HAROLD BURKE'S SHOCKING CRIMES IN COLERAINE: SEX OFFENDER'S REPEATED BREACHES AND ONLINE PREDATOR TIES

In August 2023, a serious legal development unfolded in Coleraine involving Harold Burke, a known sex offender, who faced charges for violating the terms of his Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO).

Although Burke did not make an appearance before the Coleraine Magistrates Court, which was sitting in Ballymena, his legal representative confirmed that the 63-year-old man was admitting to possessing and using two mobile phones without informing his designated Risk Manager or the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI).

The incident in question took place on September 28, 2020, when Burke was found in the vicinity of his home on Quilly Road, Coleraine, with the phones in his possession. The court was informed that Burke had been subject to an indefinite SOPO, a court order designed to restrict his activities and prevent further offending, which was issued prior to police discovering the phones during a routine visit by his Risk Manager.

During police interviews, Burke admitted that he used the phones to send text messages to others. He expressed awareness of the restrictions imposed by the SOPO and offered an apology for breaching its terms. The court heard that Burke’s breach was a clear violation of the conditions set out in his order, which aimed to monitor and control his online and offline activities due to his previous offending history.

In light of these developments, the court’s District Judge Peter King decided to adjourn sentencing until September 22, 2023, to allow Burke to undergo a pre-sentence Probation report. Burke was ordered to attend the court on that date for sentencing proceedings.

Burke’s criminal history is extensive and troubling. In March 2020, he was sentenced to a three-year probation order after being caught by an online paedophile hunter group. During that case, Burke admitted to attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity on multiple occasions between June 25 and July 22, 2018. The conversations, which Burke believed were with underage girls, were with decoys posing as 13 and 14-year-olds. Prosecutors revealed that Burke’s interactions followed a disturbing pattern, where he instructed the decoys on how to perform sexual acts, often using explicit language.

Using the alias “Hal” and attaching his own photograph to his profile, Burke engaged in conversations with individuals he believed were underage girls named Zoe, Fiona, and Angel. Prosecutor Mark Farrell described the chats as “extremely sexualised and explicit,” with Burke encouraging the decoys to undress and perform sexual acts. The court was told that Burke even asked one of the decoys, Zoe, to meet him for sex, and attempted to recruit others into a network of underage individuals.

The online interactions were reported to the police by the decoy group Decoy Central, who provided transcripts of the conversations. Burke was subsequently arrested by the PSNI and questioned, but he largely remained silent during police interviews. The case marked a significant milestone in Northern Ireland’s legal history, as it was the first time a case investigated by paedophile hunters was brought before the Crown Court.

In February 2020, Burke’s probation order was revoked and replaced with a 12-month sentence, of which he was required to serve six months in custody and six months on supervised licence. Authorities warned Burke that any breach or failure to comply with the conditions would result in immediate imprisonment. It was noted that Burke had missed or arrived late for appointments and had not fully engaged with programs aimed at addressing his deviant attitudes and reducing the risk he posed to the community.

Alongside the probation order, Burke was also subjected to a lifelong SOPO, which he repeatedly breached. Earlier in the year, he received a four-month suspended sentence after admitting to breaching the SOPO by possessing a laptop without prior approval from his Risk Manager in September 2021. The laptop was discovered during a routine home visit, where Burke admitted to purchasing and using it to access the internet. Police found that the device contained nothing of concern, and Burke confirmed that he had bought the laptop but failed to provide the police with the necessary details.

These ongoing breaches highlight the persistent challenges authorities face in managing Burke’s case and preventing further offending. His history of violations underscores the importance of strict supervision and enforcement of court orders designed to protect vulnerable individuals from harm.