ALAN RICHARDSON JAILED IN STAPLEFORD FOR VIOLATING SEXUAL HARM PREVENTION ORDER

A convicted sex offender has been re-incarcerated after deliberately violating a court-imposed restriction and attempting to conceal evidence from law enforcement authorities. Alan Richardson, aged 50, from Stapleford, was subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order that explicitly prohibited him from possessing any internet-enabled devices that he had not previously declared to the authorities, as well as from deleting his browsing history to hide online activity.

On June 18 of the previous year, police officers conducted a targeted visit to Richardson’s residence in Stapleford, driven by suspicions that he might have engaged in further online offences. The officers arrived at his home and, after a period of waiting, Richardson eventually opened the door to them. However, prior to allowing the officers inside, he performed a factory reset on his tablet device, an act that raised immediate concerns about potential evidence tampering.

During the subsequent investigation, a police digital forensics expert examined the device and uncovered troubling evidence. It was revealed that Richardson had previously used a specialized anonymized search engine, which was active on the device, indicating an attempt to conceal his online activities. This discovery suggested that Richardson was actively trying to hide potentially incriminating online behaviour.

Richardson’s criminal history includes a prior conviction for creating indecent images of children, which underscores the seriousness of his current breaches. He later admitted to two counts of breaching the terms of his Sexual Harm Prevention Order during police interviews.

His case was brought before Nottingham Crown Court, where he appeared on Monday, March 31. The court sentenced him to two years in prison, emphasizing the importance of enforcing restrictions designed to protect the public from individuals with a history of sexual offences.