender notification rules, he was recalled to prison to serve the remainder of his original sentence.
At Isle of Wight Magistrates’ Court, Willett admitted his breaches and copped an extra eight months behind bars. He was also ordered to pay £85 in costs and a £128 victim surcharge.
Police Praise Public for Swift Justice
“We are very grateful to the local community who supported our efforts to locate Willett after he absconded,” said Acting Detective Inspector Mark Edis. “We were able to find and arrest him so quickly, within hours of a wanted appeal being issued.”
“Licence conditions and notification requirements are legally binding protections to keep the public safe,” he added. “Unfortunately, some, like Willett, show complete disregard.”
“We invest huge resources into managing sex offenders and public safety. This swift action should reassure the community we take this responsibility seriously and will do everything to put offenders back behind bars.”
