Locations
Wolborough Street, Newton Abbot, Devon, TQ12
Description
A sex offender has been jailed for having contact with children in breach of a banning order.
Craig Beddows, 55, befriended two mothers in breach of his Sexual Harm Prevention Order imposed by a court to protect children.
He should have told the women about his past but ignored the order and was in regular contact with four boys.
He did not commit any sexual offence against them and was never left alone with the youngsters but a judge at Exeter Crown Court said he was guilty of persistent and wilful breaches of his order. He would give the children presents and liked to be called 'Uncle Craig'.
Beddows, of Wolborough Street, admitted four breaches of the order and was jailed for 20 months.
The court was told he led a lonely existence having been shunned by his family due to his previous behaviour which started with a conviction for indecent assault against girls under 16 back in 2003.
The court was told the defendant befriended a woman and over a period of about a year came into contact with her children.
"There was nothing inappropriate in the way he behaved towards them but she wasn't aware he was subject to a SHPO," said prosecutor Mr Ian Graham.
Beddows also made friends with another mother. There was no suggestion he behaved inappropriately to her children but did not reveal the contact to his offender manager.
When the women were told about his past they felt 'betrayed' and upset, the court was told.
Mr Barry White, defending, said Beddows previous offending had been against girls and he did not pose a risk to boys.
Recorder Timothy Kenefick said: "You have a number of previous convictions for sexual offences involving children under 16 and breaching notification orders.
"The probation report says there is a clear pattern of befriending mothers with young children and having contact with these children knowing full well you're not permitted to do that."
He said he accepted that Beddow led a solitary life and endured a considerable amount of loneliness but it was not the first breach and there was no alternative to immediate prison.