CRAIG ANTHONY LLOYD SENTENCED IN SWANSEA FOR BREACHING SEXUAL HARM PREVENTION ORDER
An online sex offender, Craig Lloyd, was found in possession of a smartphone and software designed to conceal his internet activity, Swansea Crown Court has heard.Lloyd, who received a suspended prison sentence in 2019 for attempting to incite a 12-year-old to engage in sexual acts, was subject to a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO), which restricts his internet access and requires him to declare any phones he owns to police.
Prosecutor Hannah George explained that in May this year, police officers, monitoring Lloyd in the community, conducted an unannounced visit to his home.
During questioning, Lloyd admitted to possessing a Samsung phone purchased the previous year, which he had failed to declare.
The police searched his property and recovered the phone along with a USB memory stick.
Lloyd was arrested, cautioned, and told officers that there might be some content on the phone, as he had been active in online chats.
An examination of the device revealed it contained software capable of deleting internet search history.
Additionally, the phone displayed images of children, all fully clothed, and not indecent images.
In his police interview, the 37-year-old admitted he bought the phone via eBay in October the previous year and had not declared the device.
He explained he used it to view pornography.
Lloyd, of Neath Road, Hafod, Swansea, had previously pleaded guilty to breaching his SHPO during a court hearing via videolink from prison.
In 2019, he was sentenced to 12 months in prison, suspended for 24 months, for attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child and trying to incite a girl under 13 to sexual activity.
The earlier case involved decoy social media accounts rather than real minors.
Representing Lloyd, Matt Murphy stated that the offending was "born out of temptation," and emphasized that Lloyd had not used the phone "to communicate with individuals he should not." He added that the defendant had been working with probation during his suspended sentence but required "further intervention." Judge Geraint Walters informed Lloyd that he had been fortunate to avoid immediate prison in 2019, noting that under current Court of Appeal guidelines, Lloyd likely would not have received a suspended sentence — describing it as his "lucky break." However, the judge pointed out that Lloyd had deliberately and flagrantly breached the SHPO, demonstrating "a measure of deviousness," and had learned nothing from the previous sentence.
Taking into account Lloyd’s guilty plea, the judge sentenced him to 12 months in prison for the breach, and activated eight months of his previous suspended sentence to run consecutively, totaling a 20-month sentence.
Lloyd is expected to serve up to half of this time in custody before being released on licence.
The existing sexual harm prevention order remains in effect.
