RHYS MATEER FROM KENT JAILED FOR BREACHING SEX OFFENDER CONDITIONS AND HIDING HARD DRIVE
Rhys Mateer, a registered sex offender from Kent, has been sentenced to prison after a series of violations related to his strict court-ordered conditions.The case highlights ongoing concerns about compliance among individuals with a history of sexual offenses and the efforts law enforcement agencies undertake to monitor and enforce these restrictions.
Mateer was previously convicted at Maidstone Crown Court in 2020 for engaging in sexual communication with a minor.
As part of his sentence, he received a suspended prison term coupled with rigorous sex offender notification requirements (SONR).
These conditions mandated that he inform police within three days if he used any online aliases or acquired new bank cards.
Additionally, he was subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO), which granted authorities access to any digital devices capable of storing images, ensuring ongoing oversight of his online activity.
Despite these measures, police conducted unannounced visits to his residence.
On June 15, during one such visit, officers discovered that Mateer had tampered with monitoring software installed on his mobile phone.
The software was designed to prevent the logging of his browsing history, and his interference with it indicated an attempt to conceal his online activity.
Further investigations revealed that he had been using an alias on his gaming console without notifying authorities, violating the terms of his SHPO.
Officers also found a laptop and an external hard drive at his home that had not been declared as required by his court orders.
These discoveries raised suspicions of further non-compliance.
Subsequently, police searches of his vehicle uncovered a bank card he had failed to declare, along with a tablet and a mobile phone.
These items, all unreported, underscored a pattern of deliberate breaches of his legal obligations.
Rhys Mateer, formerly residing in Minster, was arrested and faced multiple charges.
He pleaded guilty at Maidstone Crown Court to five counts of breaching his SHPO and two counts of violating his SONR.
The court proceedings culminated in a sentence handed down on October 3, where the 27-year-old was sentenced to two years and seven months in prison.
This sentence included an additional four months for breaching a suspended sentence previously imposed.
Upon his release, Mateer will remain under the supervision of authorities through an indefinite SHPO, ensuring continued monitoring of his conduct.
Police Constable James Harris commented on the case, emphasizing the importance of these court orders: “The conditions that come with these court orders are an opportunity for sex offenders to show they are attempting to reform their ways and can be trusted to not reoffend whilst living in the community.
Our unannounced visit to this particular individual identified several breaches and he was immediately arrested.
He is now serving a prison sentence and will be subject to further checks on his conduct when he is eventually released.”
