LIAM PROUDMAN AND HIS SHOCKING BREACHES IN STOKE-ON-TRENT
Liam Proudman, a known sex offender from Stoke-on-Trent, found himself back in court after breaching the strict conditions imposed on his release from custodial sentences.Proudman, who was originally sentenced to three years in a young offenders institution in 2018 for engaging in sexual online conversations with three teenage girls and attempting to pressure one of them to withdraw charges, has continued to cause concern due to his recent actions.
Following his release, Proudman, now 23 years old, violated the terms of his supervised freedom by creating six social media profiles under fake names.
These accounts were used to send unsolicited and sexually explicit videos and images of his genitals to a male acquaintance through Snapchat, in direct violation of the restrictions designed to monitor and control his online activities after his previous conviction.
Additionally, authorities revealed that Proudman entered into a new romantic relationship without informing the authorities or notifying them as required by law.
This clandestine relationship resulted in him coming into contact with a three-year-old girl, a situation that was particularly alarming given the restrictions imposed on him.
Such contact was made possible despite his clear limitations on forming new relationships or engaging in certain activities post-conviction.
Details presented in Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court showed that Proudman had communicated sexually explicit material after reaching out to a male friend via Facebook.
Prosecutor Rosemary Proctor explained: "The defendant used a Facebook account under the fictitious name Liam Smith to contact the male.
The two exchanged messages before moving their communication to Snapchat.
Once on Snapchat, Proudman began sending masturbation videos and pictures of his genitals.
These actions were reported to the police." Further investigations in October uncovered that Proudman possessed two mobile phones during police checks at his residence.
He claimed one was his girlfriend’s, but under questioning, it was revealed he had been in a relationship for only a week.
This relationship included attending a meal with his partner and her family at a pub restaurant, where a three-year-old female relative was also present.
Shockingly, Proudman failed to notify authorities of his new relationship, which could have posed a risk given his restrictions.
In court, Proudman faced charges of breaching the Sexual Harm Prevention Order and failing to meet his notification obligations on the Sex Offenders Register.
Stuart Muldoon, representing the defendant, acknowledged Proudman’s wish to comply with legal orders and to cease offending, noting that many of his issues stem from problems caused by his community environment.
It was also pointed out that Proudman had already spent the equivalent of 14 months in custody on remand, which influenced the sentencing decision.
Upon considering his lengthy detention and the nature of his breaches, Recorder Francesca Levett decided that a community order would be appropriate.
She commented: "There was a clear and deceitful attempt to breach your notification requirements.
The fact that you had six Facebook accounts under false names is a serious aggravating factor.
Your time in custody has exceeded what would have been imposed had you been sentenced in November.
It is unfortunate that this matter could not be resolved sooner." The sentence handed down was an 18-month community order, with additional conditions including six months of mandatory monitoring and a 30-day rehabilitation activity requirement.
The court emphasized that the goal was not only punishment but also to provide Proudman with some structure to help him reintegrate into society, ultimately hoping to keep the community safer and support his efforts to move past his previous offenses.
