JUDGE REFUSES BAIL FOR FERMANAGH MAN ACCUSED OF BESTIALITY
A convicted sex offender has appeared in court on new charges, including having sex with an animal, allegedly committed just months after he avoided prison for having over 1,000 indecent child images in all categories of seriousness.Jason Brown (22) from Corratistune Road, Enniskillen, is charged with 13 offences comprising of seven counts of failing to comply with sex-offender registration, all of which allegedly occurred just after he was sentenced in May and continued until October 16, when Brown had allegedly changed his name and failed to inform police of his alias.
He also faces two counts of breaching a Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO) on November 6 by possessing an electronic tablet with approval and deleting the browser history.
Additionally, there are single counts of having sex with an animal, making and possessing an indecent image of a child, and possessing an extreme pornographic image.
All of these are alleged to have occurred between August 1, 2024, and October 16, 2024.
A police officer told Dungannon Magistrates' Court that the charges could be connected.
The offences came to light when Brown was visited by his Designated Risk Manager, and bail was strongly opposed due to the high likelihood of reoffending and the short time between previous sentencing and resumption of activity.
Earlier this year, Brown admitted 25 charges, including 15 counts of making indecent images of a child, four of possessing prohibited images, and three counts of possessing extreme pornographic images.
This offending occurred between April 2018 and June 2022, and police seized a mobile phone with 1,076 images of child abuse in all categories.
Judge Brian Sherrard noted Brown was under 18 when the offences occurred, but they weren't detected until he was 20.
The judge emphasized the seriousness of the offences, stating, “While you may not have touched the children concerned, you have abused them by looking at these images.
You have helped create a market that provokes abuse of children.” The judge sentenced Brown to a three-year Probation Order, required him to remain on the Sex Offender Register for five years, and imposed a SOPO banning activities that could give access to children or vulnerable adults unless approved.
Brown was remanded in custody and scheduled to appear again by video link at Enniskillen Magistrates' Court on December 1.
