Ben Richardson 27

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A repeat sex offender who is considered "a high risk" to young females is back behind bars after his latest breach of a court order.

Ben Richardson was released on July 9 after a previous term in prison for flouting a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).

But Teesside Crown Court heard that within a week he was arrested again and locked up for further breaching the order.

The court was told he was released on licence conditions, while still subject to a lifelong SHPO and registration as a sex offender.

Emma Atkinson, prosecuting, said when his police risk manager called on a monitoring visit, on July 14, Richardson presented a mobile phone and gave the pin number.

A check revealed in the few days preceding the visit he had downloaded several applications which were no longer on the device.

The apps, many for dating sites, were last used the previous day and even in one case earlier on the day of the officer’s visit, itself.

He had also downloaded a Virtual Private Network (VPN) application and a browser, which had also been deleted, with the data of its use history also removed.

Miss Atkinson said these were all in breach of his SHPO conditions.

Richardson was arrested and interviewed and admitting downloading the apps and the VPN.

He said he obtained them with the intention of viewing pornography, but he told police he realised he had been “stupid” and so deleted them.

Miss Atkinson said it was clearly a deliberate flouting of the order less than a week after his release from prison for previous breaches.

The 27-year-old defendant of The Crescent, Linthorpe, Middlesbrough, admitted the latest breach of the order.

Judge Jonathan Carroll noted the defendant’s criminal record features 13 sexual offences, including the rape, “of a very young female”.

The judge said: “The very nature of his sexual interest is directly towards young girls”.

He told Richardson’s counsel, Michele Turner, that in the circumstances he was considering passing a sentence close to the five-year maximum for the offence.

Miss Turner said while, at 27, the defendant is still a young man, the original offence for which Richardson was convicted was, “some time ago, when he was a very different individual”, with a subsequent, “significant difference in his level of maturity.”

She said that the defendant is in danger of becoming institutionalised, given the time he has spent in custody, where he finds a “supportive environment”, as he gets on well with prison officers and other inmates.

Miss Turner added that the dating apps obtained by the defendant are all adult sites, with nothing to suggest any child contact.

But the judge said the use of a VPN was indicative that the defendant was trying to circumvent any scrutiny of his use of the internet.

He said the defendant’s offending history indicates an attraction to “very young females” from inciting them to commit sexual acts escalating up to rape.

Despite being made subject of both lifelong registration as a sex offender and restrictions under the SHPO, the judge said Richardson had continued to demonstrate, “sexual desires focused on young girls”.

He told the defendant:

“You are clearly a high-risk offender”, but added that the manner and history of his breaches of the order indicate he is also “devious”.

“I’m satisfied your conduct was risking very serious harm and distress as you have shown you are someone who is willing to commit serious criminality.”

The judge said he was taking a four-and-a-half year starting point for the sentence, but would deduct one-third to mark the defendant’s early guilty plea, making a three-year sentence.

He reminded the defendant that the SHPO and registration requirement will remain in place upon his release.