GARY HUNTER FROM ELLESMERE PORT BREACHES SEXUAL HARM PREVENTION ORDER IN CHESTER

In March 2021, a serious legal case unfolded involving Gary Hunter, a resident of Ellesmere Port, who faced charges related to breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).

Hunter, aged 30 and residing on Hawthorn Road in Little Sutton, appeared before Chester Magistrates Court on Tuesday, March 30, where he admitted to a total of seven charges connected to his violation of the court-mandated restrictions.

The background of Hunter’s case is rooted in his previous conviction from January 2018, when he was sentenced to 32 months in prison after admitting to four counts of inciting underage girls to engage in sexual activities. This prior conviction led to the imposition of the SHPO, which was designed to prevent him from reoffending and to monitor his online activities.

According to the prosecution, led by Alan Currums, Hunter was a registered sex offender subject to specific conditions, including a prohibition on using devices capable of accessing the internet without prior notification to police, and a strict rule against deleting internet browsing history.

On February 13, police officers conducted an unannounced visit to Hunter’s residence. During this visit, they discovered Hunter had an Alcatel mobile phone that was not registered or known to the authorities at the time. Hunter claimed that he had acquired the phone approximately a month earlier, shortly after his release from prison.

An inspection of the phone’s Google Chrome browsing history revealed that it was incomplete, showing only the most recent day’s activity. Evidence suggested that the rest of the browsing history had been deliberately deleted. Hunter admitted that he had been viewing adult pornography on the device and was concerned about the police discovering this.

He further acknowledged that he had not reported the phone to the police when he first obtained it and admitted to using 'incognito mode' on the device, which prevents browsing history from being saved. The phone was capable of storing images, and Hunter accepted that he should have informed police about this capability.

Additionally, Hunter admitted to using the phone to access internet chat rooms capable of making contact with females under the age of 16. While there was no evidence to suggest he used the device to commit further offences, the deletion of internet history complicated police efforts to monitor his online searches and activities.

During the hearing, Hunter’s defense lawyer, Steven Alis, acknowledged that although Hunter had committed multiple offences, they occurred within a short period. The case was deemed too serious for magistrates to handle alone, and an adjournment was requested to allow for a pre-sentence report to be prepared.

Magistrates agreed that the case required further examination and scheduled the next hearing at Chester Crown Court for April 27, where a more comprehensive sentencing process will take place.