Paedophile caught with software to wipe internet history from his phone.

Sex Offender Sentenced for Breaching Court Order

Anthony Coombes, a convicted sex offender, was sentenced to 18 months in prison after being caught breaching his sexual harm prevention order (SHPO).

Coombes, 22, was on a suspended sentence for engaging in sexually explicit conversations with what he believed were 12 and 14-year-old girls. He was also subject to an SHPO designed to control his online activities.

Police discovered Coombes had internet-wiping software on his phone and an email account in a false name, "Bennypern," just months after being released from court. This directly violated the terms of his SHPO which prohibited him from erasing his internet history or using aliases.

In court, Coombes claimed he was unaware of the restrictions and that the cleaning app came pre-installed on his secondhand phone. He admitted to creating the alias email but claimed it was only for his X-Box console.

Judge Paul Thomas QC, however, dismissed these claims, stating that Coombes had shown no intention of complying with the SHPO. The judge activated a portion of Coombes' previous suspended sentence, resulting in a total of 18 months in prison.

The court heard that Coombes had a history of offenses related to child sexual abuse. In 2021, he was sentenced for attempted sexual communication with a child, possessing indecent images of a child, and failing to comply with sex offender notification requirements.

The judge emphasized the seriousness of Coombes' actions and the need to protect the public from further harm.

Coombes will serve half of his sentence in custody before being released on licence. The SHPO remains in place.