Thomas Edeson 26

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A convicted sex offender who had already been jailed for two years after intimately touching a girl and taking explicit pictures of her has been told: "You remain a dangerous sexual offender."

Thomas Edeson had been locked up in 2021 because of his worrying sexual interest in young girls but he later breached a 10-year sexual harm prevention order and fell foul of the police again. He had previously kept images for his own sexual gratification. But he was eventually trapped after three years when internet crime investigators tracked him down after disturbing information came to light, Hull Crown Court heard.

Thomas Edeson, 26, of Franklin Street, Hull, admitted new offences of disclosing private photographs between January 1 and February 2 last year and breaching his sexual harm prevention order between June 1, 2023 and February 2 last year.

Michael Masson, prosecuting, said that Edeson had been jailed for two years and given the ten-year sexual harm prevention order in August 2021 for offences of sexually touching a young girl and two offences of making indecent images of her between May and August, 2018. He had been cleared at a trial earlier this year of more serious sexual offences.

Edeson posted sexualised images on the internet and when he was challenged about this, he said: "I don't need anybody's permission to post photos." He was in breach of the terms of the sexual harm prevention order by doing this.

"It was a deliberate breach," said Mr Masson. "The images were circulated widely and publicly." Edeson had deleted messages but this was in breach of the terms of the sexual harm prevention order concerning the retention of his internet history for police checking.

Judge Alexander Menary said: "It was a deliberate breach. It was something he knew he ought not to do." Edeson had said at the time: "I do what I want." Judge Menary told Edeson: "You remain a dangerous sexual offender."

Dale Brook, mitigating, said that Edeson admitted both of the new offences. During police interview, he admitted deleting messages and posting sexualised images. "That was wholly and utterly unacceptable behaviour," said Mr Brook.

Edeson had previously apologised for this. It had been a surprise that the sexual harm prevention order terms were wider than thought and included deleting messages rather than just relating to the use of internet browsers and the deletion of search histories.

"It's at the wider margins of what would be expected to be covered by that," said Mr Brook. An aggravating feature was Edeson's previous convictions.

Edeson had earlier spent 10 months and two days in custody on remand before bring given bail and put on a curfew. "He has done the equivalent of a two-year sentence," said Mr Brook. "He will have to engage with probation and be monitored by probation."

Edeson was given a nine-month suspended prison sentence. He will continue to be subject to the sexual harm prevention order and he will have to continue to register as a sex offender.

The previous hearing in August 2021 was told that the National Crime Agency received a tip-off in April of that year that a Google Photos user had uploaded four images taken by him of a young girl. The most serious picture showed sexual touching of her but the others were less graphic and involved moving her clothes to expose her.

Police investigated and found large amounts of electronic devices at his home as well as a large amount of unwashed children's underwear.

Messages had been sent to a woman and they involved sexual conversations about the girl.

There was the "strong inference" that it would be something to do with sex, the court heard that day.

Edeson admitted in a message in June 2021 that he had dreamed the previous night about having sex with the girl. There seemed to be plans in the pipeline to recruit the girl for further sexual activity, the court was told that day.

Edeson had, at the time, been having a sexual interest in pre-pubescent girls for some years. The girl was left confused, scared and worried by what happened.