ELDERLY MAN JAILED FOR BREACHING COURT ORDER AFTER ACCESSING TIKTOK AND INSTAGRAM
A 77-year-old man named Roy Edwards from Bucknall has been sentenced to 30 months in jail after breaching a court order.Edwards had previously been caught with indecent images of children and had breached his Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).
Despite twice avoiding jail in the past, he was found with a mobile phone on which he accessed TikTok and Instagram, under accounts named 'Roy Boy,' and had installed software intended to delete his browsing history.
Prosecutor Daniella Davidson-James stated that when officers visited Edwards' home on February 5, he revealed new social media accounts that he had not registered with the police, raising ongoing concerns about his behavior related to pornography and other issues.
It was noted that Edwards had not been in trouble with the police until his 2018 conviction for indecent images.
Defending Edwards, Paul Cliff mentioned his retirement, modest pension, and personal circumstances, including living a lonely life and concerns about potentially losing his rented accommodation.
The judge, Recorder Robert Smith, told Edwards that he had 'run out of chances' and emphasized his unhealthy obsession with sexual images, noting his continued misuse of telephones despite legal restrictions.
Edwards was described as having 'every single chance' in court, including community orders and suspended sentences, which he had ignored, leading to his current sentence.
It was acknowledged that he is an elderly man with vulnerabilities but also that he was aware that his actions were wrong.
