Paedophile Jacob Bean Found Dead in Prison Cell at HMP Rochester

Mystery surrounds the death of convicted paedophile Jacob Bean, who was discovered unresponsive in his cell at HMP Rochester on September 7, 2025.

The 24-year-old, from Chartham near Canterbury, had been serving a five-and-a-half-year sentence after being jailed in November last year for grooming a 10-year-old girl online. He was found by another inmate, and despite emergency efforts, he was pronounced dead shortly after 12.30pm.

Bean had earlier complained of chest pains and difficulty breathing on August 31. He was taken to Medway Maritime Hospital before returning to prison the next day. Just a week later, he was seen going for a shower before being discovered unconscious in his cell.

At an inquest opening, Coroner Sarah Clarke confirmed the cause of death is currently unascertained. The case has been adjourned until March next year for a pre-inquest review.

During his conviction, Canterbury Crown Court heard Bean had targeted the child on Snapchat and WhatsApp, sending abusive content and encouraging sexual acts. He was also under investigation for grooming three other underage girls and for making indecent images.

The father of the young victim said in court that his daughter had been exposed to “one of the world’s greatest evils,” leaving their family devastated.

A Prison Service spokesperson confirmed that, as with all deaths in custody, the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman will carry out an investigation.