SEX OFFENDER USED APPS TO ARRANGE 'HOOK-UPS' WITH UNDERAGE BOYS, COURT TOLD
A convicted sex offender allegedly used dating app Grindr in a bid to make contact with underage boys and to arrange a series of prohibited “hook-ups”, a court heard on Thursday.Police also claimed a device seized from Lee Harper, 31, contained dozens of illegal images of children and nearly 130,000 contacts.
Details emerged as he was refused bail based on the high risk of carrying out further offences.
Harper, with a hostel address at Edward Street in Portadown, has been charged with attempted sexual communication with a child, and making and possessing indecent photographs.
He also faces a total of 16 counts of breaching his Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO).
He was arrested in Belfast city centre in February last year for having an unapproved internet-enabled device, which had been used to access online platforms in defiance of the SOPO, according to police.
Urgent forensic examinations uncovered a large amount of data, including alleged sexual chats on Grindr and WhatsApp.
A detective claimed two conversations were with individuals who informed Harper they were boys aged 13 and 15.
“A large amount of data had been downloaded from that device, including tens of thousands of messages, images and videos,” she told the court.
Further investigations established that 46 files containing suspected illegal images of children were stored on the device.
One of the online exchanges was with someone using the name ‘Will’ who identified themselves as a 15-year-old boy.
As the chat became sexualised, Harper allegedly sent indecent images to him and requested similar in return.
“There were also thousands of messages on the phone on the platforms Telegram, Grindr and WhatsApp looking for ‘hook-ups’,” the detective said.
“That device has over 129,000 contacts on it and over 48,000 chats.” The majority appeared to be with strangers, which started off friendly and then progressed to exchanging indecent images and sometimes meet-ups.
Bail was opposed amid claims that Harper is in a category assessed as posing a threat of causing serious harm through contact sexual offences.
“Police are concerned he won’t and cannot adhere to any conditions set by the court,” the detective added.
Counsel for Harper argued he has spent 20 months in custody amid slow progress in the case.
District Judge Anne Marshall accepted there have been substantial delays in what she described as a large and complex investigation.
But denying Harper’s application for bail, she ruled: “The risk of re-offending is extremely high, as is the risk of not keeping conditions.”
