JASON CARTLEDGE AND SHOCKING BREACHES IN GLOUCESTERSHIRE
A convicted child sex offender has been returned to prison after violating a court-imposed order by deliberately deleting his internet browsing history and concealing electronic devices from law enforcement officials.The individual in question, Jason Cartledge, aged 47 and residing on Calf Lane in Chipping Campden, faced renewed legal consequences following these breaches.
In 2017, Cartledge was sentenced to ten months in prison after being found guilty of inciting a 15-year-old girl to engage in sexual acts.
The court heard that he coerced the young girl into sending him intimate photographs via social media platforms, employing threats of self-harm if she refused.
His intimidation tactics extended further when he threatened to disseminate compromising pictures of her should she continue to comply with his demands.
As part of his original sentencing, Cartledge was subject to an indefinite sexual harm prevention order, which mandated that he make all internet-enabled devices accessible for police inspection at any time.
The new developments unfolded at Gloucester Crown Court on Wednesday, April 27.
Prosecutor Alan Williams described how, during an unannounced police visit on August 24, 2021, police officers asked Cartledge to hand over his electronic devices.
He submitted a mobile phone, a work phone, and a gaming console.
However, it was discovered that he had additional devices—a personal iPad and a laptop—that he had not disclosed or handed over to authorities.
Upon inspecting these devices, investigators uncovered that the iPhone contained 724 deleted messages, predominantly from WhatsApp, while the iPad had 90 deleted messages on TikTok.
During the court proceedings, Cartledge admitted to multiple breaches of the court order.
He stated that he did not feel he needed legal representation and expressed remorse, claiming: "I'm very sorry for what I've done.
I have turned a corner in my life and I am now a lorry driver.
If I go to prison I will lose everything." He explained that he had hidden the iPad because he had been viewing pornography and felt embarrassed about it, and bought the laptop with the intention of repairing his gaming console.
Regarding the deleted messages, he said they were related to a friend threatening to take her own life.
He further acknowledged that he should have consulted his offender manager before deleting those messages.
Judge Michael Cullum acknowledged that Cartledge had a history of non-compliance.
The defendant had previously breached the same order in September 2018, which culminated in a suspended prison sentence for engaging in internet conversations with young females.
The judge emphasized the seriousness of the recent breaches, stating, "You stated to the police on arrest, 'is there nothing I can have as my own' — the answer is no, because you contact children, sexually.
That is your history, because that is the way you have behaved in the past." The judge dismissed Cartledge's explanations and expressed suspicion of ongoing re-offending.
As a result, Judge Cullum sentenced Cartledge to an immediate 12-month prison term, citing his previous poor compliance with court orders as a basis for not suspending the sentence.
The judge also issued a stern warning that the indefinite sexual harm prevention order remains in effect, reinforcing the court's efforts to protect potential victims and prevent further offending.
