A sex offender considered to pose a “high risk” of re-offending installed three ‘apps’ in breach of a court order, but, “in panic”, deleted them when police came knocking.
The Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) was put in place for ten years after Jonathan Frost was convicted of attempted sexual communication with a child and attempting to meet a child following grooming, for which he received a suspended sentence order, in September 2021.
Durham Crown Court heard that as he was believed to pose a “high risk” of re-offending, monitoring software was put on his phone to check his usage.
Kathryn Wetherley, prosecuting, said police visited Frost’s home on December 15 last year as it was believed applications had been installed on his phone of which his monitoring officers were unaware.
The applications were said to enable him to contact women and were of a sexual nature.
Frost allowed police into his home, but said he needed to use the bathroom.
When subsequently asked for his phone, it was noticed it contained no applications.
He was queried about it, and he admitted having deleted them.
Frost was cautioned and arrested, and in interview he said he understood the terms of the SHPO as he previously had Snapchat and deleted the history of that, leading to a previous breach prosecution.
The 43-year-old defendant of Corscombe Close, Ferryhill, admitted the latest four SHPO breaches.
Miss Wetherley said three related to him installing the apps Zangi, Plamfly and Buzzcast while the other was over the deletion of an image of his private parts.
She described his offending as, “very serious, persistent and deliberate breaches”.
Albany Kidd, for Frost, said the defendant was aware it would result in immediate custody.
She described him as “vulnerable” with diagnosed learning disabilities.
“He lives at home with his parents who provide support and he has a positive family network around him.”
Miss Kidd conceded it was a deliberate breach of the SHPO.
“When he saw the police arriving, in a moment of panic, it was a deliberate decision to delete, but it wasn’t calculated or pre-planned.”
Miss Kidd added that the apps only enabled the defendant to have conversations with adult women.
Judge Nathan Adams said these were not the defendant’s first breaches of the SHPO, as he was given "chances" for previous offences, in 2024.
The judge said it would have been made “absolutely plain” to the defendant as to the consequences of further non-compliance with the SHPO.
“You were given a further chance and, nevertheless, you are back here again in breach of the SHPO and sex offender notification requirements and the only outcome is immediate custody.
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“You were fully aware deletion would be a direct breach of the order.”
Judge Adams imposed a 12-month sentence for the latest offence and added to it eight months activated from a suspended sentence passed in June 2024, giving a total 20-month prison sentence.
He told Frost any further breaches would only result in further custodial sentences.
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