A sex offender has sent to prison after making and searching for indecent images of children.
John Clegg, 55, of Bowland Fold, Halton, was jailed for three years and eight months after breaching a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).
In April 2024, Clegg was given the order for offences of making indecent images of children.
One of the conditions of the SHPO prevented him from creating any new social media accounts or using any accounts without the permission of his offender manager.
Others prohibited him from deleting any software, installing any software that could hide or conceal your identity, or creating or accessing cloud-based internet storage, or using video and audio streaming services.
A Lancaster Area Police spokesperson said Clegg "completely disregarded those conditions imposed on him".
"When reviewed by his offender manager, it was found that he had created three new social media accounts," said the spokesperson.
"Upon examining his phone further, we found Facebook messages which had been deleted, 26 contacts in his phone and 15 messages had been deleted, and he had deleted four apps, two of which were messaging apps.
"In June 2024, just two months after the order was imposed, our officers attended his home address, and located a laptop, which had been hidden from them.
"On that laptop, they found a Category A indecent image of a child.
"At a later visit, our officers found that he had been searching for indecent images of children and downloading the dark web.
"Following consultation with the Crown Prosecution Service, he was charged."
Clegg pleaded guilty to two counts of making an indecent photograph of a child, two counts of failure to comply with notification requirements and 11 counts of breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.
His previous suspended sentence was also activated.
"Clegg had a blatant disregard for the conditions imposed on him, in order to keep the public safe. He continued to commit crimes, targeting the most vulnerable," said the police spokesperson.
"He will now serve a custodial sentence for his actions.
"This type of criminality will not be tolerated in Lancashire. We will not hesitate to put convicted sex offenders back before the court if they fail to keep to the terms of their lawful requirements.
"To any victims of sexual offences – please know that if you make a report to us, we will listen to you, we will investigate appropriately, and we will do all we can to get you justice."
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