Windows smashed at house after sex offender leaves note in children's sweets asking for 'naked' pictures
Windows were smashed at a house where a sex offender was being housed after he left a note in children’s sweets at a shop with his number asking for naked pictures to be sent to him.
Lee Davidoff, 55, was exposed by a Fratton community after breaching the terms of his sexual harm prevention order and sex offenders register requirements. Having been arrested and found guilty he now awaits to be sentenced as residents breathe a sigh of relief following his removal from the area.
Fears were raised after Davidoff was moved into a property in Northgate Avenue earlier this month by authorities - with residents reporting “suspicious” behaviour from the sex offender.
Anger from locals boiled over after Davidoff went into a Premier store on nearby New Road and placed a note in the children’s sweet section with his number. The note read: “My name is Heidi. Send me a naked pic of you. Would you like to go out with me?”
However, a shop worker’s vigilance sparked a swift police response following the incident which unfolded near Penbridge Junior School. Jonathan Cleeve said he was working in the store on Wednesday 13 November when Davidoff walked in wearing a red dress and acting suspiciously.
Mr Cleeve said: “I was working when a male dressed as a woman came into the shop and whilst monitoring CCTV I discovered a note had been left within the children's sweets. It said ‘my name is Heidi please send me naked pics’ and had a number and said ‘if you would like to date me call me’. He left the store but then came back about half an hour later to see if the note was still there.
“I immediately called police and reported the incident due to the note being left in the children's sweets and with a school opposite the shop. I spoke to a few of the residents with children to warn them of the danger this person posed.
“The school was informed and I believe sent text messages to parents. The police attended and said the person was well known and they would take a statement and arrest the person in question.
“Since the incident a number of residents asked me if I knew the person as they had seen him acting strange at his window watching people. I then got information to say the person's windows had been smashed and he had been arrested. Following The News’ article it came to light he was a sex offender.
“He should not have been placed so close to a school and the community feels safer knowing that these people are not in a community around children anymore.”
Doorbell footage obtained by The News reveals the dramatic moment when the windows are smashed to the property Davidoff is in on three separate quick-fire attacks by a male on a bike after 9pm on Sunday November 17. In one of the clips, the male throws an object before getting off his bike and goes up to the window to make sure it smashes before riding off.
In another of the clips he is seen circling the house and launching an item at a separate window as a hysterical nearby female resident can be heard shouting “what’s wrong with you”. Another male is seen on a bike momentarily stopping during one of the attacks, though it is not clear if he was an accomplice. A face briefly appears from inside the house before darting back away from the window in one clip.
Davidoff was seen later that night being escorted into a police van after being arrested and has since appeared at court. A police spokesperson said: “A man had been behaving suspiciously and left an inappropriate note in a shop on New Road in Portsmouth.
“Lee Davidoff, 55, of Northgate Avenue, was arrested and charged with breach of a sexual harm prevention order and failing to comply with notification requirements of the sex offenders register.
“He was found guilty at Portsmouth Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday and has been remanded into custody to appear at Portsmouth Crown Court on Friday 20 December for sentencing.
“On Sunday 17 November, we received a report of criminal damage at an address on Northgate Avenue. Enquiries are ongoing to establish the circumstances.”
Although Davidoff is currently in custody it is understood he will be relocated away from the house along with two other suspected sex offenders who had also been temporarily housed there. A police spokesperson added: “We have comprehensive and thorough risk management plans to ensure that offenders who are considered to pose the greatest risk to the public are managed under the Multi Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) framework.
“This involves us working closely with other agencies including the probation service, prison service, local authorities and housing associations, to actively manage and monitor offenders. Police work extremely hard with these agencies under the framework.
“We also have a duty to prevent managed offenders coming to harm and maintain community cohesion. This may involve conducting Community Impact Assessments for example. Each case is handled individually to ensure the safety of the public and the offenders involved are considered.”