AARON HUGHES AND ILLEGAL ONLINE ACTS IN MIDDLESBROUGH
A convicted sex offender from Middlesbrough has been sentenced to prison after being caught violating court restrictions through the use of various online platforms.Aaron Hughes, aged 27, was found to be engaging with social media and dating sites using aliases, despite being under a strict sex offender court order that severely limits his internet activity.
The incident came to light when Hughes was discovered to be operating under the pseudonyms "deathstorm" and "electro_darkness" on TikTok and Kik messenger.
Further investigation revealed that he had also created accounts on popular dating applications such as Tinder, as well as on Snapchat and Instagram.
These actions represented clear breaches of the conditions set by his court order.
Hughes appeared before Teesside Crown Court on a Thursday, following an incident on July 28 when his sex offender manager visited his residence in South Bank, Redcar, to conduct a routine risk assessment.
During this visit, it was noted that Hughes’s phone had been used to download the aforementioned apps, only to later be deleted, indicating an attempt to conceal his online activity.
The court heard that Hughes, who resides on King Street in South Bank, admitted to four breaches of his sexual harm prevention order, as well as violating the terms of a suspended sentence.
This order was originally imposed in November of the previous year after Hughes was convicted of making indecent images of children.
His history with such offenses includes a suspended prison sentence handed down in 2021 for similar crimes involving indecent images.
During the proceedings, Michele Turner, representing Hughes, argued that her client suffers from "mild learning disabilities" and that his troubled upbringing contributed to his behavior.
Despite these mitigating factors, Judge Paul Watson sentenced Hughes to 19 months in prison, emphasizing the seriousness of his breaches and the importance of safeguarding the community from further offenses.
