NEWPORT PAEDOPHILE JAILED FOR HAVING ILLEGAL TIKTOK ACCOUNT
A sex offender has been sentenced to prison after authorities uncovered his illegal TikTok account.Paul Rogers, aged 47 and from Newport, was found to have created a TikTok profile under a pseudonym, which he was prohibited from doing due to a sexual harm prevention order issued in December 2018, along with a suspended prison sentence.
This order followed his conviction for attempting to engage in sexual activity with a minor.
In 2017, Rogers was caught by online vigilantes in an entrapment operation.
He believed he was communicating with a 13-year-old girl from a school, but he was actually being set up by a child protection organization.
During a hearing at Cardiff Crown Court, prosecutor Abdallah Barakat explained that the latest offences by Rogers occurred in February.
Currently residing on Pencoed Avenue, Cefn Fforest, Blackwood, Rogers pleaded guilty to two counts of breaching the sexual harm prevention order.
These breaches included the TikTok activity and the deletion of WhatsApp messages, which he was also barred from doing.
Recorder Barry Clarke sentenced Rogers to 20 weeks in prison and ordered him to pay a surcharge of £154.
Mr.
Barakat highlighted that Rogers has prior convictions related to ignoring sex offender registration rules.
In 2020, he was imprisoned for 16 weeks, and in 2022, for 22 weeks, for such violations.
Four years earlier, he was investigated after an assault allegation revealed he had spent 25 days with a new partner at a house in Merthyr Tydfil without notifying police, despite being required to do so if away from home for more than a week.
Prosecutor Richard Ace stated: “The defendant gave full admissions during interview.
He acknowledged understanding the requirements and said he was happy with his new partner, feeling better than he had in a long time.
He also expressed concern that the relationship would end if she discovered he was on the sex offenders’ register.”
