DWIGHT WILLIAMS SENTENCED IN TEESSIDE FOR BREACHING SEX OFFENDERS' ORDER
Dwight Williams, of High Street in Loftus, was sentenced to a year in prison after being found to have breached a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) imposed on him in December.The SHPO was initially put in place following Williams's arrest for possessing indecent images of children, including some categorized as the most severe form of abuse.
However, within weeks of the order being issued, Williams was caught violating its terms.
During Tuesday's hearing at Teesside Crown Court, prosecutor Rachel Masters explained that Williams was supposed to declare any devices or equipment capable of storing images.
Despite this, when police visited his home on February 1 as part of a routine review related to his sentence, he was found to have not fully disclosed all his devices.
Ms.
Masters said, "He pointed out a number of different devices including a Playstation, hard drive, and a laptop.
But a search then revealed two USB sticks and a mobile phone, which he had not declared." Further investigation of the mobile phone showed Williams had been using Snapchat, where he had sent and received over 1,000 messages and images that had been deleted.
Because Snapchat automatically deletes messages after they've been read, authorities could not see what had been posted.
The court heard that Williams had also been cautioned previously for failing to register an alias.
Williams, who admitted to four breaches of the order, argued through his defense that he was in stable accommodation and described himself as "quite a religious individual who has tried to make use of that on remand." His lawyer also mentioned that his dyslexia "takes him longer to understand certain things" and expressed hope that he now understands the conditions of the SHPO better, reducing the chance of future offending.
Judge Jonathan Carroll summarized that Williams's breaches were deliberate.
He stated, "Your dyslexia could not have impacted on your understanding of that," emphasizing the importance of compliance with such orders.
The judge sentenced Williams to one year in prison and extended his SHPO by an additional five years, commenting, "Police asked you to identify any relevant equipment or devices that linked up to the internet.
Your dyslexia could not have impacted on your understanding of that." He added, "Williams's offending has 'driven a coach and horses' through the order intended to protect children.
It's precisely why these orders are made and must be followed.
I do not accept any explanation that you did not understand what was required; you simply failed to comply with it."
