Steven Singleton 65

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A REGISTERED sex offender sidestepped a strict court order by having a host of electronic devices he had not declared to police, a court heard.

When interviewed by police, Steven Singleton, 63, spoke of being a hoarder who built computers and held the misguided belief that legal transparency would see his life destroyed.

Singleton had first been sentenced by magistrates in 2014 for 11 offences which related to indecent images of children and extreme pornography, Carlisle Crown Court heard.

His punishment included the imposition of a sexual offences prevention order (SOPO) aimed at curbing online crimes. That placed a legal obligation on him to declare internet-capable devices, and make them available to police for installation of motoring software.

But Singleton was found to have flouted the order after police paid a routine visit to his Levens home on May 10 last year.

A host of devices including laptops, an iPhone, iPad, tablet and fire sticks were seized. He denied having them, but did have them, said prosecutor Brendan Burke.

Singleton, of The Green, admitted breaching the SOPO and was sentenced at the crown court by Judge David Swinnerton.

Richard Bennett, defending, said one device was fitted with the monitoring software but conceded the others did not.

I think the main point is there are no illegal or prohibited images on any of the devices which, of course, have been thoroughly examined by police, said Mr Bennett.

The fact there are no images is a clear indication that following the original conviction, the sanctions meted out to him in 2014 have been successful, in part."

Unemployed Singleton had since completed a sex offender treatment course and in 2017 was assessed by the probation service as posing low risk of reoffending.

He told police in interview he is a hoarder particularly with computer equipment which he likes to build, said Mr Bennett. His misguided thought was that police would take the devices from him and in effect destroy his hobby and, to use his words, his life.

All of the devices had been in his possession for a number of years. This is another lesson he must learn by way of a court sanction.

Judge Swinnerton suspended an eight-month jail term for two years and ordered Singleton to undergo further probation service rehabilitation. He will be deprived of the seized devices.

You must comply to the letter with the terms of the SOPO, Judge Swinnerton reminded Singleton.