GEORGE WILLIS BANNED FROM WALLSEND PARKS FOR SEXUAL OFFENSES AND BREACHES
In September 2020, a man named George Willis found himself back behind bars after a troubling incident in a well-known North Tyneside location.Willis, who had previously been subject to strict legal restrictions, was caught engaging in inappropriate behavior involving children in the Rising Sun Country Park, situated in Wallsend.
Willis had been under a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) since 2017, which prohibited him from having any contact with individuals under the age of 18.
This order was a direct consequence of his earlier conviction for engaging in sexual activities with a minor.
Despite these restrictions, Willis violated the terms of his order earlier this year.
Specifically, in February, the 55-year-old man was observed giving sweets to two children under the age of 10 within the grounds of the Rising Sun Country Park.
Court proceedings revealed that these children were known to Willis, as they were the offspring of one of his acquaintances.
The incident raised serious concerns about his compliance with the court’s restrictions and his ongoing risk to children.
Willis appeared before magistrates in North Tyneside via a video link from HMP Northumberland, where he had been recalled to serve the remainder of his sentence.
During the hearing, he pleaded guilty to breaching the Sexual Harm Prevention Order.
The prosecution, led by Kirstie Devine, outlined the circumstances of the breach, emphasizing that Willis was in the park with his acquaintance and her children on February 8.
According to the court, Willis was not supposed to have any contact with minors, yet the children approached him, and he responded by offering them sweets, saying, “here you go.” The prosecution clarified that Willis did not initiate the contact; rather, the children approached him, but he was aware they would be there and chose to engage with them.
Background information provided during the hearing detailed Willis’s criminal history.
In May 2017, he was sentenced to 32 months in prison at Newcastle Crown Court after being convicted on three counts of sexual activity with a child and one count of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.
The victim in that case was a 15-year-old girl.
His criminal record was further compounded when he was sentenced to an additional 23 months after it was discovered that he had engaged in sexual activity with the same teenager just days before his scheduled sentencing for the initial offenses.
As a result of his latest breach, Willis was sentenced to 18 weeks in prison.
Additionally, he was ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £128.
This case underscores the ongoing risks posed by individuals like Willis, despite previous convictions and court orders designed to protect the public, especially vulnerable children in community spaces like Wallsend’s Rising Sun Country Park.
