Mark Thornton, 60, of Lambley Avenue, Tynemouth, has avoided another prison sentence after breaching a sexual harm prevention order, with a judge describing his suspended sentence as an "act of mercy".
Thornton had been jailed and made subject to a sexual harm prevention order and sex offender notification requirements in 2016 after being caught trying to meet a child for sexual activity by paedophile hunters using a decoy profile. He was later caught by the same group a second time.
Breaches of the order
On May 8 this year, risk management officers visited him and found he had downloaded Facebook, TikTok, Telegram and X on his phone, in breach of the sexual harm prevention order. On Facebook and TikTok, he was using aliases not registered with the police, which was another breach of the order.
Eight days later, police found a tablet computer and bank card that Thornton had not registered with the police, as required.
Newcastle Crown Court heard the 60-year-old has ten previous convictions. As well as attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity and attempting to meet a child for sexual activity from the decoy offences, he has also breached the sexual harm prevention order four previous times.
Court hearing and sentence
For the latest offences, he pleaded guilty to two counts of breaching the sexual harm prevention order and one of breaching his sex offender notification requirements.
Judge Michael Robinson said Thornton had become irritated when spoken to by probation and had said he was viewed as "once a sex offender always a sex offender". He added that Thornton is assessed as posing a high risk of serious harm to children.
Antonia Adie, defending, said Thornton had forgotten about the tablet and failed to register his bank card but had registered the account. She added: "It's not persistent or serious in respect of him going out and buying the devices. There's no suggestion he committed the substantive offences he did nine or ten years ago."
She said his last conviction was in 2020 and that he has shown "he is capable of complying with the order and being managed in the community and staying out of trouble". She said his period of staying out of trouble coincided with him meeting his now-81-year-old civil partner, who is now terminally ill.
Judge's decision
Judge Robinson said he had planned to lock up Thornton but instead imposed 18 months suspended for two years with programme requirements and £150 costs, after hearing about his partner's condition. He told him: "It's an act of mercy on my part which I do not expect to be thrown back in my face. Stay away from chatrooms and the like, comply with the restrictions and stay out of trouble."
