BRETT HARRIS SENTENCED IN MANCHESTER AFTER REPEAT OFFENCES INVOLVING CHILD SEX ABUSE MATERIAL
A convicted paedophile, Brett Harris, 28, has been returned to prison after being found engaging in online chats about child abuse mere weeks after his release from custody.Harris, from Bredbury, Stockport, had previously served 27 months for ignoring a court order and using an Xbox to search the internet for child pornography.
After completing a year of his sentence, Harris moved into a hostel.
However, within three months, authorities discovered he possessed a phone and tablet illegally, which he used to secretly communicate with other paedophiles.
It was revealed he had used these devices over six weeks to download disturbing images and to connect on encrypted forums via the Telegram app with individuals he referred to as ‘like-minded people.’ At Minshull Street Crown Court in Manchester, Harris appeared via video link from Berwyn jail in Wrexham, North Wales.
He pleaded guilty to five charges of breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) and producing indecent images of children.
Judge Mr.
Recorder Ciaran Rankin sentenced him to an additional 30 months in jail.
Harris admitted knowing he was attracted to children but attributed his behaviour to feeling entirely isolated after being disowned by his adoptive parents.
His criminal history includes a 2017 conviction for 32 months related to distributing child pornography online, which had resulted in a court order banning him from internet use.
He was released in 2019 but was re-arrested in December of that year for secretly acquiring a games console, which he used to access more illicit material, some depicting children as young as two.
During a routine police check following his release in January 2021, officers uncovered a library of 981 obscene images stored on his iPad, organized into folders labeled ‘rape,’ ‘younger,’ ‘dad and daughter,’ and ‘sibling.’ The latest offences came to light last year when he was found to have stored indecent images on a cloud account and encrypted SD card.
Police conducted an unannounced search of Harris’s room on April 29, 2022, during which he produced a Huawei tablet and an Alcatel mobile phone.
Prosecutor Miss Sophie Kenny explained: “He told officers there were Japanese-style cartoons of child sex abuse and other indecent images on the tablet.
He had been using Telegram to communicate with individuals who would then direct him to forums for discussions of child sex abuse.” Investigations revealed that both devices contained search records with terms like ‘club paedo,’ ‘prison bus paedo,’ and ‘extreme paed,’ all from the previous two months.
Authorities also found two images of a girl estimated to be between nine and twelve years old.
The tablet was linked to a cloud storage account, and an encrypted SD card was recovered.
Harris admitted during police interviews that he downloaded images via Telegram and confirmed his sexual attraction to children.
The court described his actions as serious and persistent breaches of the SHPO.
In his defense, lawyer Miss Kay Driver acknowledged Harris had previously participated in a ‘Horizon’ programme designed for convicted sex offenders but deemed it ineffective.
She stated: “He is motivated to address his offending and to lead a lawful life.
Since the offenses in 2017, he has been entirely disowned by his adoptive parents and is completely isolated.
He has resorted to online offending to find company and wants to change that situation.” Judge Rankin sentenced Harris to 30 months imprisonment, imposed a new Sexual Harm Prevention Order, and ordered him to register as a sex offender for an indefinite period.
Harris will only be permitted internet access if equipped with police-managed risk management software.
