Hartlepool pervert faces jail for breaching lifetime ban on contacting children

Anthony Metcalfe, 34, adopted an alias in conversations with the girls on Snapchat from his home in an outhouse behind a relative’s address in Hartlepool.

Metcalfe, who was a registered sex offender for life since he was convicted in 2015 of three sexual assaults on children, messaged the youngsters with comments.

His ban on contact with children was from a Sexual Harm Prevention Order which was also imposed in 2015 and he was later jailed for 16 months for breaching it five times, Teesside Crown Court was told.

Metcalfe's contacts with children came to light when his police offending manager visited him in the outhouse on May 10 and he handed over the tablet.

Rachael Glover, prosecuting, told the court: "It was a very serious breach in the light of of his previous breaches of the Sexual Harm Prevention Order which would have prevented him from contacting children."

Stephen Constantine, defending, said there was no suggestion that he had attempted to meet any of the girls.

The judge, Recorder Taryn Turner delayed sentencing for pre-sentencing reports and told Metcalfe, who appeared over a videolink from Durham Jail: "I make it plain that I don't have anything in mind other than a custodial sentence

"The court would like to have as much information as possible when your case comes back for sentence"

Metcalfe, of Willow Walk, will remain in custody until October 20 after he pleaded admitted six beaches of the Sexual Harm Prevention Order and failing to comply with terms of his registration.