Darren Thompson OF CONSETT CAUGHT BREACHING SEX OFFENDER ORDER DURHAM

DARREN THOMPSON OF CONSETT CAUGHT BREACHING SEX OFFENDER ORDER DURHAM

Darren Thompson, a man with a prior conviction for inappropriate communication with underage girls, briefly reverted to his previous behavior after contacting what he was led to believe was a 12-year-old girl.

Durham Crown Court heard that on January 13, Thompson was not actively seeking out minors but accessed an adult internet chat site via his mobile phone.

During the chat, he spoke with someone claiming to be an 18-year-old from Tyne and Wear, who later revealed herself as a 12-year-old.

Uzma Khan, prosecuting, explained that Thompson was unwittingly chatting with an undercover police officer.

The conversation was later transferred to Snapchat, where Thompson was shown an image of a girl believed to be 12.

In response, he sent several intimate images of himself, including one after performing a sex act.

Within days, Thompson deleted his account—a breach of an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) imposed after his 2016 conviction, which forbade him from deleting his internet history.

He was arrested and interviewed, during which he admitted to his online activities and explained he was feeling low at the time.

Thompson stated to police that he just wanted to talk to anyone and acknowledged it might have been a child or someone else.

He admitted to continuing the conversation despite being told of the girl’s supposed age.

He expressed remorse and told officers he wished to seek counseling to address his sexual attraction to children.

The 36-year-old, from Dorset Crescent, Moorside, Consett, pleaded guilty to attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child and breaching his SHPO.

In mitigation, Chris Morrison told the court that Thompson was using an open forum with no intention to target minors.

Once realising he was chatting with what he believed to be a 12-year-old, he felt deep shame, deleted all relevant conversations and material from his phone before police intervention, and did not attempt to hide his other online activities.

Morrison argued that, objectively, this was a victimless and non-persistent offense—a foolish and self-destructive act, but not indicative of predatory behavior.

Judge James Adkin sentenced Thompson to 14 months in prison and emphasized the difficulty Thompson had in controlling his actions.

The existing SHPO will remain in effect, and Thompson is now required to register as a sex offender for life.