DARLINGTON SEX OFFENDER DIDN'T TELL NEW PARTNER OF HIS PAST
A Darlington sex offender is back behind bars after he failed to tell his new partner of his past crimes.Christopher Wilson also failed to notify his police monitoring officer that he stayed at the woman’s home, breaching court orders.
Wilson, 38, of no fixed abode, appeared via video link at Durham Crown Court on Friday (October 24) after admitting three breaches of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) and two counts of failing to comply with the terms of his registration as a sex offender.
He pleaded guilty to all five offences when he appeared before magistrates in August.
Kathryn Wetherley, prosecuting, said his offending history goes back to his teenage years when he lived in Darlington.
He served an eight-year sentence for the rape of a teenage girl in the town plus a previous detention and training order for twice indecently assaulting a girl under 14.
Wilson was then made subject of lifetime registration as a sex offender having been jailed for 56 months for engaging in sexual activity with a child, in 2013.
Due to two failures to disclose the status of subsequent relationships he has been back to prison since and, so, was made subject of a ten-year SHPO in March last year.
Miss Wetherley said Wilson's latest breach was when he struck up a relationship with a woman, who has a child, and often stayed at her home over a seven-month period.
When police called Wilson tried to flee from the back door but was arrested.
The woman told police she was unaware of his past convictions.
She said he would stay for three nights at a time when her child was staying elsewhere.
Miss Wetherley said the defendant had failed to inform his police risk manager of the relationship.
Chris Morrison, for Wilson, said “fortunately for all concerned” no further offending took place other than the breaches themselves.
Judge Nathan Adams told Wilson the woman with whom he had the relationship was, “completely oblivious” of his offending history.
“And, the police were equally unaware of the relationship, as you didn’t disclose it.
“I accept you stayed there usually when the child was not there.
But you were required to inform the police.
You were fully aware of those restrictions, having had multiple warnings previously.
This was a flagrant disregard for the requirements placed upon you.
I’m sure when the person with whom you were in a relationship was made aware it would have caused her serious distress.
“Given the number of warnings you have had and the number of repeated times you have offended in this and similar ways you knew entirely the risk you were taking.” Imposing a 28-month prison sentence, the judge told Wilson that given the time he has spent in custody, he is likely to remain in prison for up to another 12 months after which he will be released on licence, But Judge Adams warned him that all the restrictive orders will remain in place upon his release and any further breaches will only land him behind bars again.
