DANIEL HATTON FROM MIDDLETON ST GEORGE SENTENCED IN DARLINGTON FOR REPEATED SHPO BREACHES

In June 2022, a man named Daniel Hatton, residing in Middleton St George near Darlington, found himself back behind bars after a series of serious breaches related to his previous convictions and court orders. The incident involved the possession and viewing of illegal child sex abuse images stored on digital devices, which led to his latest detention.

According to court reports from Teesside Crown Court, Hatton, aged 58, was found to have viewed indecent images on his computer and subsequently destroyed the USB memory stick containing these images. Despite his efforts to dispose of the evidence by smashing the device and discarding it, authorities were already aware of his actions. The court heard that Hatton had also failed to inform authorities about his access to other digital devices, including a digital camera, a laptop, and three additional USB sticks, which could have contained further illicit material.

Prosecutor Annelise Haugstad explained that Hatton had disclosed his misconduct to his probation officer earlier in January of the same year, breaching the conditions of his sexual harm prevention order (SHPO). This order was imposed following his previous conviction and was meant to restrict his access to certain digital devices and prevent him from viewing or possessing indecent images of children.

Hatton’s criminal history includes a sentence of three years imprisonment handed down in January 2019 for possession and distribution of indecent images of children. He was released from prison in July 2021 but remained under strict supervision, with an indefinite SHPO in place. Since January of this year, he had been recalled to serve the remainder of his sentence under license conditions, which were set to expire in January 2023.

During the court proceedings, it was revealed that Hatton admitted to destroying the USB stick after viewing the illegal images but claimed ignorance regarding the other digital items he failed to declare. He explained his actions as stemming from his own 'incompetence' and a lack of understanding of the restrictions imposed by his SHPO.

In addition to the destroyed USB device, authorities seized a digital camera, a laptop, and three other USB sticks from his residence. Hatton pleaded guilty to four breaches of his sexual harm prevention order, specifically related to these devices.

Judge Timothy Stead sentenced Hatton to a total of 16 months in prison, citing his 'persistent' breaches of the court order. The judge emphasized that Hatton would be liable to serve half of this sentence, in accordance with license conditions, and noted that the breaches were not accidental but serious violations of court-imposed restrictions. The sentence also resulted in his recall to serve the remaining period of his previous three-year sentence, which was now effectively being enforced again due to his repeated misconduct.