A Leigh man has been jailed for 13 years and six months after kidnapping an 11-year-old girl who he followed from a play area before forcing her into an alleyway.
Kieran Mansfield, 35, of Stonehill Road, Leigh-on-Sea, followed the girl shortly after 5.10pm on Thursday 5 February 2026. When they reached Woodleigh Avenue, he grabbed her, forced her into an alley, covered her mouth and warned her not to scream.
Mansfield threw the girl to the ground with considerable force. A security light illuminated the alley, and he was seen standing over her for several seconds before running back into Woodleigh Avenue.
Essex Police said the girl was not harmed. She managed to reach a friend’s house, where police were called.
Arrest and sentencing
Officers launched an investigation and identified Mansfield as a person of interest. Further enquiries indicated he was very likely to have been in the area. He was arrested near his home the following morning and later charged.
Mansfield admitted kidnapping, assault with intent to commit a sexual offence, failing to comply with a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO), and supplying false information in relation to an SHPO.
At Basildon Crown Court on Thursday 1 October 2026, he was sentenced to 13 years and six months in prison, of which he must serve two-thirds. He was also given a four-year extended licence period, during which he will be monitored following his release.
The conditions of a further Sexual Harm Prevention Order will be decided at a future hearing.
Detective describes ‘cold, calculated and predatory’ attack
Detective Chief Inspector Greg Wood, who led the Essex Police investigation, said: “This young girl was followed by Mansfield for some time, and I can only imagine the unease this will have caused her before he launched his attack upon her.
“His actions were cold, calculated and predatory.
“However, the court has handed him a significant sentence and, although this in no way can undo his action, I hope it gives the victim and her family some comfort knowing that he will be in jail for a significant period of time.”
How Essex Police monitors sexual offenders
Essex Police has a specialist Management of Sexual Offenders and Violent Offenders (MOSOVO) team which assesses and monitors offenders in the community to reduce the risk they pose to the public. The force says officers also work with prisons and partner agencies to put safeguarding arrangements in place ahead of offenders’ release.
Sexual Harm Prevention Orders are court orders intended to protect the public from sexual harm. Their conditions vary according to the risks identified and can restrict an offender’s activities, including their use of electronic devices or contact with children. Breaching an order is a criminal offence.
Essex Police has previously reported cases in which routine checks by its MOSOVO officers uncovered further offending and breaches of court-imposed restrictions. The force says this monitoring is an important part of protecting vulnerable people.
Mansfield had already been subject to an SHPO before this attack, but the specific terms of that earlier order have not been detailed in the police account. There is no confirmation that MOSOVO officers were directly involved in investigating this case.