Hartlepool sex offender 'rode roughshod' over public protection orders with internet use

David Walls, 41, was given a suspended prison sentence in March 2017 after trying to meet up with an underage girl following grooming.

He was also made the subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order to regulate his use of the internet, and had to keep police informed about his online activity.

But during a random check in January this year, police discovered he had used aliases on dating and messaging apps Tinder, Snapchat and Kik that he had not informed them about.

Walls, from Hartlepool, who was volunteering with a radio station in Gateshead, also failed to declare an ipad and external storage device.

And he deleted several apps from his mobile phone so the police would not find them and his internet history.

Teesside Crown Court heard some of the breaches took place soon after he was given the suspended sentence.

Prosecutor Ian West said: “The Sexual Harm Prevention Order required him effectively not to use any aliases unless he was prepared to notify the police.

"Mr Walls admitted he had previously deleted several applications and their associated data to avoid being detected by the police.”

He had been using the dating app Tinder, Facebook Messenger, Snapchat and Instagram to share sexual messages and pictures, but there was no evidence it had been with anyone under 16.

But Mr West said it had been a “very serious and persistent breach” of the two court orders.

Walls, of Colwyn Road, Hartlepool, admitted six breaches of the Sexual Harm Prevention Order and three counts of breaching the notification requirements in relation to the aliases.

Michelle Turner, defending, said in mitigation that Walls had been very open and honest with the police by admitting more than could be proved.

She added: "He wasn’t using it in order to incite those under 16 and was pursuing relations with females of an appropriate age.”

Jailing Walls for 16 months Judge Jonathan Carroll said: “You were in effect riding roughshod over those sets of rules designed to protect the public and manage your behaviour.

"The public would be outraged if you were not to receive an immediate custodial sentence.”

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