MARAZION PAEDOPHILE JAILED AFTER POLICE FIND HIS SECRET TABLET
A registered sex offender has been jailed after he was found in possession of a forbidden tablet that breached a court order designed to prevent him from accessing indecent images of children online.Richard Over, of Marazion, Cornwall, was already a convicted offender having received suspended prison sentences for making indecent images of children in 2017 and again in 2024.
In December 2023, the 43-year-old was made the subject of a five-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).
The breach was discovered in April 2026 during a surprise visit by officers from Devon and Cornwall Police’s Management of Sexual Offenders and Violent Offenders (MOSOVO) to his home.
During the visit on Sunday, April 5, officers found a PIN-locked tablet hidden under Over’s duvet.
At a hearing at Truro Crown Court, it was revealed that the tablet contained a private internet browser and an application used to access the dark web.
Over claimed he 'didn't use' the private browser and that the dark web application was 'for checking about the war'.
He later told police: "I'm an idiot." The judge was told that the conditions of his SHPO, which he had now breached on seven occasions since 2023, strictly barred him from buying or using any internet-capable device without first notifying the police.
The order also required that any such device must retain and display its online history, and prohibited him from deleting his internet search history, using software for anonymous online activity, and password-protecting devices or files without permission.
He was also required to make any devices available for inspection.
It was also heard that Over had breached his registered sex offender notification requirements seven times in the same period.
Police Constable Ross Waite stated that Over had made a ‘deliberate effort’ to bypass the order designed to protect children and admitted to five breaches of his SHPO between December 17, 2025 and April 5, 2026.
He was sentenced to three years and two months in prison.
Police Constable Ross Waite remarked: “This offender made a sustained and deliberate effort to bypass strict court orders designed to protect children and limit his access to the internet.
Despite being fully aware of the restrictions placed upon him, he chose to conceal a device, install software to hide his online activity, and attempt to access the darkest corners of the internet.
Sexual Harm Prevention Orders are in place to manage risk and safeguard the public, particularly the most vulnerable.
Breaching them is not a technicality – it is a serious offence that demonstrates a clear disregard for the law and for the safety of others.
We will continue to robustly monitor and pursue those who attempt to evade these restrictions and take swift action to bring them before the courts.”
