DAVID MORRIS FROM SOUTHSEA ESCAPES JAIL AFTER BREACHING SEX OFFENDER ORDER

In May 2019, a serious case involving David Morris, a resident of Southsea, unfolded when authorities uncovered that he had violated the terms of his sex offender’s order. Despite the gravity of the situation, Morris was not sent to prison, as the court recognized his progress in ongoing treatment and rehabilitation efforts.

Police officers arrived at Morris’s residence on Shaftesbury Road in Southsea as part of routine checks following his sentencing in March 2018. During this visit, they discovered indecent images depicting teenage girls aged between 14 and 17 years on his electronic devices. The court was informed that Morris had previously pleaded guilty to two charges of creating indecent images of children, which resulted in a six-month prison sentence suspended for two years. However, the recent discovery indicated that he had continued to possess such material, thus breaching the terms of his sentence.

Specifically, during the search in March 2019, officers seized Morris’s laptop and found three Category B and two Category C images. A subsequent search in May revealed additional material, including three Category B and eight Category C images stored on a USB device. Prosecutor Andy Houston explained to the court that the police found search terms like “teen pornography” on Morris’s devices, and during police interviews, he admitted to being aware of the images and expressed an interest in children aged 14 and above. Morris failed to notify authorities about the presence of these devices, which further compounded the breach.

Judge Roger Hetherington addressed Morris directly, acknowledging his acknowledgment of the problem with pornography and noting his mental health decline prior to treatment. The judge highlighted that Morris had been sectioned and confined to a secure unit for two months but had since shown significant improvement. The judge emphasized that Morris was responding well to treatment and that his mental health had improved considerably.

In light of these factors, Judge Hetherington stated that, according to sentencing guidelines, there was a significant prospect for rehabilitation, making a community order a suitable alternative to immediate imprisonment. He expressed a preference for Morris to continue with his treatment rather than face incarceration.

Consequently, Morris was sentenced to a three-year community order, which included 20 days of rehabilitation and mandatory attendance at a sex offenders’ program. Additionally, a sexual harm prevention order was imposed for five years. The judge warned Morris that any future breach of the order would almost certainly result in a prison sentence, underscoring the seriousness of compliance moving forward.