Repeat sex offender returned to prison
A serial sex offender has been sentenced to six months behind bars.
Devaun Cox, 40, admitted behaving “in an indecent manner” when he appeared in Magistrates’ Court in April and was sentenced for the offence yesterday.
Cox, of no fixed address, was seen moving his hands “in a stroking motion” inside his pants near City Hall in Hamilton on April 16.
Cox, a registered sex offender said to have mental health challenges, was released from prison in connection with another offence in February.
Kim Wilkerson, the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, said at the time: “[The Government is] actively reviewing legislative and policy measures to strengthen child protection laws and ensure that Bermuda has the necessary tools to safeguard our precious children.”
Devaun Cox was first sentenced to six months behind bars for intruding on a girl’s privacy in 2012, followed by a three-year term for a similar offence in 2013.
He was found guilty of intruding on a girl’s privacy for a third time in 2017, with the conviction upheld after appeal in 2018.
Cox was jailed for six months in 2022 after sexually assaulting a patient at the Mid-Atlantic Wellness Institute.
He was further sentenced to one year behind bars for another sexual assault that took place days after his release from prison.
This sentence was changed to 21 months in prison after Cox violated his probation. He was released in February.
Ms Wilkerson said after Cox’s guilty plea that the Government was exploring “how to best access more advanced treatment options [for sex offenders], including programmes used in the UK”.
She added: “It is important to note that not every case involving a sexual offence fits the same mould — a one-size-fits-all programme will not produce the results we need.”
Magistrate Tyrone Chin sentenced Cox, who has been behind bars since April, to six months in prison with time in custody taken into account, and fined him $500 for the offence.
• It is The Royal Gazette’s policy not to allow comments on stories regarding court cases. As we are legally liable for any libellous or defamatory comments made on our website, this move is for our protection as well as that of our readers
