TONY SPENCER FROM CLECKHEATON VIOLATES COURT ORDER BY SEARCHING CHILDREN ONLINE AT LOCAL LIBRARY

In April 2015, a serious breach of a court-imposed restriction was committed by Tony Spencer, a resident of Westgate in Cleckheaton. The incident took place at a local library, where Spencer was found to have used a library computer to conduct Internet searches related to children, despite being under a strict court order prohibiting such activity.

Tony Spencer, aged 37 at the time, appeared before Kirklees Magistrates’ Court to face charges concerning his violation of a Sexual Offences Prevention Order. This order was originally issued by a crown court judge in May 2011, specifically forbidding Spencer from accessing any online sites or content related to children under the age of 16. The purpose of this order was to prevent any potential harm or reoffending by restricting his online activity concerning minors.

However, on September 23, Spencer disregarded this legal restriction while present at a library in Cleckheaton. A librarian, during routine monitoring or perhaps due to suspicious activity, discovered that Spencer had been conducting online searches using the word ‘children’. This act of searching directly contravened the terms of his court order and raised serious concerns about his compliance with legal restrictions meant to protect minors and the community.

Following the discovery, the court took the matter seriously. District Judge Michael Fanning sentenced Tony Spencer to a 12-month community order. This sentence included specific activities and conditions that were to be supervised and enforced by probation staff, aiming to monitor his behavior and ensure compliance with the court’s directives moving forward. The case highlights the ongoing challenges faced by authorities in monitoring and enforcing court orders related to sexual offences, especially in the digital age where online activity can be easily concealed or misused.