BARRY BORTHWICK FROM LANCING EXPOSES HIMSELF ON SNAPCHAT DESPITE BAN

In March 2021, a disturbing incident involving Barry Borthwick, a resident of Lancing, came to light when he was caught exposing himself on Snapchat, a popular social media platform. Despite being explicitly banned from using chat applications like Snapchat and Kik due to previous convictions, Borthwick continued to access these platforms, raising serious concerns about his compliance with court orders.

Earlier, Borthwick, aged 50, had admitted to possessing highly disturbing images depicting child sexual abuse in Lancing. His criminal history includes a conviction in 2019, when he was found in possession of 15 Category A images, which are classified as the most severe and graphic forms of child exploitation. In addition, he possessed 21 Category B images, which also depict sexual abuse involving minors, and 15 Category C images, which are less severe but still involve illegal content.

Following his 2019 conviction, Borthwick was sentenced to a suspended prison term. The court also imposed a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) aimed at restricting his online activity, specifically forbidding him from accessing chat applications such as Snapchat and Kik without prior approval from a police officer. The purpose of this order was to prevent him from re-engaging in activities that could facilitate further harm or illegal conduct.

However, just a few weeks after the court's decision, Borthwick was found to be violating the terms of his SHPO. In December, he was discovered on Snapchat engaging in conversations with adults and, alarmingly, exposing his genitals in the process. This blatant breach of the court order prompted immediate legal action.

At Hove Crown Court, Borthwick admitted to breaching both his suspended sentence and the Sexual Harm Prevention Order. The court responded by sentencing him to a year in prison, effectively bringing his previous suspended sentence into effect. The judge, His Honour Judge Jeremy Gold QC, emphasized that Borthwick was explicitly prohibited from using chat platforms like Snapchat and Kik, and his actions demonstrated a clear disregard for these restrictions.

Prosecutor Richard Cherrill highlighted the severity of the images Borthwick possessed, noting that some depicted the