July 2017 Bingo worker from Saltney jailed for viewing abuse images A BINGO worker has been jailed for two years after he breached a suspended prison sentence and sexual harm prevention order by viewing indecent images of children. Leon Evans, 32, of High Street, Saltney, had been spared immediate custody in November 2015 when he was found to have more than 3,000 pictures on his computer. At the time the judge said the public interest would be better served by helping him to tackle his problems. But Chester Crown Court heard yesterday that despite engaging with the probation service he had secretly been doing all he could to circumvent the terms of his order. Anna Pope, prosecuting, said he had downloaded anti-forensic software that allowed him to delete his internet history. He also used special sites to access the so-called ‘dark web’ without being traced and failed to notify the police when he moved to another address in Moorcroft Mews, Chester. In October last year police received intelligence that he was once again accessing images of children and child abuse. They confronted him at his place of work, Mecca Bingo in Chester, but Evans denied any wrongdoing. “He said he didn’t know what they were talking about,” Miss Pope said. When his computer was analysed it was found to be linked to the name of ‘Jan Phillips’, but further inspection revealed this was a fake ID and the name Leon Evans came up. The computer was found to have 126 category C images of children and files had been given names that “showed an interest in child abuse”. In a further police interview in April this year Evans admitted possessing the photos as well as breaching the terms of his suspended sentence and 10-year SHPO. Brian Treadwell, defending, stressed Evans had entered guilty pleas at the first opportunity and was willing to co-operate fully with the probation service and receive help. Judge Patrick Thompson described the defendant’s actions as a “determined and flagrant” attempt to get around the safeguards that had been put in place to protect the public. “He has determinedly got hold of anti-forensic software,” the Judge said. “This is not exactly something that comes with the computer when you buy it from Currys.” Jailing Evans for 24 months, the Judge told him: “Those safeguards were put in place to protect the public from men like you who have an unhealthy and sick interest in children. “I would advise you to change your attitude and get some help for what is clearly a sicking problem.” A new SHPO was granted for the duration of 10 years. Evans will spend half of his sentence in prison and half on licence in the community.