WORKINGTON SEX OFFENDER JAILED FOR REFUSING TO SHARE CHROMEBOOK PASSWORD
A Workington sex offender, Ian Snodden, aged 59, served a month in jail for disobeying a court order which a judge indicated should not have been set for an indefinite duration.Snodden was placed under a Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO) in 2015 after being sentenced for downloading indecent images of children and possessing extreme pornography.
Had his crimes been committed today, his SOPO would have lasted five years, aligned with the Sex Offender Registration requirement, as explained in Carlisle Crown Court.
Snodden admitted to three violations: two breaches of his SOPO and failure to update his registration details, including refusing to disclose his Chromebook password after attempting to take his own life by overdose.
Police found he had installed a forbidden forum access app and failed to reveal a website username related to erotic fiction.
Defense argued he plans to seek mental health support upon release.
Judge Nicholas Barker sentenced him to an 18-month community order with 15 rehabilitation days, suggesting legal advice on his SOPO duration.
Snodden, who spent over four weeks in custody, complied with his SOPO for nine years and had not accessed improper material online during this period.
