CORBY AND KETTERING CHILD SEX OFFENDER CHRISTOPHER GRAHAM JAILED FOR BREACHING COURT ORDERS

In a series of serious legal violations, Christopher Graham, a convicted child sex offender from Corby and Kettering, has been sentenced to prison after repeatedly breaching court-imposed restrictions designed to monitor his activities and prevent reoffending.

Graham, aged 24, first came under court supervision in 2017 when he was convicted of engaging in sexual activity with a minor. As part of his sentence, he received a community order and was subjected to a five-year sexual harm prevention order (SHPO). Additionally, he was placed on the sex offender register, which mandated police to track his location and regulate his use of electronic devices and the internet.

Despite these measures, Graham’s compliance was short-lived. In January, while residing in Kettering, magistrates found him guilty of breaching the court orders. The breaches involved his unauthorized use of social media platforms Snapchat and Instagram, as well as a phone number he had not registered with authorities. Furthermore, he failed to inform police about a new bank card and a recent address change, both of which are required under the terms of his supervision.

His violations did not stop there. Just two months after the January breach, Graham was rearrested for further non-compliance. This culminated in a 15-month prison sentence handed down at Northampton Crown Court. He had already spent approximately seven months on remand, and it is anticipated that he will be released into the community on licence in roughly two weeks.

During the sentencing hearing, Recorder Christopher Donnellan QC addressed Graham via videolink from HMP Peterborough. He emphasized the importance of adhering to court orders, stating, “You may not like the order but they are orders of the court. It’s not a matter of whether you like them or choose to follow them.”

The court detailed that Graham’s latest breaches occurred between February and March of this year in Corby. These included staying at an address where a child was present, which directly contravened his SHPO, and using a mobile phone without notifying police. He also failed to update authorities within seven days when he was without a fixed address. Graham admitted to two charges of breaching his SHPO and one charge of failing to comply with notification requirements.

Graham’s conduct was described as “generally uncooperative,” with authorities noting his reluctance to comply when it was inconvenient for him. Probation assessments classified him as a “medium risk,” although police confirmed they had no concerns about any contact with children under 16. His legal representative, Ravi Chandrapala, argued that Graham’s breaches stemmed from desperation rather than malicious intent. He explained that Graham had struggled to find stable accommodation and that basic amenities, such as access to washing facilities or even toast for breakfast, were luxuries he could not always afford. Chandrapala emphasized that Graham’s actions did not pose a danger to others but were a reflection of his difficult circumstances.

Despite these mitigating factors, Recorder Donnellan QC sentenced Graham to 15 months in prison—nine months for the most recent breaches and an additional six months activated from his previous suspended sentence. The original court orders, established in 2017 and set to expire in January 2022, were not extended. Graham’s sentence reflects a serious stance by the court against repeated violations of court-imposed restrictions, especially given the importance of these orders in safeguarding vulnerable individuals.

Earlier in January 2021, Graham had also breached his court order by using social media platforms without notifying police. Residing on Wellington Street in Kettering, he was placed on the sex offender register following his 2017 conviction for sexual activity with a child. The order prohibited him from using devices capable of internet access unless made available for police inspection and required him to notify authorities of any social media accounts or new devices.

On November 27 of the previous year, Graham violated these restrictions by operating Instagram and Snapchat accounts under pseudonyms Wolfbite673 and D3VILH1MS3LF420, respectively. Prior to this, he had failed to comply with registration requirements, including not informing police of an address change in September 2020 and not reporting a new bank card within three days of issuance. Between December 31 and January 6, he also used a phone number without registering it with authorities, constituting another breach of his SHPO.

Graham was subsequently arrested and appeared before Northampton magistrates earlier this month, where he admitted to all charges. He received a six-month prison sentence, which was suspended for 18 months, along with a fine of £300, costs of £85, and a victim surcharge of £128. The court’s actions underscore the ongoing efforts to enforce compliance among sex offenders and protect the community from potential harm.