SEX OFFENDER GIVEN JAIL WARNING AFTER BEING CAUGHT WITH INDECENT PHOTO OF CHILD AND USING 32 ONLINE ALIASES.
Daniel Smith, aged 26, risks a minimum prison sentence of three years after admitting multiple offenses before borough magistrates.He was discovered with a child's explicit image when police examined his mobile phone during routine checks as part of his offender management programme on the weekend of January 22-23.
Originally from South Shields and now residing on Linthorpe Road in Gosforth, Newcastle, Smith had also violated a prior court order by erasing his internet browsing history.
Additionally, police found him in possession of two bank cards that he did not recognize and noted his use of 32 online aliases—all related to offenses committed in South Shields.
Prosecutor Glenda Beck explained that Smith had been placed on the sex offenders register for five years and was subject to a seven-year sexual harm prevention order issued in January 2018 at Newcastle Crown Court.
He had previously pleaded guilty to attempting to meet a girl under 16 following grooming attempts and trying to induce a child under 16 to engage in sexual activities.
In March of the previous year, Smith received a 52-week sentence, suspended for two years, for breaching the sexual harm prevention order again.
Regarding his recent charges, Mrs.
Beck stated that a police risk management officer visited Smith on August 26, 2021, and he admitted to deleting his internet history.
A digital forensic investigation on his phone revealed deleted browsing history on Chrome and Android browsers, along with cookies from Chrome and Facebook, and approximately 172 user accounts associated with the device.
Out of these accounts, Smith had not registered 32 with the authorities, leading to his arrest on January 23.
During the arrest, police asked him to surrender all internet-enabled devices, revealing two unregistered bank cards.
Further inspection of his phone uncovered what was believed to be an obscene image of a child, categorized as a category C child abuse image by a trained examiner.
Mrs.
Beck emphasized that Smith’s actions demonstrate his ongoing inability to comply with court orders.
He pleaded guilty to deleting his internet history in violation of a sexual harm prevention notice, using 32 aliases without registration, failing to register two bank cards, and possessing an indecent image of a child.
Most of these offenses occurred between January 10, 2018, and August 26, 2021.
Defence lawyer John Williams mentioned that the initial sentencing guideline is three years, noting the presence of aggravating factors.
