A convicted sex offender posed as a paediatric doctor and “effectively manipulated” three women into having relationships with him.

Jeremy van der Sanden was subject to a sexual harm prevention order that gave police the power to monitor his devices and that he must tell police if he got a new device, or stayed at a different address.

But Swindon Crown Court heard on Friday (July 29) that van der Sanden, of The Heights in Kingshill, posed as a doctor online to enter into a relationship with an unsuspecting woman.

The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald: Jeremy van der Sanden.Jeremy van der Sanden.

He used a different name, itself a breach of notification requirements he was subject to.

Summing up, Judge James Townsend also said he posed as a woman to enter into a social media relationship.

“You worryingly posed as a paediatric doctor and entered into a relationship with an unsuspecting woman,” he told the defendant.

“That posed a clear risk, not only to her but also because you could have come into contact with children.

“The three people you have effectively manipulated have been badly affected by your deception.

“I bear in mind that the offences on the face of them don’t appear to be an effort to gain access to children.”

But, the judge continued: “A troubling feature of this case is in spite of the fact you have a highly supportive family, and in spite of the fact there has been intervention by the probation service, you have continued to offend.

“The facts of these offences and the troubling contents of the pre-sentence report suggest you remain capable of manipulating people and I suspect to some extent you are a fantasist.”

The court was also told that the 27-year-old had been subject to a community order for possession of Class A indecent images of children.

Van der Sanden had pleaded guilty to two counts of breaching his sexual harm prevention order, namely not notifying police of his address or new laptop, and three counts of breaching his notification requirements.

This included using an undisclosed name and staying at an address for more than seven days in a year and not notifying the police.

He was given a total sentence of 19 months imprisonment, which Judge Townsend said would be immediate.

The community order was revoked.

Van der Sanden will also be subject to a new sexual harm prevention order, under the same terms, that will last until May 2032.