COLIN RICKARDS FROM LEAMINGTON AND WORCESTER BUSTED FOR BREACHING SEX OFFENDER COURT ORDER
In November 2019, Colin Rickards, a known high-risk sex offender, was found to have violated a court-imposed sexual harm prevention order while residing in Worcester.Rickards, who had a history of abusing young boys, was caught purchasing mobile phones and using Facebook to contact minors, actions that directly contravened the strict conditions set by the court.
At the time, Rickards was living in an approved residence called Braley House, located on Ombersley Road in Worcester.
Despite being under close supervision, he managed to acquire two mobile phones from a local shop, an act that was later confirmed through CCTV footage obtained by authorities.
The first purchase took place on October 3, when Rickards bought a MobiWire handset along with a Samsung Galaxy A40 smartphone, both capable of internet access.
He returned to the same shop on October 15, seeking additional data for his devices, which raised suspicions and led to his subsequent arrest.
During the investigation, it was revealed that Rickards had been dishonest with his offender manager, denying the internet capabilities of his new phone and attempting to hide his online activities.
Further scrutiny uncovered a Facebook profile picture of Rickards wearing a Newcastle United shirt, with the account having 23 friends, including 70 individuals under the age of 18.
The profile was used to search through thousands of suggested friends, with Rickards sending friend requests to those he found attractive, primarily boys he considered sexually appealing.
Prosecutor Antonie Muller highlighted that Rickards had been using the Samsung device to contact underage boys online, which was a clear breach of his court orders.
He had also deleted material and lied to his offender manager in an effort to conceal his activities, demonstrating a pattern of disobedience and deceit.
Rickards admitted to breaching the order during police interviews, acknowledging that he was aware of the restrictions but chose to ignore them.
Rickards' actions were deemed particularly serious because they involved the use of technology to re-engage with victims similar to those he had previously harmed.
His online activity was characterized by searches for young boys and attempts to establish contact, which posed a significant risk to minors.
The court considered his history of convictions, including a nine-year sentence in 2002 for buggery, and his ongoing pattern of non-compliance.
In sentencing, Recorder David Mason QC emphasized that the persistence of the probation service in addressing Rickards' behavior prevented further harm.
He described the breach as very serious and sentenced Rickards to two years in prison.
The two mobile phones used in the offense were ordered to be forfeited and destroyed.
The defense, represented by Debra White, argued that Rickards, who is a diagnosed type two diabetic, had found custody challenging but noted that no face-to-face contact offenses had occurred, only online misconduct.
She requested that he receive full credit for his admissions during police interviews.
Separately, in March 2018, Warwickshire Police issued an appeal for assistance in locating Colin Rickards, who was wanted on recall to prison.
Rickards, aged 64 at the time, had been released on license from HMP Oakwood in Wolverhampton after serving time for sexual offenses.
He had recently been residing in Leamington but had previously lived in Kidderminster, Worcestershire.
Described as a white male, approximately 5 feet 8 inches tall with a large build, blue eyes, and a Newcastle United tattoo on his right forearm, Rickards had breached the conditions of his license and was actively being sought by authorities to return him to custody.
