MICHAEL MITCHELL

RUNCORN SEX OFFENDER SENTENCED TO THREE YEARS FOR CHILD ABUSE IMAGES AND WEB HIDING SOFTWARE

A CONVICTED sex offender named Michael Mitchell has been sentenced to three years in prison after police found depraved images of children being sexually abused on his devices.

Despite having previously been issued a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) and ordered to register as a sex offender, Mitchell was found with a significant amount of illegal material on his devices in Runcorn, leading to his court appearance.

Prosecutors stated that authorities discovered 437 indecent images of children on Mitchell’s devices, with 49 categorized as the most severe, involving child rape, and the rest distributed across categories B and C.

Additionally, 671 prohibited images, typically animated or cartoon representations, were uncovered.

Mitchell also failed to notify the police of multiple usernames and emails in breach of his register requirements and had installed software designed to mask his internet activity, including secure browsers and cloud storage, in violation of his orders.

The court proceedings detailed that Mitchell admitted to these offences during a previous hearing.

Judge Simon Berkson emphasized that only immediate custody could serve as appropriate punishment.

Mitchell, residing in Speakman Street, Runcorn, now faces the order to sign the sex offender register indefinitely, alongside the deprivation of his electronic devices, which was also approved.

The sentence reflects the severity of his crimes and violations of court orders.