SEAN ELLIS BANNED FROM SOCIAL MEDIA IN ASHBY CAUGHT USING FACEBOOK TO COMMUNICATE WITH TEEN GIRL

In August 2013, Sean Ellis, a man with a troubling history of sexual offences and breaches of court orders, was once again brought into the spotlight for violating restrictions placed upon him. Ellis, who has a long-standing record linked to sexual misconduct involving minors, was caught using a fake Facebook account to engage with a 15-year-old girl, despite being explicitly prohibited from using social media platforms.

Ellis, a father of two, had previously been convicted of sexual activity with a 14-year-old girl, which led to the imposition of a Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO) in 2007. This order was designed to monitor and restrict his movements and online activities to prevent further offences. However, in a blatant breach of this order, Ellis created a false online identity, logging into Facebook under the alias 'Stephen Mills' and using a profile picture of a werewolf. His activity was monitored by police, who discovered that he had added a 15-year-old girl as a friend, and that she had visited the address where he was residing at the time.

Stafford Crown Court heard that this was Ellis’s sixth breach of the SOPO, which was initially issued after his conviction for having sexual relations with a minor. His criminal record also includes a conviction in July 2011 for making indecent images of children, followed by two additional breaches of the SOPO in September 2011 and April 2012, all involving unauthorized use of Facebook. Despite these repeated violations, Ellis’s behavior demonstrated a persistent disregard for the restrictions placed upon him.

During the hearing, the prosecution, led by Nick Burn, detailed how police became aware of Ellis’s Facebook activity in May 2013. The account, under the pseudonym 'Stephen Mills,' was linked to a profile picture of a werewolf, and it showed that Ellis had a teenage girl as a 'friend.' The court was informed that the girl had visited the address where Ellis was living, raising concerns about potential contact and the safety of minors.

Ellis’s defense, represented by Darron Whitehead, argued that Ellis was an isolated individual with limited social contacts. Whitehead emphasized that Ellis had set up the Facebook account under a false name to reconnect with old friends and insisted there was no evidence suggesting that his contact with the 15-year-old girl was of a sexual nature. The defense also highlighted that Ellis’s mental state and understanding of the court orders were limited, and that he would not be eligible for sex offender treatment because he was unlikely to admit to his original offences.

Judge Mark Eades sentenced Ellis to 32 months in prison and ordered him to register as a sex offender for life. The judge expressed concern over Ellis’s apparent denial of the gravity of his actions, stating, “I find this a disturbing case. You are intelligent but you are in complete denial of the gravity of what you are doing. The chief concern of the court is not you, it’s the safety of the public. You are ploughing your own furrow regardless of what you have been told to do.”

In a related case from May 2012, Ellis, then 26, was jailed for 18 months after being caught on Facebook again, despite previous bans. His history includes a 12-month sentence in 2007 for sexual offences against a 14-year-old girl, and subsequent convictions for failing to inform police of his whereabouts. After his release, he received a community order and was explicitly banned from using email and social networking sites without police monitoring. Nevertheless, he breached these restrictions by creating Facebook accounts under different names, including 'Simon Ellis,' and later in his own name in February 2013.

Prosecutor Linsey Knott detailed how police surveillance uncovered his latest Facebook activity, which involved contacting a woman with whom he was in a relationship. The woman, now 18, is expecting his child. Ellis’s extensive criminal record includes 17 previous convictions for 42 offences, ranging from dishonesty to road traffic violations. His defense, represented by Steven Newcombe, argued that Ellis’s use of Facebook was limited to contacting his stepmother and girlfriend, and not for any inappropriate contact with minors. The court was informed that Ellis was confused about the restrictions, and the judge agreed to clarify the order to explicitly ban him from Facebook.

Judge Simon Hammond sentenced Ellis to 18 months in prison, emphasizing that Ellis was fully aware of the restrictions and had deliberately disregarded them. The judge stated, “It’s absolutely clear this defendant knew he should not have a Facebook account.”

Earlier, in April 2012, Ellis appeared in Leicester Magistrates’ Court after setting up a Facebook account in violation of his SOPO. The court heard that Ellis, of Ingle Drive, Ashby, had 17 previous convictions, including a 2007 conviction for sexual activity with a minor. Despite being warned by police, he created a new Facebook account in 2011 and again in 2013, using his real name and passwords known to authorities, ostensibly to keep in touch with family and friends. Magistrates acknowledged their limited powers to punish him and scheduled his sentencing for May 15 at Leicester Crown Court.

Throughout these incidents, Ellis’s repeated breaches highlight a pattern of defiance and a continued risk to public safety, especially to minors. His case underscores the ongoing challenges faced by law enforcement in monitoring and enforcing restrictions on convicted sex offenders, particularly in the digital age where online activity can easily circumvent legal boundaries.