Locations
Pilborough Way, Colchester, Essex, CO3
Description
Officers who monitor the risk posed by sex offenders secured a prison sentence for a man who repeatedly breached a court order and attempted to engage a child in sexually charged conversations.
In October last year, Alastair Dixon, 35, was found to have sent sexualised messages and images to an online decoy posing as a 14-year-old boy.
He committed this serious offence despite being the subject of a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO), imposed at Ipswich Crown Court in August 2023.
These orders place limits and monitoring conditions on offenders’ use of electronic devices and day-to-day activities.
Our Management of Sexual Offenders and Violent Offenders team (MOSOVO) are focused on ensuring these stringent court orders are adhered to and any breaches swiftly detected.
These officers work alongside the probation service to prevent and deter further offending.
The team was able to link Dixon to a number of offences.
In another breach, we received a report he was in possession of an unauthorised smart phone.
Subsequent investigation found he had installed deletion software on computers at his home.
It was further found Dixon attempted to pervert the cause of justice by creating an email address in an innocent man’s name, before sharing a link containing indecent images of children.
He was arrested, charged and admitted a range of offences including:
- Attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity.
- Attempting to engage in sexual communications with a child.
- Seven breaches of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.
- Failing to comply with notification requirements.
- Perverting the course of justice.
Dixon, of Pilborough Way, Colchester, admitted each charge due to the evidence gathered against him and appeared for sentence at Ipswich Crown Court on Wednesday 22 January.
Judge Emma Peters said he committed “sophisticated, serious offences” and sentenced him to five years’ imprisonment.
Dixon was made the subject of a lifelong SHPO and will be subject to notification requirements for the rest of his life.
In 2024, MOSOVO made 125 arrests, secured 286 charges and solved nearly 370 investigations.