EXETER PAEDOPHILE PETER DAVERIDGE BACK IN JAIL FOR FAILURE TO REGISTER DETAILS

In a recent development that underscores ongoing concerns about sex offender management, Peter Daveridge, a 67-year-old known for his previous convictions related to child pornography, has been remanded back into custody shortly after his release from prison. The incident occurred in Exeter, where authorities confirmed that Daveridge failed to update his details on the sex offenders register, a legal requirement for individuals with his criminal background.

At Exeter's Central Devon Magistrates’ Court, Daveridge, who resides on First Avenue in the Countess Wear area of Exeter, appeared before magistrates to face charges of neglecting to register his current address. During the hearing, he pleaded guilty to the offence, which is considered a serious breach of the conditions set upon his release. Magistrates responded by recalling him to serve the remaining 40 days of his licence period and additionally sentenced him to a further 42 days in prison. The court emphasized that his failure to register was a deliberate attempt to evade the legal obligation, although Daveridge claimed that a prison guard had advised him that registration was not necessary upon his release.

His recent incarceration follows a prior conviction for possessing and downloading a significant amount of child pornography. In February 2008, Daveridge was sentenced to 15 months in prison at Exeter Crown Court after admitting to 11 charges related to making indecent photographs of children, with offenses spanning from 2004 to 2006. The court also found him guilty of possessing indecent images. The images included some of the most severe categories of child exploitation, highlighting the gravity of his crimes.

Furthermore, Daveridge has been imprisoned on two additional occasions for breaching the Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO) that was imposed as part of his original sentence. His breaches involved accessing legal adult pornography sites and the social media platform Facebook, although authorities confirmed he had not viewed any child pornography during these incidents. Despite these breaches, he was released on licence just last week, with the court being informed that he had not engaged in any illegal activity related to child exploitation during those breaches.

Prosecutor Lyndsey Baker explained to the magistrates that Daveridge was required to keep his details current on the sex offenders register until December 2017. She stated, “He was released from prison on August 9. He was required to sign the register. Police checked their systems and found he had not registered his details. He was subsequently arrested and cautioned, during which he claimed, ‘Yeah, I was told I didn’t have to register, by the principal officer in prison.’”

In mitigation, defense solicitor Nicholas Bradley argued that this was Daveridge’s first breach of the registration requirement and suggested there was no malicious intent behind his failure to update his details. He stated, “He’s just gone home and been living life as he had been doing. He should know better, and he will certainly know better in the future.”

However, the magistrates were not convinced by this explanation. After deliberation, they concluded that Daveridge’s actions demonstrated a “deliberate avoidance of the requirement,” and they noted that his behavior was made more serious by his prior convictions and the fact that the breach occurred while he was still on licence from prison. The court’s decision reflects the ongoing efforts to enforce strict compliance among sex offenders, especially those with a history of child exploitation.

It is worth recalling that Daveridge’s initial conviction in 2008 was particularly severe. Detective Constable Steve Harris, who was involved in the case, told The Echo that the images he possessed included the largest single collection of Category 5 images—considered the most severe and disturbing type of child pornography—that he had encountered in his career with Devon & Cornwall Police’s internet paedophile unit. Daveridge, a retired man with no prior criminal record before these offenses, was caught in an international operation involving cooperation between Exeter police, London detectives, and undercover officers working abroad, which ultimately led to his arrest and conviction.