PAEDOPHILE IN COURT OVER SEX OFFENCES (From Warrington Guardian)

PAEDOPHILE IN COURT OVER SEX OFFENCES

A PAEDOPHILE from Winsford has become the first person in Cheshire to be given a sexual offences prevention order.

The 35-year old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was made a subject of the order at Northwich Magistrates' Court on Friday.

Cheshire Constabulary applied for the order to be given to the man, who has been convicted of two sexual offences against children, to reduce the risk of him offending again.

It prohibits him from being in the presence of children except when their parents or legal guardians are with them. But he will still be able to enter houses where children are present, even though a psychologist told the court that it would be wrong to consider the offender as a low risk.

Magistrates reduced the severity of the order after defence solicitor Ian Mercer described the police's requirements as 'draconian'.

The police had wanted the man to be prevented from entering any dwelling where there are people under the age of 17.

Dr Abigail Willis, a psychologist who specialises in treating sex offenders, said a parent or legal guardian might not be in a position to protect their child.

She said there had also been poor collaboration between the offender's family and the social services, with the family being uncooperative and aggressive with social workers.

She said the man's history of impulsive offending mean that he should not be considered a low risk.

Nadim Bashir, prosecuting, said it was a balancing exercise between protecting the rights of the community and the defendant's rights.

He said: "If he can demonstrate appropriate evidence that he doesn't pose a risk he could come back to court for a review."

But Mr Mercer said: "He shows no history of abusing or interfering with children when there are adults present.

"If the court makes the order as the police authority says, it would be incredibly draconian."

Chairman of the bench Patsy Evans agreed to make the order, but made the amendments called for by Mr Mercer.

She said: "We felt the order was too restrictive and unfair to your human rights."

l A MEMBER of Congleton and Vale Royal's Intelligence Unit said the police had protected the man's identity to avoid making him a target for vigilante action.

Although the Guardian applied for reporting restrictions to be lifted, Northwich Magistrates' chairman of the bench, Patsy Evans, rejected the application 'in the interests of justice'.

Det Insp Dave Blood said: "In some Sexual Offences Prevention Order cases, we seek to protect the identities of offenders.

"This is for their own safety. Disclosing the name of an offender can make them a target for vigilante action.

"If this does happen, there's always a risk that the offender will go into hiding."

He said this could seriously hamper the effective monitoring and management of the order.

Det Insp Blood added: "Identities of offenders are not protected as a matter of course. Each case is carefully considered with the need for people to know an offender's identity carefully weighed up against the safety of the offender."

He said the police were committed to maintaining strict and effective monitoring of potentially dangerous offenders.