February 2021 Oxenholme sex offender Darren Knowles flouted court order by accessing dating website A South Lakeland sex offender flouted a strict court order and used an iPad to access a dating website. Darren Knowles, 49, had been handed an immediate 12-month prison sentence in early 2019. He had been caught in a police sting trying to meet who he thought was a 12-year-old girl in a park, after chatting with an undercover officer through a website aimed at children. Knowles, of Helmside Road, Oxenholme, was jailed for attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child and attempting to meet a girl after sexual grooming. As part of his punishment, he was handed an order banning him from using any device capable of online access without promptly telling a police offender management team. But on September 16 last year, as offender managers visited his home, Knowles confessed to going online on an iPad without informing police. “He said he couldn’t remember exactly how long he had been doing this,” prosecutor Alexandra Sutton told Carlisle Crown Court. “He apologised and stated he had been using it to access a dating site, and had been having problems accessing the internet from his mobile phone. “He understood he had breached his order and agreed to attend Kendal Police Station on a voluntary basis.” Knowles admitted the breach. Recorder Eric Lamb noted Knowles had not completed an offending behaviour programme in custody and that the availability of other courses was limited after his release. It meant aspects of his offending had not been addressed, although help was now being offered. “That would have advantages to the public to ensure you don’t offend again in the way that you did,” concluded the judge. Recorder Lamb imposed a two-year community order comprising rehabilitation, an offending behaviour course, and a two-month night-time curfew. Of the breach, the judge said: “The harm that was involved is essentially the risk of what might have taken place had you not been detected and stopped from using this device.” Recorder Lamb told the defendant it was important for the authorities to know how he was using the internet ‘to ensure children are protected from predators like you’. April 2019 Businessman caught in police sting trying to meet “12-year-old” in park A South Lakeland businessman caught trying to meet someone he thought was a 12-year-old girl in a park after sexualised online chat has been jailed for a year. Darren Knowles, 47, was sentenced at Carlisle Crown Court for a raft of offences which occurred around the turn of this year. Knowles engaged in online chat with what he thought was a 12-year-old, whom he called his “sexy new friend” and urged: “Don’t tell anyone.” But Knowles was actually corresponding with an undercover policewoman. And when he tried to arrange a meeting between the pair at a park in Lancashire, officers moved in and arrested him. Illegal images were found on his phone, and it emerged Knowles was involved in sexualised online chat with two others he thought were girls aged 13 and 15. A man of previous good character, he admitted five charges: three of attempted sexual communication with a child, one of attempting to meet a child following sexual grooming, and possessing four extreme pornographic images. Character references were provided for Knowles who, the court heard, had his own building business, a wife and family. His barrister, Kim Whittlestone, said he was “at a loss” to explain his criminal conduct, adding: “He is very much aware of the devastating impact his offending behaviour will have on those closest to him.” Judge James Adkin jailed Knowles, of Helmside Road, Oxenholme, concluding: “In my judgement this case is so serious that only an immediate custodial sentence can be imposed.” Knowles must sign the sex offenders’ register, and abide by the terms of a sexual harm prevention order, for 10 years.