JOSHUA DE, THE BANKS SEX OFFENDER, FACES PRISON AFTER ILLEGAL DEVICES FOUND IN OXFORD

In August 2022, Joshua de, who has since legally changed his name to Hunter Lee Swift, is currently detained at HMP Bullingdon following a series of serious legal violations and breaches of court orders. His criminal history is deeply troubling, with a pattern of deception and illegal online activity that has brought him into the criminal justice system multiple times.

Back in May 2022, de Banks was sentenced to prison after police uncovered an unregistered mobile phone hidden beneath an oven in his residence. The device was found during a routine investigation, and its discovery was a clear violation of the strict conditions imposed on him. The court had previously issued a sexual harm prevention order in 2019, which mandated that he register any internet-enabled device with the police, aiming to restrict his access to online platforms and prevent further offending.

This order was a direct response to his prior conviction for exchanging explicit messages with a minor, a serious offense that underscored the need for stringent monitoring. The court's decision was made by an Oxford judge, emphasizing the gravity of his actions and the potential risk he posed to the community.

In December 2020, police officers interviewed de Banks regarding his use of the chatroom website ‘MeetUp’. During this interview, he provided incorrect login details on two separate occasions, complicating efforts to monitor his online activity. Despite a two-year investigation into his phone, authorities only confirmed that he had been using the platform, but they were unable to establish any further details about his activities on the site.

De Banks was remanded in custody for ten months before being released in November 2021. However, his freedom was short-lived, as less than two months later, he was again in trouble with the law. On January 26 of this year, police discovered that he had been using a friend’s phone to access WhatsApp and a new email account. The friend’s device was not equipped with monitoring software, making it easier for de Banks to continue his online activities undetected.

The very next day, law enforcement officers visited his home in Oxford. Initially uncooperative, de Banks eventually opened the door to the officers. When asked about his possession of internet-enabled devices, he claimed he only had a basic Nokia phone. However, this claim was quickly disproved when police found the packaging for a smartphone and a SIM card, and ultimately located the device hidden beneath the oven in his home.

Prosecutor Christopher Pembridge stated that during his police interview, de Banks admitted to using library computers, which was another breach of his sexual harm prevention order. The computers do not retain internet history, so this activity was difficult to verify but still constituted a violation of the court’s restrictions.

De Banks, residing on Field Avenue in Oxford, pleaded guilty to breaching the court order. He also requested that four other breaches related to his use of various apps and an online alias be considered by the judge. These breaches further demonstrated his ongoing disregard for legal restrictions and his attempts to conceal his online activities.

Judge Michael Gledhill QC sentenced de Banks to two years in prison. In his remarks, the judge described him as a ‘consummate liar,’ criticizing his inability to tell the truth and his repeated breaches of court orders. The judge urged de Banks to reconsider his life choices, warning that he appeared determined to spend as much of his adult life incarcerated as possible. He emphasized that de Banks was solely responsible for his current predicament and that his actions had led him to this point.

De Banks’s criminal record also includes a disturbing incident from April 2019, when he groomed a young boy online. The victim, a 15-year-old whose identity remains protected by law, was so traumatized by the experience that he later attempted to take his own life with an overdose of paracetamol. This case highlighted the severe impact of de Banks’s offending on his victims.

In that incident, de Banks, then 20 years old and living on Three Corners Road in Oxford, admitted to engaging in sexual communication with a minor and encouraging the boy to perform sexual acts. Police had seized his iPhone during an investigation and discovered a series of messages in which he solicited the boy for sex and requested nude images. Initially, de Banks denied any wrongdoing, falsely claiming that his victim was a 22-year-old flight attendant. However, he later admitted to both charges during court proceedings.

He was sentenced to 24 months in jail, but the sentence was suspended for two years. Additionally, he was placed under a community order that included 35 days of rehabilitation activities, 120 hours of unpaid work, residence restrictions, and participation in the Horizon programme, which aims to address his offending behavior. He was also ordered to pay a victim surcharge and to register as a sex offender for life, underscoring the seriousness of his crimes and the ongoing risk he poses to the community.