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Aiden Ward, then 21, received a six-month sentence suspended for two years at Durham Crown Court on September 2 after admitting attempting to arrange the commission of a child sex offence. He also pleaded guilty to attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child and attempting to meet a girl under 16, following grooming. The court heard the offences were classed as “attempts” as the 14-year-old girl Ward believed he was going to meet in Durham on August 1 did not exist and was, in fact, a decoy profile posted by paedophile hunters.
(Image: Durham Constabulary) As part of the suspended sentence Ward was made subject of registration as a sex offender and the terms of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO), both for ten years. But the now 22-year-old defendant was back before the court today (Tuesday, December 17) having breached the SHPO within weeks of it being put in place. Ashleigh Leach, prosecuting, said information was passed on to Ward’s risk management officer on October 10 following concerns raised by staff at the supported-living accommodation where he was a resident.
It was suspected that he had an Amazon firestick which he failed to declare to police. Miss Leach said police went to the premises to seize the firestick and also seized the defendant’s phone. It emerged that between September 29 and October 10 he downloaded an app for live stream video chatting with people online anywhere in the world.
He also downloaded apps for Snapchat, Tiktok and Instagram, also without informing his risk manager, all also in breach of the SHPO. (Image: Durham Constabulary) Ward had also failed to attend a number of probation appointments as required as part of the court order imposed in September. Miss Leach said many of those missed appointments were considered “unacceptable” as Ward merely claimed he had slept in, even though some were timed for afternoons.
Ward, of Kip Hill Court, Stanley, admitted seven breaches of the SHPO. (Image: The Northern Echo) Matthew Hopkins, in mitigation, said he accepted they appeared to be deliberate breaches, but he said, given the defendant’s “complex and substantial needs”, it was not a case where he was trying to conceal his activities. “I have spoken to him about his apparent lackadaisical attitude to the appointments (with the Probation Service).
“He struggles to explain why he’s been doing this. “All I can do is ask you to take an exceptional course for someone with an exceptional set of needs. “The fact the local authority manages his finances speaks volumes about him.
“It’s difficult to put into words why he has downloaded apps for Tiktok, Instagram and so on. “He does know there’s an order in place but he has forgotten to tell the police about this. “That’s the only explanation he can give, really.
“As I say, he’s not somebody who is trying to hide anything from them (the police). “He’s not done anything nefarious on those apps, and he hasn’t deleted them or anything on them.” Mr Hopkins added: “It’s not that he’s been up to anything on them.
“They’re not breaches intending to commit any further offences.” Judge Nathan Adams told Ward that it was made clear to him when he was sentenced in September that he risked 20 months in prison if he failed to comply with the supplementary orders. “Sadly, we find ourselves back here because within six weeks you breached it, downloading four apps and not disclosing it to the police.
See more court stories from The Northern Echo by clicking here Peterlee sex offender jailed for series of court order breaches County Durham man breached Sexual Harm Risk Order by messaging girl Police found undeclared devices at sex offender's Ferryhill home Get more from The Northern Echo with a digital subscription. Click here . “On two of those you used false names to set up the accounts and you also failed to declare having the firestick.
“Unfortunately, the progress you have made with the Probation Service has not been good and you have failed to engage sufficiently. “I accept you have personal difficulties and vulnerabilities, but these were taken account of when the court set the original sentence. “These were deliberate breaches on your part, and you knew, full well, you weren’t allowed to do so without informing the police.
” Imposing a total 12-month prison sentence, Judge Adams told Ward he would serve up to six months behind bars before being released under licence supervision. The existing ten-year periods for the SHPO and notification requirements both remain in place..
