GARY BUSHNALL FROM TEESIDE JAILED FOR BREACHING SEX OFFENDER ORDERS AND ONLINE MISCONDUCT

Gary Bushnall, a convicted sex offender residing in Teeside, has been sentenced to prison following a series of breaches related to his previous court orders and his conduct involving online activities. The 52-year-old, who lives on Leven Road in Norton, Stockton, was found to be in possession of an Xbox gaming console that was connected to an online account, despite restrictions that should have prevented such use.

During the investigation, Bushnall initially claimed that the Xbox belonged to his daughter, attempting to justify its presence in his possession. However, authorities uncovered that he had created an online alias, BEELZEBUB#3589, which he failed to disclose within three days of its creation, violating the conditions of his sexual harm prevention order. This order, imposed in 2020, was designed to restrict his online activities and contact with minors, but he had previously breached its terms, leading to a suspended prison sentence last summer.

Following his arrest on April 2, the court heard that Bushnall pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including breaching the sexual harm prevention order and failing to register his online alias as required. The court was informed that he had bought the Xbox to combat boredom, a statement made during his interview with the probation service. Despite the breaches, there was no evidence to suggest that Bushnall had used the device to search for child abuse images or to contact children directly. Nonetheless, Judge Richard Bennett emphasized that Bushnall remains a significant risk to children, which justified the court's decision to impose strict conditions.

In addition to the online breaches, Bushnall faced serious allegations related to his interactions with minors. He had previously contacted a teenager named Amber, not realizing she was an online decoy working with the paedophile hunter group Confronted and Caught. Despite being told she was only 13, Bushnall engaged in highly sexualized conversations and even sent a video of himself performing a sex act to the decoy. These actions led to a separate conviction, with Bushnall receiving a four-month prison sentence, suspended for two years.

Judge Bennett acknowledged that Bushnall's contact with his family and friends had been limited since his initial conviction, but he made it clear that the defendant's online behavior and breaches of court orders warranted a firm response. The judge sentenced Bushnall to a total of 12 months in custody for the latest breaches, including the failure to comply with the terms of his previous orders and the breach of his suspended sentence. The court's decision underscores the ongoing concern about Bushnall's potential risk to children and the importance of strict supervision and legal enforcement in such cases.