Stalker with ‘sexual interest’ in Billie Piper who bombarded her with messages after meeting her 20 years ago is jailed again for breaching restraining order
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Philip Jerome, a 49-year-old man from Winchester with an "obsessive" and "sexual interest" in actress Billie Piper, has been jailed for 12 months at Basingstoke Magistrates' Court for breaching a restraining order by posting AI-generated images of her online. He made 11 posts on X over the course of a month in December 2025, including "cartoon" AI images of Piper, tagging her account in what prosecutors called a "delusional" attempt to communicate with her and pursue a relationship following their meeting 20 years ago. The case highlights how public figures can remain at risk from persistent stalkers years after initial offences, even where protective court orders are already in place.
Jerome, who has targeted Piper, 43, for over a decade, has previously posted cards through her letterbox, sent an 18-page love letter, turned up at her home leaving her feeling "unsafe", and was earlier jailed for breaching the same order by attending a Comic Con event and posing for two fan photos with her in different outfits, after which he was ejected by security once recognised. Piper, who did not attend this latest hearing, had earlier told the court she did not feel safe at home. In mitigation, his lawyer said the images were mostly repeated pictures of Piper's face taken from public sources and that he has been diagnosed with autism; he also has a harassment conviction from 2013 involving a different victim and first appeared in court over the Piper case in 2018.
- Stalker Philip Jerome jailed 12 months for posting AI images of Billie Piper.
- He breached a restraining order with 11 tagged posts on X.
- He has targeted the actress for over a decade, prior offences included letters and a Comic Con incident.
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Philip Jerome, 49, from Winchester, has been convicted of stalking actress Billie Piper, whom he first met around 20 years ago. He has pursued her for more than a decade, driven by what prosecutors describe as an obsessive and sexual fixation, and has previously left cards at her home, sent a lengthy love letter, and turned up at her house.
A restraining order was put in place to stop him contacting her, but he has breached it more than once, including by attending a Comic Con event where he had photos taken with Piper. Each breach has led to further prosecution, with courts warning him of longer sentences for repeat offences.
The case highlights the difficulty of using restraining orders to protect public figures from persistent stalkers, particularly as new technology such as AI-generated images creates fresh ways for such behaviour to continue online even when direct contact is barred.
Full account
A man who has pursued the actress and former pop star Billie Piper for two decades has been jailed for 12 months after repeatedly breaching a stalking prevention order made to protect her. Philip Jerome, 49, of Winchester, Hampshire, appeared at Basingstoke Magistrates' Court on his birthday and admitted four charges of breaching the order by contacting Piper and posting about her online, including AI-generated images, in December 2025.
The court heard that a police inspection of Jerome's devices on 27 December found several images of Piper saved to his phone and established that, over four separate days that month, he had tagged her in around 11 posts on X. One post referred to a GQ Awards photograph of Piper that he said had drawn him to her, accompanied by a further comment about her appearance; prosecutor Anisa Alrubaie told the court this formed part of a continued, unwanted attempt to draw her attention. Piper's X account is managed by her personal assistant, who filters out abusive or unsettling material so that the actress is not routinely exposed to it, and Piper did not attend this latest hearing.
Jerome's fixation on Piper is said to date back around 20 years, to a meeting between the pair, and has included turning up at her home, pushing cards through her letterbox, sending letters and once writing her an 18-page declaration of love. A restraining order was first imposed in 2018 after he attended her address and contacted her by post, but he went on to breach it that same year by messaging her mother and sister on Facebook about arranging to meet, and by commenting on Piper's choice of partner; officers also found folders of press cuttings and event memorabilia relating to her at his home. He was jailed in 2022 for breaching the order again by attending a Comic Con event, where he had photographs taken with Piper twice in one day, changing his clothing between appearances, and was removed by security once she recognised him on the second occasion. A stalking prevention order specific to Piper was subsequently imposed in July 2022, alongside a warning that any further breach could carry a sentence of up to five years.
Sentencing him, District Judge Kirsty Allman said Jerome had shown an entrenched pattern of stalking, harassment and disregard for court orders, and that his aim in contacting Piper was the hope of starting a relationship with her. In mitigation, defence solicitor Caroline Bonavia said Jerome had recently been diagnosed with autism and had sought psychological help concerning obsessive attachments, and argued the latest posts were largely repetitive and drew only on images of Piper already publicly available online. Piper has previously told the court in a statement that she does not feel safe at home because of Jerome, saying she could not be certain he would never turn up and cause her harm.
Where outlets differ
The Mail frames Jerome primarily as an 'obsessive stalker' and leads with the AI-generated 'cartoon' images and his sexual interest in Piper, while the BBC frames him more as an 'obsessive fan' who pleaded guilty to four specific breach charges.
Only the BBC report mentions Jerome's recent autism diagnosis and his stated psychological support around obsessive relationships, and it also reports his prior, separate 2012 harassment conviction against a different woman (for sleeping outside her home in nearby woods) — details the Mail's account omits.
The BBC includes direct quotations from District Judge Kirsty Allman about Jerome's 'entrenched pattern' and motivation, plus a more explicit quote from one of his posts about Piper's appearance, whereas the Mail relies more on paraphrase and includes a direct quote from Piper's earlier victim statement about not feeling safe at home, which the BBC does not repeat.
The Mail notes Jerome wore different clothing for his second photograph with Piper at the Comic Con event, a detail not mentioned in the BBC account.