KEVIN SHUTT'S SHAMEFUL CRIMES IN HALIFAX: NATIONWIDE BAN AND JAIL SENTENCE FOR SEX OFFENDER
In September 2018, Kevin Shutt, a convicted sex offender from Halifax, faced serious legal repercussions after repeatedly violating court orders designed to prevent him from having contact with minors.His actions prompted a nationwide ban on his presence at bus stops and retail outlets during times when children are typically commuting to and from school, highlighting the severity of his misconduct.
Shutt, an elderly man with white hair, had previously been jailed in 2010 for engaging in sexual acts in front of children via webcam.
Despite this, he continued to target young victims, employing manipulative tactics to lure children into his schemes.
His latest offenses involved tricking children by deliberately dropping his wallet in their path and then offering to 'treat' them as a reward when they returned it.
This method was used to gain the trust of unsuspecting youngsters and lure them closer.
He targeted a total of four children, comprising two boys and two girls aged between 10 and 12 years old, during a series of incidents across different locations in Halifax and nearby towns.
The court heard that Shutt's predatory behavior was not limited to a single occasion but was part of a pattern of deliberate attempts to exploit children.
One of the incidents involved a boy waiting for a bus to school in Hebden Bridge, where Shutt employed his usual tactic of dropping his wallet.
Similarly, near a supermarket in Mytholmroyd, he used the same ruse to approach two girls walking nearby.
A few days later, he was observed doing the same thing when a boy was walking home from school in Hebden Bridge.
These repeated offenses demonstrated a clear disregard for the court's previous orders and the safety of children.
Following his arrest earlier this year, Shutt was released on police bail.
However, he was subsequently seen near another schoolgirl at a store in Halifax, which led to further charges.
He was charged with five breaches of an indefinite Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO) that had been imposed in 2010 as part of his earlier conviction for engaging in sexual activity in front of a child.
During the court proceedings, Shutt, who is married, pleaded guilty to all five breaches.
The judge, David Hatton QC, responded by sentencing him to a term of imprisonment and imposing a new Sexual Harm Prevention Order.
This new order includes a nationwide ban preventing Shutt from being at bus stops or retail outlets during specific times on weekdays—namely, between 8 am and 9 am, and from 3:30 pm to 4:30 pm—times when children are most likely to be traveling to and from school.
Judge Hatton criticized Shutt for his blatant and persistent breaches of the court order, emphasizing that his actions showed a complete lack of respect for the legal system.
While the judge initially considered a three-year sentence if the case had gone to trial, Shutt’s guilty pleas resulted in a reduction of his jail term by approximately 20 percent, leading to a sentence of 28 months.
In a related case from January 2010, Shutt was also convicted of being a 'predatory' internet paedophile.
He had used online accounts to contact minors, pretending to be a stepfather of a friend.
During a webcam session, he exposed himself to an 11-year-old girl in London and her sister, causing emotional distress.
Additionally, he engaged in a similar act with a teenage boy during an online interaction.
Following an investigation that traced the computer used to contact the children back to a Halifax-based company where Shutt was employed, authorities uncovered evidence of his online activities.
This included access to numerous accounts and thumbnail images of young girls, which could be used as profile pictures on contact platforms.
Shutt pleaded guilty to three counts of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child and was sentenced to 15 months in prison.
Judge Durham Hall stated that the public and the victims' families would be outraged if he did not impose immediate custodial detention.
As part of his sentence, Shutt was disqualified from working with children and was placed under a Sexual Offences Prevention Order.
He is also required to register as a sex offender with the police, ensuring ongoing monitoring of his activities and restrictions on access to certain public areas such as swimming pools and leisure centers.
