NIALL GRIFFITHS BREACHES COURT ORDER IN STOKE-ON-TRENT: SEX OFFENDER FACES NEW PENALTIES
Niall Griffiths, a 31-year-old sex offender residing in Stoke-on-Trent, has once again found himself in legal trouble after violating a court-imposed order designed to monitor and restrict his online activities.The breach involved the use of an internet application that does not retain browsing history, which is a violation of the conditions set forth in his Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).
Griffiths’s legal issues date back to 2016 when he was granted the SHPO following his admission to two separate offenses involving the incitement or facilitation of sexual activity with a minor.
The order was intended to restrict his online behavior and prevent any further offenses.
However, on December 1, 2021, Griffiths was found to have violated this order by using the DuckDuckGo app, a privacy-focused search engine that does not store or track internet searches, making it difficult for authorities to monitor his online activity.
The breach was uncovered during a routine police visit to Griffiths’s residence on Anchor Road in Longton.
During the visit, officers examined his mobile phone and discovered that certain applications, including Bumble and Kik, had been deleted.
These apps are often associated with social and dating activities, and their removal raised suspicion.
Further investigation revealed that Griffiths had accessed DuckDuckGo, which allows users to browse the internet without leaving a trace, thus circumventing the monitoring conditions of his SHPO.
Prosecutor Suzanne Swindail explained the situation: “The police attended the defendant’s address to conduct a routine visit.
They checked his mobile phone.
It was suspected an app, Bumble, had been deleted.
A further download showed Kik had been deleted and Bumble had been deleted, placing him in breach of the SHPO.
It also showed he had accessed DuckDuckGo which allows the phone not to retain internet history, placing him in breach.” Griffiths, who lives on Anchor Road in Longton, pleaded guilty to two charges: failing to comply with the requirements of a community order and breaching the Sexual Harm Prevention Order.
His legal representative, Mark Harrison, noted that the breach related to an incident that occurred two years prior and emphasized Griffiths’s willingness to cooperate with probation services.
Harrison stated, “He is anxious to cooperate with the probation service.” In sentencing at North Staffordshire Justice Centre, magistrates imposed a fine of £200 on Griffiths.
Additionally, he was ordered to pay costs amounting to £185 for prosecution, £60 to the probation service, and a surcharge of £34.
The court’s decision underscores the ongoing concerns regarding compliance with court orders among individuals with a history of sexual offenses, especially in cases involving online activity and privacy tools.
