STEVEN BESWICK

OFFENDER SENTENCED IN COURT FOR BREACHING SEXUAL OFFENSE RESTRICTIONS

A defendant with prior convictions for online sexual offenses involving minors made a court appearance once more.

Steven Beswick, aged 54, was convicted in October 2019 on three counts of attempting to engage with a minor sexually.

He posed as a 17-year-old girl to request photographs and messages from children.

As part of his punishment, he received a two-year community order and was subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) for five years, which included a ban on deleting his internet browsing history.

However, police found Beswick near Leek, on his farm at Rudyard, actively deleting Facebook conversations and internet activity.

His legal representatives admitted that he had broken the SHPO by removing messages but highlighted his earlier compliance and remorseful attitude.

Judge Graeme Smith commented that while Beswick understood how serious his conduct was, he intentionally breached the order by deleting digital records.

The judge determined that he should serve an 18-month community order, along with a requirement to complete 20 days of rehabilitation activities and pay a fine of £200.

Defence solicitor Mr.

Potts stated that Beswick is aware of his offending and no longer uses a phone, indicating his resolve to prevent future offences.

The court recognized that his previous good behaviour under court supervision suggested he could rehabilitate, although his recent actions made monitoring more challenging; the judge also noted his contrition.