Sex offender spared jail to get treatment (From The Northern Echo)

Hartlepool sex offender spared jail

4:17pm Tuesday 7th February 2012 in Hartlepool News

A JUDGE freed a child sex offender yesterday after hearing he will get more help for his "warped thinking" in the community than he would behind bars.

Neil Johnson faced a five year jail sentence for breaching the terms of a sexual offences prevention order (Sopo) designed to curb his behaviour.

The 28-year-old was banned from using devices with internet access or having pictures of children as part of the order imposed by a court in May 2008.

But following a tip-off in November last year, Johnson was watched by police using a computer in a library in Hartlepool to download indecent images.

Officers found 22 pictures of young girls which Johnson tried to hide under the guise of music folders, Sharon Elves, prosecuting, told Teesside Crown Court.

A further ten images were found on Johnson's ipod and he admitted using social networking sites and chat rooms.

Paul Cleasby, mitigating, said his client, of Norton Road, Stockton, had never received any treatment, and his parents were desperate for him to get help.

Johnson was jailed for six months in 2008 for downloading child pornography.

Yesterday, after hearing Mr Cleasby argue his risk would be managed better by treatment, Recorder Paul Watson imposed a three-year community order with supervision.

Johnson, who also admitted three breaches of the Sopo, must take part in a sex offenders' treatment programme.