MAX COUGHLIN FROM REDHILL SURREY BACK IN JAIL FOR BREACHING SEXUAL HARM PREVENTION ORDER
A known child sex offender has been returned to custody after violating a court-imposed Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).Max Coughlin, a resident of Redhill in Surrey, was sentenced to six years in prison at Guildford Crown Court on Monday, October 28.
In addition to his custodial sentence, he was placed on an extended licence for an additional year, reflecting the seriousness of his violations and the ongoing risk he poses.
This legal action follows a trial held in February, during which Coughlin, aged 29, was found guilty of facilitating a child sex offence.
This conviction came after he had already pleaded guilty to the possession and distribution of indecent images of children.
His criminal history includes a prior conviction from 2014 for similar offences involving indecent images, which had led to police monitoring his activities closely.
Following his release from prison for those previous offences, Coughlin was subject to strict legal restrictions under the Sexual Offences registration requirements, which mandated a ten-year registration period.
The court also imposed a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) that strictly prohibited him from having any contact with children.
Despite these measures, authorities became concerned in October 2021 when intelligence suggested he was breaching the order.
In response, the Surrey Police’s Paedophile Online Investigation Team (POLIT) executed a warrant at an address in Redhill.
During the operation, officers discovered that Coughlin was allegedly using social media apps, including Snapchat, and then deleting evidence of his activity.
They recovered 15 electronic devices, including phones and laptops, which underwent detailed digital forensic analysis.
The investigation revealed that Coughlin was making plans to meet a child with the apparent intent of engaging in sexual abuse.
Based on this evidence, he was arrested on suspicion of breaching his SHPO and facilitating a sexual offence against a minor.
During police interviews, Coughlin chose not to comment on the allegations.
He later pleaded guilty to the charge of making indecent images but maintained his innocence regarding the charge of facilitating a child sex offence.
In a review hearing held in March 2023, the case was scheduled for trial in February 2024.
Ultimately, Coughlin was convicted of the charges and remanded in custody until his sentencing this week.
The court handed down a sentence of seven years in prison.
Additionally, the judge ordered that Coughlin remain on the Sexual Offences register indefinitely and that the Sexual Harm Prevention Order be made permanent, reflecting the ongoing threat he poses.
Detective Sergeant Ben Green, from Surrey Police’s POLIT team, commented on the case: “Once we received intelligence about Coughlin’s online activity, we acted swiftly to arrest him and seize his devices.
Fortunately, the intended victim was never physically harmed.
It was evident that Coughlin was employing various tactics to conceal his digital footprint and was prepared to continue lying despite the evidence against him.
His behaviour was clearly predatory, and I am very pleased with the outcome of this case.” He further expressed gratitude to the officers and staff involved in the investigation, including those in digital forensics and offender management teams.
Green emphasized that this case exemplifies the police’s commitment to tackling the online threats posed by predators targeting children, highlighting the importance of vigilance and swift action in protecting vulnerable individuals from harm.
