Convicted paedophile Lee Arthurs has been sent back to prison after reverting to his disturbing online behaviour while dog-sitting in Colchester. The 41-year-old was subject to strict conditions under his Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) when officers arrested him at a property in Essex in March.
Arthurs' Offences
Arthurs accessed multiple online messaging platforms and attempted to initiate sexual conversations with children. Forensic examination of his device uncovered additional chats and indecent photographs of youngsters. He faced three charges of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child, three charges of making indecent images of children, and four violations of his SHPO.
Court Proceedings
Arthurs, of Silk Street, Ipswich, was immediately returned to custody for the breaches. He pleaded guilty at Chelmsford Crown Court in April and on 5 June received a total sentence of five years behind bars.
Previous Convictions
In 2021, the former ambulance service employee was imprisoned for 11 years for having intercourse with a 14-year-old girl in a hotel and downloading hundreds of horrific images of babies and children being sexually abused. He had boasted about his actions in online chat rooms and used search terms such as 'preteen' and 'paedo' to locate depraved images.
Police Response
Detective Sergeant Gavin Tuck said: 'Arthurs showed an absolute disregard of the law and started re-offending when he was released from prison. His abhorrent crimes were identified by specialist teams and he was detained. He poses a significant threat to children, and it is right that he is now behind bars for a significant time.'
He added: 'Protecting children from these types of offenders is a priority for us at Essex Police. We continue to be vigilant, rigorously monitor those on licence, and will act swiftly.'
