Convicted of sexual assault, Inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and sexual activity with a child.

Sex offender jailed for breaching suspended sentence after giving schoolgirls 'love bites'

Serena Ransom, 27, was found guilty in 2015 of making sexual advances towards two young girls. She was convicted of sexual assault, causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, and two counts of sexual activity with a child.

Ransom was initially sentenced to 18 months' detention in a young offenders' institution and was made subject to a sexual harm prevention order banning her from working with or having unsupervised contact with children under 16.

However, in May 2021, Ransom was brought back to court for breaching her notification requirements. The court heard how she created a profile on the video sharing app TikTok in October 2020 without informing the police. She also stayed overnight in a house where children regularly stayed without disclosing this information to authorities.

As a result, Ransom was given a 12-month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months, and placed under a six-month curfew. She was also ordered to complete 120 hours of unpaid work and 30 rehabilitation days.

On Wednesday, Ransom appeared in court again in Middlesbrough. She pleaded guilty to breaching her suspended sentence. The court activated part of the 12-month sentence, imposing a six-month prison term.

In 2015, Teesside Live reported that Ransom's first and youngest victim was described by a judge as being "particularly vulnerable" when Ransom sexually assaulted her by giving her "love bites."

The court also heard that Ransom had given the second, older girl "love bites," kissed her on the lips, and asked her to touch her intimately.

During last year's hearing, the court revealed that these were Ransom's third and fourth notification breaches. She was caught after a man, aware of her criminal past, saw her TikTok profile and sent a screenshot to the police.

Ransom's defense attorney, Nigel Soppitt, argued that the breaches were "reckless rather than malicious" and that Ransom "has no sexual interest in children."