KINGSTON OFFENDER CAMILO FERNANDEZ DEEMED A DANGER TO THE PUBLIC AND ISSUED SEXUAL OFFENCES PREVENTION ORDER

In November 2007, a convicted sex offender residing in Kingston, Camilo Fernandez, was deemed a danger to the public and ordered to cease all contact with children under the age of 16.

Kingston magistrates issued a sexual offences prevention order (SOPO) on Fernandez, age 54, after assessing that he posed a high risk of sexual harm. The courts highlighted a psychological report indicating Fernandez's sexual attraction to young boys and his difficulty in establishing appropriate boundaries.

Fernandez lives alone and regularly attends church. However, concerns about his conduct had arisen previously. In February 2006, a church leader reported to police that Fernandez was behaving inappropriately with a young male member of his congregation. Furthermore, disturbing transcripts of online conversations between Fernandez and a teenage boy in Scotland had been seen.

Fernandez has a long history of sexual offending dating back to 1973. Currently, he is undergoing a year-long course of cognitive behavioural therapy and treatment designed for sex offenders.

Miss Gibbons, representing the Metropolitan Police and the applicant for the order, told magistrates that Fernandez's criminal activities had increased in recent years. She recounted that in December 1998, a social worker informed police that Fernandez befriended a woman whose 13-year-old son he bought an expensive games console for. In November 2000, Fernandez was reported to have been loitering near schools and public toilets.

Additional incidents included a 2006 report of inappropriate behaviour towards a young male church member and the discovery of disturbing online chats with a 16-year-old Scottish boy. In December 2006, a Christmas card sent by Fernandez to a 15-year-old boy via the social network site Bebo was intercepted by the boy's mother and reported to the police.

Earlier this year, police searched Fernandez’s house after receiving another tip-off, uncovering indecent images of children on his computer. The investigation into this matter is still ongoing.

The order includes five specific conditions. Fernandez must inform police of any change of address and is barred from engaging in paid employment or voluntary work that could result in unsupervised contact with anyone under 16.

Chair of the magistrates, Mr Mulholland, ordered that the SOPO be in place indefinitely, with a minimum duration of five years.