Phillip Yarrow 32

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A sex offender prohibited from having unsupervised contact with children has now twice since become involved in relationships with young mothers who were unaware of his past convictions.

Phillip Yarrow was made subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) after being convicted of sexual communication with a child and attempted sexual activity with a child, online grooming of a girl aged 13 to 15, in February 2019.

Durham Crown Court was told that the terms of the SHPO included forbidding him having unsupervised contact with any child under 16 where the parent or guardian has no knowledge of his convictions.

He was also made subject of notification requirements as a sex offender in which he must inform his risk manager if he lives at any address for more than 12 hours.

Jon Harley, prosecuting, said a complaint was received by a woman, with a daughter aged under four, who was using a dating app in December last year.

She began messaging the defendant, who was described as “32 and from Coxhoe”, for two weeks, before meeting him close to her address on January 2, after which he went back to her home, although her daughter was not present as she was staying with her grandmother.

Mr Harley said Yarrow did not stay over, but the following day, at 4pm, Yarrow went back to the woman’s home at 4pm, when he daughter was present.

He stayed for two hours but had little contact with the girl and was never alone with her.

Mr Harley said that the next day he went over at 7pm, but this time did stay over at the address, having watched tv.

The following morning he left after the woman booked him a taxi, and that would be the last time she saw him.

Mr Harley said throughout the defendant’s contact with the woman there was no mention of his previous convictions.

When it came to light he was interviewed by police and accepted responsibility for the offence.

The court heard Yarrow, 32, of Grange Crescent, Coxhoe, pleaded, or indicated he was guilty, when he appeared before magistrates last month.

Mr Harley said the defendant now has three convictions for ten offences, all sexual of some description.

The court heard that following his original conviction, in February 2019, he was dealt with back at court for making indecent photos of children and failing to comply with notification requirements as a sex offender, in June 2021.

Mr Harley said the latter offence was for staying at an address for more than seven days where the female householder, with two young daughters, was not informed of Yarrow’s past conviction.

There was also said to be a further breach of the SHPO in July 2022 by the defendant.

Martin Scarborough, for Yarrow, said he had found work, through an agency, at a glass factory prior to being taken into custody which prevented him from being able to seek to make the employment full-time.

Mr Scarborough said, relating to the latest offence, his client had little contact with the child, and none while unsupervised.

Judge Jo Kidd said not for the first time Yarrow has chosen to engage in a relationship with a mother of a young daughter having failed to inform them of his offending history.

She told him: “The sentences you have received have increased with each further breach and, so, the sentence I will pass now will be an increase on them.

“You have a clear history of disobedience of court orders.”

She said it appears that up to now, he has not stepped back from his, “risk-taking behaviour.”

Imposing a 20-month term of imprisonment, she warned the defendant if he commits further offences during his licence period, upon his release at the mid-point, it is likely that he will be readmitted to prison to serve the remainder of the sentence.