PHILLIP BROWNE FROM BURTON SENTENCED FOR SEX OFFENCES IN STOKE-ON-TRENT
In March 2021, Phillip Browne, a resident of Rosliston Road, Burton, faced serious legal consequences after pleading guilty to multiple charges related to his violation of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) and engaging in inappropriate communications with minors.Browne was found to have breached the SHPO, which was imposed to restrict his contact with children following previous offences, and was also charged with attempting to breach the order on two separate occasions.
Additionally, he was convicted of attempting sexual communication with minors, highlighting a pattern of concerning behavior.
Further investigations revealed that Browne had failed to disclose the possession of a smartphone to authorities, an act that violated the conditions of his SHPO.
This omission was part of a broader pattern of deception and misconduct.
The police uncovered that Browne had engaged in online contact with two girls he believed to be aged 13 and 14.
During these interactions, he asked one of the girls to send nude photographs of herself, an act that underscores the predatory nature of his conduct.
These incidents led to his sentencing at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court, where he received a prison term of two years.
Looking back at his criminal history, Browne’s pattern of offending is evident.
In December 2018, he was caught by paedophile hunters for the second time within a year.
At that time, the 38-year-old was sentenced to 12 months in prison after he sent explicit images of his genitals to what he believed was a 13-year-old girl and asked her to run away with him.
His actions demonstrated a clear intent to exploit minors and establish inappropriate relationships.
Following his release from prison, Browne continued his offending behavior.
He contacted another girl, named Jodie, who was in fact a member of the ‘Defending the Innocent’ group, a paedophile hunting organization.
Browne bragged about living near Waterworld in Stoke-on-Trent and arranged to meet the girl at Hanley bus station.
However, when he arrived at the designated meeting point, he was met by two members of the group who promptly called the police.
Browne admitted to speaking with four other individuals online, further illustrating his ongoing predatory behavior.
Prosecutor Hugh McKee explained that a paedophile hunter from the ‘Defending the Innocent’ group had set up a decoy account of Jodie on dating sites and messaging platforms such as Meet For You and WhatsApp.
Browne initiated contact with Jodie on September 24, despite knowing she was only 13 years old.
During their conversations, he expressed loneliness and boredom, claiming to be working on his forklift license.
He also mentioned living near Waterworld and falsely claimed to have had a previous girlfriend named Jodie.
Browne asked her to send a picture of herself and provided a picture of his provisional driving license.
He arranged to meet her the following day at Hanley bus station, providing a postcode for the location.
Phillip Browne, who was residing on High Street, Silverdale, at the time, pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including attempting to engage a child in sexual activity, attempting to meet a child following sexual grooming, and attempting to breach his SHPO.
The court upheld the five-year duration of his SHPO and mandated that he remain on the sex offenders’ register for an extended period.
His actions, which spanned over several years, reveal a disturbing pattern of grooming and exploitation of minors, prompting the court to impose strict penalties to protect the community and prevent further harm.
