DAVID SMITH FROM STOCKTON-ON-TEES SENT BACK TO PRISON FOR DELETING MONITORING APP

A convicted sex offender with a history of child abuse has been returned to incarceration after intentionally removing an application designed to oversee his online activities. David Smith, aged 60, from Stockton-on-Tees, had only recently been released from prison when he committed this violation by performing a factory reset on his mobile device. He claimed that he did so because he believed he had accidentally downloaded a virus while searching for a horror film. However, this explanation was firmly rejected by the court.

The incident was brought before Teesside Crown Court, where it was revealed that Smith had been subject to a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) since 2021. The order was put in place following his previous convictions related to child sexual offenses. The court heard that Smith was caught attempting to arrange a sexual encounter with a mother and her daughter through undercover police operations.

Judge Richard Bennett addressed the court, stating: “In full knowledge of the terms of your SHPO, you reset your mobile telephone and in the process, you deleted all of your internet history and removed the risk management software installed on your device. You claimed to the police that you did so because you downloaded something onto your mobile that contained a virus – I make it clear that I reject that explanation entirely.”

He continued: “I am satisfied that there was no such virus, and you deliberately deleted this phone to hide evidence. I am convinced you removed this device because you knew there was material on it that you did not want the police to see.”

Prosecutor Jenny Haigh explained that Smith had only possessed the monitored mobile phone for a few days before he admitted to deleting the monitoring application. She added that Smith had been released from prison on December 19, following a conviction for failing to comply with notification requirements and breaching his SHPO.

Smith, who resides on Hartington Road in Stockton, pleaded guilty to two charges of breaching his sexual harm prevention order after his arrest on January 21 this year. As a result, he was sentenced to 28 months in prison.

During the proceedings, defense representative Michele Turner acknowledged that her client was the one who contacted the police to inform them of the deletion of the monitoring app. She also noted that Smith often acts impulsively. Turner remarked: “The pre-sentence report doesn’t make happy reading. The defendant is well aware of its conclusions and his almost inevitable custodial sentence.”