West Cumbrian Sex Offender Jailed After Breaching Court Order

A West Cumbrian man already known to police for past sexual offences has been jailed again after breaching the terms of a court order designed to restrict his online behaviour.
Benjamin James Kennedy, 34, was originally convicted in 2021 for engaging in sexual activity with a child and causing a youngster to watch a sexual act.
He was later brought back to court the following year after downloading indecent images of children, which resulted in an eight-month prison sentence suspended for two years.
In February 2025, at Carlisle Crown Court, it emerged that Kennedy had again accessed the internet for child abuse material, leading the judge to describe him as a persistent sexual offender and impose an immediate 15-month jail term at that time.
Following his release from custody on licence, Kennedy committed another offence between January 27 and January 30 this year when he used a mobile phone set to private incognito mode. The use of incognito mode prevented details of his internet use from being retained, which breached the conditions of a sexual harm prevention order imposed in February 2025.
In Carlisle Magistrates’ Court, Kennedy admitted the breach. Defence solicitor Katie Scattergood told the court that while Kennedy’s actions violated the order, there was no associated harmful activity linked to the latest offence.
Deputy District Judge Matthew Wallace handed Kennedy an immediate 12-month prison sentence for the breach to reflect the seriousness of failing to comply with the court’s restrictions.