A woman was horrified to discover she was in a relationship with a registered sex offender when the couple was denied entry at Turkish border control during a holiday.
Background of the Offender
Warehouse driver Daniel Greaves, 34, of Ladysmith Road, Grimsby, had failed to inform his new girlfriend about his previous conviction for four counts of engaging in sexual communication with a minor two years earlier. In December 2024, Grimsby Crown Court handed him a two-year community order and placed him on the Sex Offenders Register. He was also required to adhere to the conditions of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order, which stipulated that he could not have unsupervised contact with anyone under 16.
Violations of the Order
Greaves confessed to two violations of the Sexual Harm Prevention Order in January and February 2025. Prosecuting at Grimsby Crown Court, barrister Craig Lowe explained how in January, Greaves and his new partner visited a local pub for lunch with two children. They ventured out again in February for a circus trip, during which Greaves was left to supervise two children while the woman used the toilet.
Mr Lowe revealed that Greaves and his girlfriend encountered difficulties entering Turkey during their holiday. It was then that she learned of his past convictions and promptly notified the police. Mr Lowe stated: "He had not told anyone about his convictions and he was a registered sex offender."
Details of the Original Offences
The original offences involved Greaves communicating with decoys set up by paedophile hunters, who were posing as 13 and 14-year-old girls. He sent messages requesting photographs and proposing they arrange to meet. In one message, he suggested they share a shower together and told one of the decoys he could have sex with her.
Defence and Sentencing
For Greaves, Michele Stuart-Lofthouse said her client had written a letter to the judge expressing his "true remorse." She said there had been no harm caused during the outings with the children, which took place in public locations. Judge Richard Woolfall said Greaves had been "extremely fortunate" he had not been charged with a more serious offence for the communication in 2023.
The judge said a requirement of the court order was that there had to be no contact with anyone under 16. Judge Woolfall stated: "You were discussing with your probation officer that you were in a relationship and going on a date. You were asked if you had informed her of your previous conviction. You told it was not the right time, so probation gave you time and said that if you did not the police would."
The judge noted that the defendant had not informed the probation officer that there were children involved. Judge Woolfall said there was a trip to the pub with children. But more troubling was the visit to the circus when he was left alone with children. "You later went on holiday. You were turned around at Border Control in Turkey and you had to get a return flight," he said.
Judge Woolfall declared that the terms of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order are "non-negotiable. They are there to protect children." He sentenced Greaves to a total of 10 months in prison.
