JOHN PALETHORPE AND SHOCKING INTERNET BREACHES IN SCARBOROUGH
A man from Scarborough, identified as John Palethorpe, has been sentenced to prison after he was found to have violated a strict court order by deleting crucial evidence related to his internet activity.The incident occurred during a routine police inspection at his residence, which revealed that Palethorpe, aged 52, who was on licence from prison, had deliberately wiped out chat and messaging applications from his phone, including several histories on YouTube.
This act was particularly serious because Palethorpe was under a sexual-harm prevention order, a legal restriction imposed after his previous convictions.
The police officers involved, during their unannounced visit, also discovered that he had failed to notify authorities about the creation of new internet accounts, some under aliases.
These actions constituted a clear breach of the conditions attached to his court order and license, which require him to maintain transparency regarding his online activities.
In court, prosecutor Brooke Morrison detailed the breaches, emphasizing that Palethorpe’s actions included deleting Kik Messenger, Google Chat, and multiple YouTube histories—an attempt to conceal his online behavior from authorities.
The police also found evidence of two internet accounts that Palethorpe had not declared, a violation of his notification obligations.
Palethorpe, from Mount View Close in Scarborough, admitted to breaching both the sexual-harm order and the notification requirements when he appeared before York Crown Court for sentencing on Wednesday, April 5.
The court background revealed that Palethorpe's criminal record includes serious offences involving children.
His previous convictions involved attempted sexual communication with a 12-year-old girl, efforts to induce a child to participate in sexual acts, and attempts to have a child watch a sexual act.
These offences led to a prison sentence handed down in December 2020, during which the sexual-harm prevention order and notification obligations were imposed.
His earlier criminal activities, which involved online interactions with a person posing as a minor, included attempts by Palethorpe to instruct the 'girl' on how to perform a sexual act and expressing a desire to meet her in person.
Following this, police monitoring officers kept a close watch on his online behavior after his release from prison on licence.
The police found Palethorpe had taken steps to conceal his digital footprint, including deleting applications and histories, and creating new internet profiles without informing authorities.
The Probation Service’s pre-sentence report labeled him as a “high-risk offender,” raising concerns about his potential danger to the public.
During the hearing, Palethorpe’s legal representative, solicitor advocate David Camidge, explained that his client was suffering from substance and alcohol misuse issues at the time of the offences.
Palethorpe is now actively seeking assistance from mental health and drug rehabilitation services in Scarborough.
Addressing the court, Judge Simon Hickey remarked on Palethorpe’s attempts to minimize his actions by confessing but also trying to avoid responsibility.
The judge emphasized the severity of the breach and the ongoing risk posed by Palethorpe, stating, “Appropriate punishment can only be achieved by immediate custody because in my judgement you present a danger to the public.” Consequently, Palethorpe was sentenced to ten months in prison.
The sentence requires him to serve half of that term behind bars before being released on licence, underscoring the seriousness of his violations and the perceived threat he continues to pose.
