ANDREW HARPER FROM OSWALDTWISTLE JAILED FOR DOWNLOADS AND BREACHES IN SEX OFFENDER CASE

In a significant development in the ongoing efforts to monitor and control convicted sex offenders, Andrew David Harper, a resident of Oswaldtwistle, has been sentenced to prison following a series of breaches related to his sexual offences prevention order (SOPO).

Harper, aged 40, was initially subjected to the SOPO in December 2018 after authorities uncovered that he possessed more than 1,400 indecent images of children. This court order was designed to restrict his access to devices capable of internet use, requiring him to make such devices available to police upon request. Despite these restrictions, Harper’s compliance was called into question when authorities visited his home on Cranbrook Avenue on February 6.

During the visit, officers from the offender management team and the digital media investigation unit collected a laptop and a small computer from Harper’s residence. However, they found that he had failed to surrender a mobile phone and twelve storage devices, which were part of the court-mandated surrender. Further investigation revealed that Harper had installed memory cleaning software and a cloud-based storage device, both of which were explicitly prohibited under the terms of his SOPO. Additionally, he did not disclose that he had purchased a new computer capable of accessing the internet, breaching the court’s order.

Prosecutor Emma Kehoe highlighted that Harper had previously been sentenced three months prior to this incident to a three-year community order after admitting to possessing a vast collection of indecent images. The images included eight Category A images, which are classified as the most serious, along with nine Category B images and 1,403 Category C images. Harper’s own words to officers at the time reflected his awareness of his problematic behavior, as he reportedly said, “It’s all on my hard drive, I can’t seem to stop.”

Harper’s criminal history extends beyond this incident. The court was informed that he had prior convictions for making indecent images in April 2014 and for breaching a sexual harm prevention order in August 2017. These previous convictions underscored a pattern of offending behavior that the court considered during sentencing.

Most recently, Harper pleaded guilty to five counts of breaching his SOPO, which resulted in a custodial sentence of 12 months. A probation officer who interviewed Harper expressed concerns about his attitude and engagement with rehabilitation efforts. The officer stated, “The only conclusion that we can draw is that what we have tried so far has not been effective. Mr Harper hasn’t been honest with his probation officer and hasn’t fully engaged. Although he does keep his appointments and has previously completed an internet sex offenders programme, he seems to be going through the motions rather than making meaningful changes in his thinking.”

In a related incident from September 2018, Harper was found with over 1,400 indecent images on his computer. During police interviews, he expressed disbelief at his actions, stating, “I can’t believe I have done it again,” and admitted that all the images were stored on his hard drive, claiming he could not stop himself. Prosecutors detailed that Harper had been caught possessing 1,403 Category C images, nine Category B images, and eight Category A images. The police investigation was prompted by information indicating that someone at Harper’s address was viewing child exploitation images.

Harper’s defense argued that he had not downloaded any images while under a suspended sentence order, emphasizing his previous benefits from probation intervention. Nevertheless, the court found sufficient grounds to impose a custodial sentence, reflecting the seriousness of his breaches and the ongoing risk posed by his actions.