PAUL MCGARRITY FROM FULHAM PLEADS GUILTY TO PRIVATE BROWSING AND CHILD INDECENCY OFFENSES

In September 2016, Paul Martin McGarrity, a 56-year-old former Territorial Army sergeant residing at Mirabel House on Wandsworth Bridge Road in Fulham, appeared before Hammersmith Magistrates’ Court to face charges related to his previous criminal conduct and subsequent breaches of court orders. McGarrity, who had previously been convicted of making indecent images of children, admitted to using private browsing modes on his personal electronic devices, including his iPhone and iPad, during a court hearing that focused on his ongoing legal issues.

McGarrity’s criminal history includes a conviction by a court martial at Bulford Camp in 2011, where he pleaded guilty to two counts of creating indecent photographs of a child. As part of his sentence, he was subjected to a Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO), which explicitly prohibited him from using any internet-enabled device unless it could retain and display his browsing history, and required him to make such devices available to police upon request. The order also stipulated that he could not take photographs of children under 18 unless explicitly authorized by a parent or legal guardian.

Despite these restrictions, McGarrity was found to have breached the SOPO in August of the same year. The breach was identified during police spot checks, which are authorized under the terms of the order. On February 19 of the following year, police officers conducted an unannounced visit to his flat. During this inspection, they discovered McGarrity using a laptop and an iPad. He consented to the police examining his devices, and it was quickly observed that he was operating the iPad in private browsing mode. Further investigation revealed that both his iPhone and iPad had their browsing histories disabled, making it difficult to track his online activity.

Authorities confirmed that McGarrity’s devices had three web browsers installed: Safari, Chrome, and DuckDuckGo. DuckDuckGo is known for its privacy features, including not tracking user searches, and is available as an app on iOS devices. During police interviews, McGarrity claimed he did not understand what private browsing entailed. He maintained that he had not intentionally altered any device settings, despite being warned about the use of private browsing back in 2014.

At the hearing, McGarrity appeared with a shaven head, dressed in a plain grey T-shirt featuring a small Union Flag at the back of the neck, and blue Adidas tracksuit bottoms. He leaned on the dock’s rail as his solicitor from the London firm Dalton Holmes Gray addressed the court. The solicitor, who declined to confirm his name after the hearing, argued that McGarrity was suffering from clinical depression, was undergoing cognitive behavioral therapy, and was receiving employment support allowance. The defense emphasized that no substantive offending had resulted from the breach of the SOPO.

District Judge Susan Bayne, presiding over the case, decided to adjourn the sentencing to a later date. She indicated her intention to impose a new sexual harm prevention order against McGarrity, but noted that the court lacked sufficient information at this stage to do so. The case remains ongoing, with further proceedings expected to determine the appropriate legal response to McGarrity’s breaches and his overall conduct.