ANTHONY EDWARDS AND SHOCKING CHILD SEX OFFENDER CASE IN OXFORDSHIRE
A man with a long history of sexual offences, Anthony Edwards, appeared before Oxford Crown Court for what was his fourth court appearance in a decade, facing serious allegations but narrowly avoiding imprisonment.The case highlighted concerns about the measures in place to monitor and manage convicted sex offenders, especially those deemed to pose ongoing risks.
Edwards, aged 63 and residing in Ballards Close, Shipton-under-Wychwood, had previously been subjected to a stringent sexual harm prevention order that was set indefinitely after his 2013 conviction for sexually assaulting a young girl.
Additionally, he was placed on the sex offender register for life, marking him as a high-risk individual under UK law.
Over the intervening years, Edwards’ legal history expanded; he was convicted again, this time for possessing indecent images of children.
His persistent non-compliance culminated in 2018 when he was found guilty of breaching the very court orders meant to restrict his internet access, which included prohibitions on deleting browsing history.
During Thursday’s hearing at Oxford Crown Court, prosecutor Robert Lindsey detailed the police’s surveillance efforts.
He explained that in October 2018, officers had installed monitoring software on Edwards' HP laptop to track his online activity.
However, by January 2019, Edwards queried his supervising officer about defragmenting his laptop’s hard drive, an action typically used to optimize performance but potentially used to conceal illicit activity.
When the officer refused his request, questions arose regarding Edwards’ intentions.
The case uncovered that by 2020, Edwards expressed concerns over his laptop’s sluggish performance and believed it might have contracted a virus.
While this might have appeared to justify his actions, investigators were increasingly suspicious.
Checks revealed that although police monitoring software remained on the device, it had been non-operational since April 2019.
Instead, Edwards had independently downloaded McAfee anti-virus software, and further investigation showed that the hard drive was empty.
This suggested that Edwards had illegally deleted his internet browsing history, a direct violation of the legal restrictions imposed on him.
Court documents confirmed that Edwards had pleaded guilty to breaching his sexual harm prevention order.
Furthermore, he admitted to failing to attend the police station within the required three-day window to re-register as a sex offender, a breach of his notification duties during 2021.
His attorney, Gordana Austin, described Edwards as feeling isolated and lonely, affected greatly by the recent death of his mother, with whom he lived and cared for.
The local council was considering moving him to supported accommodation, citing his ongoing mental health and social needs.
In sentencing, Recorder John Hardy KC imposed a two-year community order on Edwards.
The judge emphasized the importance of adherence to court orders, stating, “Courts impose orders upon you and people like you for reasons.
Where those orders are breached, courts normally take the view that a person who’s been leniently sentenced in the past is being contemptuous of the order of the court and therefore immediate custody is the only sanction available.
That will be the case if you breach the order I am now about to impose.” Under the terms of the community order, Edwards was required to participate in up to 30 days of rehabilitation activities and was explicitly forbidden from deleting internet history or tampering with any ‘e-safe’ software installed by police.
Additionally, he was ordered to pay £200 in costs to the Crown Prosecution Service, underscoring the seriousness with which the justice system approached breaches of such orders and the ongoing risks posed by individuals like Edwards in Oxfordshire.
