ASHLEY COLVILLE: PETERLEE SEX OFFENDER'S SHOCKING CRIMES AND CAMPAIGN FOR CHEMICAL CASTRATION IN MIDDLESBROUGH

In a series of disturbing legal proceedings, Ashley Colville, a 31-year-old sex offender formerly residing in Peterlee, has been at the center of multiple criminal cases involving child sexual offenses, online predatory behavior, and breaches of court orders. His latest sentencing, which resulted in a ten-year prison term, underscores the severity of his crimes and the ongoing threat he poses to the community.

Colville’s criminal history is extensive, with five convictions encompassing a total of 17 separate offenses related to child sex offenses and violations of court-mandated restrictions. During the recent court hearing at Teesside Crown Court, prosecutor Tom Mitchell detailed the troubling findings from police investigations into Colville’s activities following his release from prison. A female police officer assigned to monitor his behavior discovered that Colville possessed an illegal mobile phone from which he had deleted 350 messages, raising suspicions of further illicit communication.

Technical experts later confirmed that Colville had been in contact with an individual claiming to be the mother of a girl he had sexually abused. Despite a nationwide search, authorities were unable to locate the woman, leaving the case unresolved. Judge Jonathan Carroll dismissed Colville’s assertion that these messages were merely fantasies, firmly believing that Colville genuinely thought he was communicating with a woman involved in the sexual abuse of her child, which he found particularly disturbing.

During the court proceedings, Colville appeared via videolink from Durham Prison. His defense barrister, Shada Mellor, explained that Colville had been in custody for 27 months after being recalled to prison for breaching his license conditions. She emphasized that Colville was willing to undergo chemical castration, expressing his desire to avoid a life of repeated imprisonment. Colville’s plea to the court was to facilitate access to medication that could expedite his castration, which he believed would help him manage his compulsions and reduce the risk of reoffending. Mellor noted that Colville was once at the top of the list for such treatment but had fallen down due to various reasons, including the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Judge Carroll addressed Colville directly, stating, “In my judgment, you believed that you were talking to an adult female and that she had a female child, and that she was engaging in sexual abuse of that child. Over a number of hours, you engaged in quite repugnant conversations with her, a form of communication that is shocking to any right-minded person.”

Historically, Colville’s criminal record includes a guilty plea in September 2010 for sexually assaulting a 16-year-old girl in a shop, and in January 2014, he admitted to possessing 11 indecent photographs of children. His pattern of offending continued with a guilty plea in April 2015 for breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) by possessing an unreported phone, and he was subsequently jailed for five years for inciting a girl to engage in sexual activity. Further breaches of the SHPO led to a 54-month sentence in July 2018, after attempting to communicate sexually with a child.

In November 2020, Colville’s predatory behavior persisted when he sent a Facebook friendship request to a woman with four children, including a 14-year-old girl. Police visited his residence on November 16, 2020, and he was later sentenced to ten years, with six years to be served in custody and four years on extended license, after pleading guilty to two breaches of the Sexual Harm Prevention Order and arranging or facilitating a child sex offense. The court also mandated that Colville register as a sex offender for life, and the SHPO will remain in effect indefinitely.

Further back in his criminal timeline, in February 2021, Colville was recalled to prison after deleting his internet history, a move that police deemed suspicious. He had previously been jailed in July 2018 following an undercover police sting where he believed he was communicating with an 11-year-old girl named Hannah. Colville’s online conversations with the undercover officer involved grooming behaviors and sexual comments, which he claimed were part of a ploy to expose vigilante tactics. Prosecutors highlighted his extensive record of sexual offenses against children, emphasizing that he was subject to two court orders restricting his internet use and contact with minors at the time.

His criminal activities also include a failed attempt to build a relationship with a 15-year-old girl on the internet shortly after his release from prison in April 2015. Despite being banned from internet use, Colville smuggled a smartphone into his bail hostel in South Bank, Middlesbrough, and contacted the girl, asking her to meet for sex. Police traced the communications, revealing that Colville had lied about his age and was seeking to engage in sexual activity. The girl, along with her 13-year-old friend, refused to cooperate with investigators. Colville’s defense argued that his motivations were driven by his recent release from prison and that he was willing to participate in treatment programs, including medication, to address his urges.

Throughout these proceedings, Colville’s history of offending and breaches of court orders paints a disturbing picture of a man who has repeatedly targeted children and violated legal restrictions designed to protect the public. His case continues to serve as a stark reminder of the ongoing dangers posed by convicted sex offenders and the importance of vigilant monitoring and intervention.