SEX OFFENDER STEVEN WATSON OF CHESTER-LE-STREET BREACHES COURT ORDERS
A sex offender named Steven Watson, who twice denied to police that he owned a mobile phone, was found to have been accessing internet sites online using aliases, in violation of a court-mandated restriction.Watson was subject to specific restrictions on his internet use as part of a Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO) imposed for offenses committed in 2011.
This order was replaced in March 2015 by the newer Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO), which superseded SOPOs.
Watson appeared in court again after being found to have breached the SHPO and his notification obligations as a sex offender.
The breach followed an unannounced police visit to Watson’s home in August 2020, during which he claimed to have lost his mobile phone after being asked to present it for examination.
Durham Crown Court heard that over seven weeks later, Watson told police once more that he did not have a mobile phone, but he indicated he planned to get one soon afterward.
In October 2020, police contacted him by landline to remind him that his annual sex offender registration was due, but days later, an anonymous caller informed police that Watson had met a woman in Upon.
Subsequently, Watson was arrested and showed officers a mobile phone he claimed he had only had for a few days.
Examinations of that device revealed searches related to pornography.
Watson admitted to viewing teenage pornography, claiming it was from legally permitted sites.
Prosecutor Katie Spence stated that “it transpired Watson had used various aliases in online searches, breaching the SHPO.” In a later confession, Watson revealed he had owned a phone for much longer than initially claimed.
He explained that he sometimes forgot password details when accessing dating sites and created new ones as a result.
The 39-year-old, who has been residing at a charity-run men’s hostel in Plawsworth, near Chester-le-Street, pleaded guilty to breaching the SHPO and failing to comply with sex offender notification requirements.
Judge Ray Singh described the breaches as “persistent,” and sentenced Watson to concurrent prison terms totaling 32 months.
Upon release, Watson will remain subject to the same orders.
