‘FORGETFUL’ COUNTY DURHAM SEX OFFENDER STRUGGLED TO RECALL TERMS OF ORDER, COURT TOLD
PERV JAILED AFTER TRYING TO COVER HIS TRACKS A County Durham sex offender has been locked up after repeatedly breaching strict court orders — including deleting his internet search history in a desperate attempt to hide his online activity.The Aycliffe man had already been subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order designed to tightly monitor his behaviour following previous sexual offences.
But despite being given chance after chance, the offender ignored restrictions imposed to protect the public.
The court heard he deliberately wiped browsing history and failed to comply with conditions intended to monitor his internet use.
Judges were told his repeated breaches showed a complete disregard for the order and left authorities with no option but to jail him.
The case highlights how dangerous offenders continue trying to evade monitoring even after conviction — with specialist police teams forced to constantly track compliance with strict sexual offence prevention measures.
Sexual Harm Prevention Orders are imposed to protect the public and are treated extremely seriously by the courts.
Breaching them can result in immediate imprisonment.
Yet again, another offender has discovered that trying to outsmart monitoring officers only leads one way — straight to a prison cell.
—————————————————————————————————— A ‘forgetful’ sex offender used aliases to access online chat rooms, in breach of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO), a court was told.
David Mills appeared at Durham Crown Court on a committal for sentence after admitting four breaches of a SHPO and one of failing to comply with his notification requirements as a sex offender.
The court was told the orders were put in place after a conviction in April 2022 for attempted sexual communication with a child.
It restricted his use of the internet and prohibited him from using aliases without the prior approval of his offender risk manager.
It was discovered that police visited his home on January 5 after he had used the Telegram site to chat with an adult female online but failed to inform his risk manager.
Despite deleting his internet history, an alias name ‘Durham Man’ was used to access the site.
When questioned by police, Mills responded with ‘no comment’ but later admitted the offences in court.
The 45-year-old, formerly of Callerton Rise, Newton Aycliffe, now of Frederick Street South, Meadowfield, has three convictions for eight offences, including the original attempted communication with a child and three breaches of the SHPO, for which he served 20 months in prison.
The prosecution’s counsel highlighted there was no evidence of recent contact attempts with children.
Mitigation acknowledged Mills’ memory issues following a stroke in 2015, which now affect his recall of complex restrictions under the SHPO.
The court sentenced him to 12 months imprisonment suspended for 21 months, with requirements including a 26-session programme and 20 activity days, alongside a reminder that the SHPO and sex offender registration remain in force.
