A convicted paedophile who was banned from contact with children has been jailed after being pictured dressed as an elf at Santa's Grotto during a family Christmas event. Former police officer John Smith, 48, had previously been prohibited from any unsupervised contact with minors following two incidents where he engaged in sexualised online conversations with children and decoy profiles.
Just months after being handed a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO), Smith blatantly violated the court order by volunteering as a 'meeter and greeter' at the 'family-orientated' charitable function on Christmas Day 2024. The event was attended by vulnerable children, and Smith even delivered a hamper to a family's home. Event organisers were entirely unaware of his criminal history.
Court Hearing Details
Liverpool Crown Court heard on Wednesday, June 17, that Smith had been given a three-year community order and a 10-year SHPO in February 2024 after being convicted of attempted sexual communications with a child. The order prohibited him from having any unsupervised contact with minors without the consent of their parents and social services.
Laura Atherton, prosecuting, explained that during a visit from offender managers on Valentine's Day 2025, officers examining Smith's phone discovered a photograph of him dressed as an elf at a Christmas celebration, posing alongside Santa Claus in a grotto. Smith admitted the photo was taken while he was volunteering at the event on 25 December 2024, which was attended by numerous children.
When approached by police, charity organisers described the event as 'family orientated', featuring a Christmas dinner, presents, and a grotto. The event was 'aimed at individuals who were vulnerable or lonely', with many attendees referred by organisations such as Crisis due to personal difficulties. The court heard that 'dressing up at the event was not mandatory', and Ms Atherton stated: "The defendant chose to dress up as an elf of his own volition. It could be seen as him trying to make himself more approachable to children."
Previous Convictions
This was the third consecutive year Smith had volunteered at the event, failing to disclose his convictions or SHPO to organisers. His responsibilities included greeting families and delivering a festive hamper to a property where children were present. Smith has eight previous convictions for 17 offences, including a community order for six counts of inciting sexual activity with a child in 2011 and a 12-month prison sentence in 2013 for breaching that order.
Paul Becker, defending, told the court: "He is a well spoken, articulate, intelligent man. It is all the more perplexing as to how he came to commit such a deliberate breach of this order." Becker noted that Smith began the Horizon programme for sex offenders a month after committing the offences, and described an "addiction" that Smith has. "He has never committed a contact offence," Becker added.
Becker also highlighted Smith's background: "He became a police officer when he witnessed, directly, 9/11 in New York. The defendant, I understand, has had a significant drink problem in the past. He has been sober for 11 years. He tells me that he has been sectioned three or four times. That, together with PTSD, has taken its toll."
Sentencing
Smith pleaded guilty to two counts of breaching a sexual harm prevention order. Appearing in the dock suited, wearing glasses and with his hair in a ponytail, he was jailed for 20 months. Sentencing, Judge Katherine Pierpoint said: "Eight months after that order was imposed, you volunteered at a family event. That only came to light because your offender managers looked at your phone. They found a picture of you dressed as an elf, posing with Father Christmas in a grotto."
The judge continued: "You knew full well that, by doing what you did on Christmas Day, you were in breach of this order. In my judgment, this is a very serious breach." Judge Pierpoint also referenced the event organiser, stating she was "left feeling hurt and angry" at the situation Smith put her and the charity in by not disclosing his convictions. "You knew that, if you had, she would have had you nowhere near that event," the judge added.
Smith was also ordered to sign the sex offenders' register for 10 years. His sexual harm prevention order remains in place until 2034.
