MAN JAILED FOR BREACHING SEX OFFENDER ORDER
A man from Powys has been sentenced to prison after repeatedly breaching the conditions of a suspended sentence he received in 2021, which was related to his involvement in online sexual communications with a minor.Stewart Alderton, aged 44, received a 58-week prison term over four years ago after he pleaded guilty to attempting to sexually communicate with a child and causing a minor under 13 to view explicit images.
The offences took place in October 2020 when Alderton sent explicit images of his genitals to a girl aged 12, who was actually an undercover police officer.
Alderton, a father previously married and once employed in a senior role at Radnor Hills, a drinks company in Knighton, broke the terms of a sexual harm prevention order on at least 11 occasions within a year.
He admitted to all 11 violations, alongside another offence related to failing to update police with his current details as a sex offender.
Initially from Knighton but now with no fixed residence, Alderton appeared via video link at Swansea Crown Court on Tuesday, May 19, from HMP Parc in Bridgend, where he has been held on remand.
Prosecutor Caitlin Brazel explained that these breaches involved police examining devices that Alderton was either not allowed to use or had not reported to police.
On January 16, during a routine inspection, Alderton claimed he only possessed an Amazon Firestick.
However, police discovered unregistered bank cards and a hidden Samsung mobile device under his pillow, which he admitted he used for Snapchat, allowing messages to be deleted.
In February, Alderton was taken into custody after missing a court appointment in Llandrindod Wells.
Later, in June 2025, officers found that he had erased private message conversations and browsing history from smartphones found at his residence.
He has multiple previous convictions, including violations of his 2021 suspended sentence.
His lawyer, Georgia Donohue, stated that Alderton’s mental health had significantly worsened over the past year, leading him to accept that imprisonment was the best option.
She highlighted that he recognised he could not be properly supported in the community, noting his hospital treatment for frostbite in February and subsequent amputation of three toes.
Once a high-ranking employee at Radnor Hills, Alderton faced job loss, homelessness, and a mental health crisis.
Judge Huw Rees acknowledged that mental health issues contributed to his offending, but emphasised that only a custodial sentence was appropriate given the severity and persistence of his breaches.
Alderton was sentenced to 22 months in prison, with time served on remand counting toward his term.
The judge also ordered the seizure and destruction of all devices police confiscated.
Alderton continues to be subject to notification obligations and the SHPO until 2031.
