MATTHEW VERITY FROM DOGSTHORPE JAILED FOR SEX OFFENSES AND SHPO BREACH IN PETERBOROUGH

In a recent development at Peterborough Crown Court, Matthew Verity, a 42-year-old man with a troubling history, was sentenced to eight months in prison after pleading guilty to breaching his Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO). The breach was related to his actions involving the deletion of crucial digital communications, which he was explicitly prohibited from doing under the terms of his court order.

Verity’s criminal activities came to light following a routine check conducted by officers from the Public Protection Unit (PPU) on Sunday, July 12. The officers visited his residence in Dogsthorpe, a suburb of Peterborough, as part of their ongoing efforts to monitor registered sex offenders within Cambridgeshire. During this visit, they examined his mobile device and discovered that Verity had deleted WhatsApp messages, along with dating applications Grindr and Tinder, which he was legally barred from removing under the conditions of his SHPO.

These actions are considered serious violations of the court order, which explicitly states that Verity must not delete any internet history or digital communications. His failure to adhere to these restrictions led to his guilty plea at Peterborough Magistrates Court on July 13. Following this, he was remanded into custody and is scheduled to appear at Peterborough Crown Court for sentencing, with a date yet to be announced.

Verity’s criminal record includes a conviction from 2016, when he was placed on the Sex Offenders Register and issued a Sexual Harm Prevention Order after being convicted of a sexual assault. His previous offenses and current breaches highlight ongoing concerns about his compliance with court-imposed restrictions and the potential risk he poses to the community.

His criminal history also includes a disturbing incident from July 2019, when he was caught in a sting operation orchestrated by a paedophile hunter. During this operation, Verity believed he was communicating with a 14-year-old boy via the Grindr app. In reality, he was speaking with a decoy created by a self-styled paedophile hunter, Myles Manning. Despite being informed that the “boy” was only 14, Verity engaged in sexually explicit discussions, asked for a naked photo, and sent a picture of his genitalia.

Further, he discussed plans to meet the decoy in Corby, and in May of the previous year, he appeared at a McDonald's restaurant expecting to meet the boy. Instead, he was confronted by police officers and subsequently arrested. Prosecutor Stuart Lody outlined that Verity had been under a Sexual Harm Prevention Order at the time, which explicitly prohibited any contact with children under 16. Verity, then aged 41 and residing on Edmonds Close in Stamford, admitted to multiple charges, including attempting to meet a child following grooming, inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, engaging in sexual communication with a child, and breaching his SHPO. His actions resulted in a two-year prison sentence.

These incidents underscore the ongoing efforts by law enforcement to monitor and control individuals with a history of sexual offenses, especially those who attempt to breach court orders designed to protect minors and the community at large. Verity’s case remains a stark reminder of the importance of strict enforcement and vigilant oversight in safeguarding vulnerable populations from predatory behavior.