CRAIG STODDART FROM SOUTHPORT ESCAPES JAIL AFTER REPEATEDLY BREACHING INTERNET RESTRICTIONS WHILE TALKING TO CHILDREN
In February 2021, a disturbing case emerged involving Craig Stoddart, a 36-year-old man from Southport, who had previously been convicted of engaging in sexual communication with minors.Despite serving a suspended sentence and being under strict legal orders, Stoddart's actions demonstrated a blatant disregard for the restrictions imposed upon him.
Stoddart was convicted last year of having inappropriate conversations with underage girls, which included two counts of attempting to do so.
As part of his sentence, he received a six-month prison term, suspended for two years, and was mandated to participate in a Horizon sex offenders treatment programme.
Additionally, he was ordered to register as a sex offender and adhere to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO), which severely limited his internet usage, for a period of seven years.
These measures were put in place to prevent further contact with minors and to monitor his online activity.
However, just two months after the court's ruling, authorities uncovered that Stoddart had purchased a new mobile phone.
Investigations revealed that he had begun making internet searches, which he subsequently deleted from his browsing history to conceal his activities.
This act was a clear breach of the SHPO, which explicitly restricted his internet access.
Prosecutor Derek Jones explained that although there was no specific evidence of what Stoddart searched for, police officers who visited his residence on May 6 seized both his phone and computer.
During the search, they discovered that Stoddart had used the internet to contact additional girls under the age of 16.
While the conversations with these minors did not escalate into sexualised exchanges, the children involved quickly ended their interactions with him once they realised his intentions.
The court was informed that Stoddart’s actions constituted a breach of his Sexual Harm Prevention Order and his suspended sentence.
Despite these violations, the court noted that his previous convictions were solely related to the offences for which he was convicted last year.
Judge Menary addressed the court, stating, “Simply because of coronavirus you’ve not been able to take advantage of that particular course.
It’s because of that and for that reason only I’m not going to send you to prison today.” As a result, Stoddart was sentenced to 12 months in jail, suspended for 18 months.
The judge also marked the breach of his suspended sentence by imposing 150 hours of unpaid work and ordering him to contribute £150 towards court costs.
The judge warned Stoddart sternly, saying, “I have no doubt you can take it as guaranteed if you do anything like this again, you will be going immediately to prison.” This case highlights the ongoing challenges law enforcement faces in monitoring and enforcing restrictions on convicted sex offenders, especially in cases where breaches occur shortly after legal orders are issued.
