DARWEN SEX OFFENDER CAUGHT WITH SECRET BROWSER AND UNREGISTERED CREDIT CARD
A serial sex offender named Alan Matthews, previously known as Oakshot, was found to have installed a secret browser on his mobile phone because he believed it was safer than Google.Matthews was caught with more than 100 tabs open on the DuckDuckGo browser when police officers visited his home in Darwen in May.
He was under a sexual harm prevention order which prohibited him from installing or using software that did not store his browsing history.
The order was imposed after his conviction in 2018 for causing a child under 16 to engage in sexual activity.
During a police check on May 20, 2025, PC Knowles discovered the browser.
Matthews claimed he used it all the time because it 'stopped others from knowing what you were looking at,' according to Preston Crown Court.
Unlike many browsers, DuckDuckGo does not track users and has measures to restrict third-party tracking.
Officers also found Matthews in possession of a credit card he had not registered.
He was arrested and questioned, admitting to two breaches of his order—installing DuckDuckGo and possessing an unregistered credit card.
Matthews stated he was going through a difficult time with his ex-wife and forgot to register the card.
He claimed the browser had already been on his phone during a previous police visit and was not an issue then.
The judge, Judge Michael Maher, sentenced Matthews to two years in prison, suspended for 18 months, with an additional 30 days rehabilitation activity.
The judge remarked, 'You might find that people are intrusive in your life is an infringement of your privacy.
I won't shed any tears about that.
You are a serial sex offender.
The public demands that properly trained officers ensure your compliance with the terms of your order for the rest of your life.' He added, 'You are very lucky indeed.
You will not be so lucky again.' The court emphasized the importance of cooperation with sex offender programs and highlighted the restrictions placed on Matthews under the order.
