A sex offender who attacked a teenager just 20 days after being released from prison is back behind bars.

Justin Towner, 22, from Manor Road, Swanscombe, was jailed at Maidstone Crown Court, which heard how he'd only been released from prison on April 13. Less than three weeks later he had breached his sex offender’s prevention order twice and had sexually assaulted a 14-year-old girl.

Judge Martin Joy said there had been an element of grooming in the offences where Towner had first befriended the victim through text messages. When she visited with her boyfriend on May 3, Towner assaulted her while her boyfriend was out of the room.

Towner pleaded guilty to two breaches of his sex offender’s prevention order and to one count of sexual assault on his teenage victim.

He was sentenced to eight months’ imprisonment for each of the breach offences, to run concurrently, and 24 months for the sexual assault.

Jailing him for a total of 32 months, Judge Joy said the victim and others needed protection from sexual predators such as Towner. He also ordered that Towner be required to sign onto the sex offender’s register indefinitely and that his sexual offences prevention order remains in place.