PHILLIP JOHNSON OF GATESHEAD JAILED FOR BREACHES AFTER SECRET PAST SURFACE
A man with a history of child sexual offences, Phillip Johnson, who had kept his previous convictions hidden from his new partner, found himself tempted when left alone with her grandchildren.Johnson, 52, of Leuchars Close, Low Fell, Gateshead, was convicted in 2007 of ten counts of indecent assault on a girl under 14 and was subject to strict conditions as part of his sex offender registration and a sexual harm prevention order.
Despite this, Johnson failed to disclose his background when he began a relationship with a woman he met during a computer course.
He came into contact with her three grandchildren, aged seven, 12, and 14, without informing her of his past.
Prosecutor Thomas Parsons-Munn explained, “The defendant regularly came into contact with the children.” On one occasion, Johnson was home alone with the older children and admitted that his attraction to young girls had left him feeling tempted, though he did not offend against them.
Last year, he started staying overnight at his partner's house, where her grandchildren often visited.
Johnson did not inform either the grandmother or the mother of the children about his convictions or the restrictions he was under.
In November 2022, he was left alone with the 12 and 14-year-old children for approximately 90 minutes.
Johnson's criminal record includes nine previous convictions related to breaching his sexual harm prevention order and failing to comply with sex offender registration requirements.
In sentencing at Newcastle Crown Court, Judge Julie Clemitson stated, “This was a persistent breach.
You were in the company of children on multiple occasions, and this risked very serious harm or distress.
You found yourself on your own and you were tempted, as you candidly admitted, given your attraction to girls of that age.
You remain a high risk of committing further sexual offences.” Johnson was sentenced to two years and eight months in prison.
Defense lawyer Andrew Findlay acknowledged his client’s guilty plea, noting, “The principle mitigation is the guilty plea he entered.
Those who were undoubtedly harmed and distressed about finding out about his convictions will have been relieved there was no need for them to attend court.
It’s obvious he prioritized his own needs and put his relationship ahead of informing those who should have known about his convictions.
He wanted a firmer foundation in the relationship before he revealed his convictions.
It’s dogged his efforts to form relationships in the past.” He further explained that the day Johnson had unsupervised contact was because his partner was running late.
The court concluded that Johnson’s failure to disclose his past and breach of restrictions posed a significant risk, leading to his incarceration.
